We encourage you; brothers admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. – 1 Thessalonians 5:14
The Netherlands became the second nation to formally recognize the United States on this day in 1782. The supreme legislature of the Netherlands, known as the States General, received John Adams as Minister Plenipotentiary of the U.S. at The Hague. John Adams bought a house in The Hague that became the first U.S. embassy. The Dutch remained neutral through much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, the invasion of that country by the Nazis changed the national sentiment toward neutrality. The U.S. later urged the Dutch to relinquish their colonization of Indonesia and the two nations became allies in free trade during the Cold War. The U.S. supported the Netherlands in modernizing technology, participation in the European Union, and membership in NATO. The two nations have shared the values of individual freedoms and human rights.
As the Lord leads, pray with us…
- For wisdom for U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Shefali Razdan Duggal as she fulfills her diplomatic role.
- That Secretary of State Antony Blinken would seek to follow the Lord in heading U.S. diplomatic efforts.
