Characteristics of a Nation that God Will Bless
Part One
June 28, 2026
Scripture: Psalm 33
God gathered the leaders of every nation to tell them that the world is going to end in a week, and that they must inform their countrymen and women. Shocked, the leaders return home wondering how best to break the news. The next day, they all hold press conferences. One leader said, "I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that God exists, but the bad news is that the world will end in less than a week." Another leader said, "I have only bad news. God exists and the world will end in less than a week." Another leader said, "I have good news! I will rule until the end of the world!" Not one leader said, “I have great news! The Lord is returning in a week to set up His kingdom! Let’s prepare for His coming!”
I am afraid today most, if not all, leaders, and nations would not look forward to the Lord’s coming! Jesus noted in Matthew 24:36 and 37 that no one knows when the Lord will return, but when He returns people will be acting like the people did in days of Noah (Matthew 24:36, 37).
Genesis 6 describes the human condition at that time. Genesis 6:5 states, The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time…Genesis 6:11-12 states, Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. Also note II Timothy 3:1-4.
Now, I am not sure when the Lord will return, maybe we will have another great awakening, or we are quickly coming to the Lord’s return. In a few days, we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of this nation. So today and next week, I want to note why this nation has been blessed and what characteristics need to happen if the Lord is going to continue to bless this nation.
Psalm 33:12 states, Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.
When the Psalmist wrote this, it was referring to Israel. However, after God came in the person of Jesus, Gentiles were grafted in as followers of His!! The principle is still true today. A country flourishes under the grace of honoring Almighty God and the Lord Jesus Christ!
I believe all of you would agree that the Lord has blessed the United States of America! Why has this nation been blessed? It is because the Lord and His word have been historically a key part of our core values.
George Washington stated in 1789, It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly implore his protection and
favor.
Thomas Jefferson stated, Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.
John Quincy Adams said, The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected, in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.
America's founding fathers based the nation's constitution and laws on the Bible. The founding principles of the U.S. — such as the Declaration of Independence’s asserted, "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 framers, though not all Christian, were influenced by Biblical ethics and the authority of the Creator.
Abraham Lincoln, April 30, 1863, appointed a National Fast Day and declared, It is the duty of nations as well as men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history: that nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
In Niall Ferguson book, Civilization: The West and the Rest written in 2011 notes the following story. Ferguson interviewed a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, an arm of the Communist Party in China. This unnamed Chinese official praised the role of Christianity in the Western world. He said, …We have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity …. The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don't have any doubts about this.
Tony Perkins in a recent article in The Washington Stand noted that Samuel Huntington, a Harvard professor warned in his book “Who Are We?” written in 2004 that America was facing a crisis of identity. He argued that a nation cannot remain united without a common culture, a common history, and a common understanding of itself. Remove those foundations, and a society inevitably fragments into competing tribes, interests, and identities.
Huntington pointed to the Anglo-Protestant Creed as the core of America’s unifying identity. He argued that America’s political institutions and civic ideals did not arise in a vacuum but were rooted in a culture shaped by Protestant Christianity. If Huntington identified the foundation of America’s shared identity, educator E.D. Hirsch explained how that identity was transmitted: through a common biblical literacy that provided Americans with a shared vocabulary, history, and moral framework. Without that shared knowledge, the cultural foundations of national identity inevitably begin to erode.
The Bible shaped how Americans understood freedom, law, covenant, human dignity, and self-government. Even those who were not orthodox Christians were influenced by the Biblical worldview that permeated colonial America.
Yet, a nation that forgets its story loses its identity. And when people lose their identity, they become fragmented. That is precisely what Huntington warned about. Americans increasingly identify themselves by race, class, political ideology, or special interest rather than by a common national story.
God has blessed this nation because of the Christian moral foundation. The concern is we are forgetting and turning away from our core values that prompted God’s blessing. John Quincy Adams said, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Adams believed that a government could not function effectively if the people lacked integrity and a sense of moral responsibility. He argued that laws and institutions alone cannot restrain human passions such as greed, ambition, or revenge without a foundation of morality and religion. (Note Psalm 9:17; Proverbs 14:34.)
Sadly, this has happened. Since Biblical literacy has declined, people do their own thing. Scripture repeatedly instructs us to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord (Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 21:9; II Kings 10:30). People today are doing what is right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25; Proverbs 12:15). Our culture today worships a humanistic philosophy. They worship/emphasize that individuals can make their own choices, how to run their own lives and what is best for society. They base this on what they think is best, not on divine command or tradition. Sadly, too many churches and denominations have fallen into this humanistic philosophy! So many have eliminated the Lord and His word as a core value.
Today, the Church and our culture need another great awakening. I am not sure if this is going to happen before the Lord’s return. However, for each of us, we need to stand firm in Christ (Matthew 24:13).
In Psalm 33, the Lord gives us several key characteristics/instructions if a nation is going to be blessed by the Lord. Let’s look.
Psalm 33:1 states, Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright (ESV).
The Psalmist instructs/commands the righteous, those who know the Lord, who follow the Lord to shout with joy to the Lord. The righteous person is motivated to praise the Lord because one knows his unfailing love, his grace, his power, his presence, his peace, his joy, and has an assured hope.
Verse 2, Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings (ESV)! The Psalmist also instructed praise to the Lord with musical instruments namely the harp and lyre. Having musical instruments can add so much to the worship experience.
