Barton’s Creek Men’s Ministry July 2026 Devotion
As we get ready to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence on July 4th, this is a great time for us as Christians tolook back at the faithfulness of God throughout the history of our great nation. But where should we begin as we reflect on that history? I believe it’s always a great place to start with the people who stand up for others. That is our veterans.
Throughout our history, starting from our very beginning as a nation, much of it has been marred by conflict. Conflict with other nations that would oppress us, nations that oppress our allies, or even conflict with ourselves. But our veterans are those who havestood for their country and held the line.
John 15:12-13 says “12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
And isn’t that a great description of what our veterans do for us and each other? Throughout the decades, our servicemen and women have willingly accepted great sacrifice in defense of our nation and its people. Many paid the ultimate price and never returned to experience the full freedom they fought for. By God’s grace, many were spared and kept safe to return to their loved ones. We are blessed as a church to have many as members here at Barton’s Creek, and we thank them for their service and sacrifice.
But it is not only our veterans who carry a burden we should hold in prayer. Those who lead this nation do as well. The Book of Timothy gives us some instruction in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to not forget our leaders either. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
Timothy is urging us as believers to not neglect praying for the leaders God has placed over us. There are certainly times where we do not agree with who has been placed in charge, but we are to respect the office God has allowed them to hold, while remembering that all earthly leaders remain accountable to Him. We as ambassadors of God should continue to pray over our leaders, asking for them to have God’s guiding hand placed upon them, that they will make good decisions that are honorable and right to God.In our daily prayers, we also need to remember to pray for this great country God has given us.
As we reflect on God’s providence in our nation’s history, it is worth remembering the principles expressed at our founding. In the Declaration of Independence, we see our founding fathers say this:“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The language of the Declaration of Independence reflects several principles that are consistent with a Biblical understanding of humanity and government. Among those that stand out are around rights and thus a sense of righteousness. The founders understood that our rights came not from government, but from the Creator. That is a deeply Christian idea, that human dignity comes from bearing God's image.
Proverbs 14:34 says “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” While our founders planted righteous principles drawn from Scripture, the nation itself has always been populated by sinners in need of a Savior. All Americans have need of a Savior, and the perfect Savior has been presented to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Only through faith in Jesus is our relationship with the Father restored. Then we may be able to say that we follow Him and inherit His righteousness. We live rightly because we reflect our Creator.
Certainly, America has had its share of ups and downs. Much likethe cycles we see in the book of Judges, there have been moments when America has had its revivals and its rebellions. In 2026, as much negativity as we see daily when we turn on the TV or open our phones, I do believe God is doing a work in this nation. I believe our culture is being turned more toward God daily in smallincrements. God has always had His faithful remnant, and that is reason enough to hope. We need to pray for more Christians to take active roles in their spheres of influence to share the Good News of Jesus. We need to pray for God to move, because unless God is behind it, anything man seeks to promote will fail.
And finally, let’s remember Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” The United States of America is a great country to hail from. Patriotism is a good thing to promote as long as it is placed within the proper context. But we must also remember that our ultimatecitizenship is in Heaven as the people of God. We may have started as an experiment in freedom to escape the rule of a tyrannical king, but for those of us called, we actually still belong to a king. The perfect King, Jesus Christ, who loves us so much, that He gave His life on a cross for us, so that we could know the love of the Creator of not just a country, but the universe.
So, while we get to experience the moment of our 250th anniversary together as a church family, always remember that our highest allegiance is not to an earthly nation but to the Kingdom of God and to King Jesus.
May God bless His Church to be faithful. May He give our leaders wisdom, and may He have mercy on this nation for the sake of His name.
In Christ,
Russ Belcher