Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you. – 1 Peter 5:6
On this day in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln helped dedicate the Soldiers’ National Cemetery by sharing a brief speech with the gathered crowds. It was four months after the Civil War’s deadliest battle took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and the Union army decided to designate the area as a burial site for Union soldiers. President Lincoln was not even scheduled to speak at the dedication ceremony, but he decided to offer less than a dozen sentences to describe his views on the Civil War. “Four score and seven years ago,” he began. He went on to say how this great fight over emancipation was the ultimate test of the founding phrase “all men are created equal.” This speech, which came to be known as the Gettysburg Address, reminds U.S. citizens to constantly seek to fulfill the godly principles upon which America was founded.
As the Lord leads, pray with us…
- For U.S. public servants to humble themselves before the Lord and seek His direction for the nation.
- For American governing officials to recognize God Almighty as Creator and Sustainer of all life.