Verse 3, Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
Most of us like to sing songs that are familiar, but a new song can prompt a fresh worshipful experience. Play skillfully has the idea that those who play a musical instrument or sing should do their best. I don’t sing well, but I make a joyful do my best! I do it unto the LORD!!! Shout for joy again emphasizes enthusiasm to worship the Lord.
Principle 1: If the Lord is going to bless this nation, then the righteous, the Church, needs to have passion, excitement, a heartfelt joyful desire to worship the Lord!!! Church, we need to have a passion to glorify the Lord in all things!
The phrase “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” implies that nations that worship God will receive blessings.
Jesus said in John 4:23, 24, Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
We are not to just go through the motions, sing a few songs, and leave. We are to have the attitude/a Spirit that desires, a want to attitude, to worship the Lord! This passion needs to be not just Sunday morning, but every day! If we have this passion to worship in Spirit and truth, we will want to honor Him in every area of our lives! We will want to grow and mature in Christ. We will want to learn His word. We want to walk in His Spirit and produce fruit. We will want to grow and reflect the character of Christ. We will want to share the love of Jesus with others. We will come to the point and give thanks in all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5:18). We will consider it pure joy when we face various trials (James 1:2). Whatever we do, you will want to do it all for the glory of God.
Our praise shows our faith in the Lord regardless of what we are going through on this earth. Paul was in prison when he authored the Book of Philippians, and he said, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
Worship/music has had a major impact on my life. It started with the song over 50 years ago, Seek ye First! I decided as a teenager that I was going to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). Now, this past week, I drove to Columbus. As I was thinking about having to drive, I thought, I am going to put on some worship CD’s and sing along. That is what I did. My favorite is Michael W. Smith CD, Worship Forever. It is remake of his 2001 album Worship. The updated version adds a whole orchestra. I find myself lifted up by the Lord as I worship.
James 4:8a,10 states, Come near to God and he will come near to you… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. True worship is rooted in humility and dependence on God which leads to His lifting us up. This lifting up is both spiritual and practical: it brings honor, purpose, and the strength to walk in His will.
This is what the Church needs! We need church leaders and church people to have a passion to worship/honor the Lord. Then we can have an impact on our culture!
Let me challenge you. When was the last time you shouted praises and rejoiced in His goodness?
The psalmist then writes verse 4, For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
God's Word is dependable and trustworthy. Some people criticize and even laugh at the God’s word. Yet, God’s Word sets the standard for righteousness and morality. The Word of God is like a compass that guides the people of God. It is right and true about how to have a successful marriage. It is right about sex. It is right about inter-personal relationships. It is right about how to raise children. It is right about money. It is right about the sinfulness of humankind. It is right about how to be happy. It is right about life and about death. The word of God is right and true in revealing who God Is and how we might personally know Him. The word of God is right and true about prophecy and its fulfillment.
There is no book like the Bible. It is the manual for life given to us by our Creator. The Psalmist writes, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psa. 119:105).
The end of verse 4 notes, He is faithful in all He does. Everything God says and does is good. His Word is true and will be accomplished just as He has said.
Verse 5, The Lord loves righteousness, and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
The Lord loves what is right, pure, holy, and good. He hates sin because it is contrary to His nature. The LORD is good. He is so good that He poured out His judgment for sin on His own Son in our place. He did that in order that we might be able to stand righteously before Him. And as we stand before Him, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. That is the goodness of the Lord.
At the end of verse 5, the Psalmist writes, the earth is full of His unfailing love. The Psalmist is stating that the Lord shows His power and love all the time, whether we recognize it or not through creation.
For instance, as we study the universe – from the vast galaxies of space right down to the microscopic world of atoms and electrons, protons, and neutrons - we see evidence of God's intricate loving care everywhere. From the tallest mountain to the deepest ocean the natural world tells of God's power and His on-going care for all He has made. We and all the creatures God has made survive only because of His power and love sustaining us. If for one minute He withdrew His loving care, we would die.
Verse 6, By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. The Psalmist reemphasizes, further elaborates in verse 9. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. Eight times in Genesis 1 God said, “Let there be…” and it happened! When God speaks, things happen.
Psalm 33:7 gives an example of God’s power. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. The Psalmist is alluding to Genesis 1:9, And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.
The visible creation testifies to the great power of the word of God. He created everything out of nothing by His word alone. The Big Bang scientific theory supports the idea that suddenly within moments the universe started out of nothing. The only alternative is that nothing produced everything, or that matter has always existed, but in some miraculous manner by sheer chance alone it came to have the intricately ordered form that we now observe. Which view takes more faith? God created or did it accidentally just happen? (Further study: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman Geisler).
Principle 2: If the Lord is going to bless this nation, know God’s word is true! Trust and obey His word! Live a righteous life!
The Apostle Paul said this about God’s word, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16, 17).
I like Psalm 19:7, 8, The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
A blessed nation is characterized by its obedience to God's laws and decrees. This obedience stems from a genuine commitment to live according to His will. So, the Lord is calling each of us to submit to His rule in our lives. If we submit, then we will desire to obey rather than disobey. We will seek Him first, not when we want to. We will turn from our sinfulness and crave pure spiritual milk to help us grow in in our salvation (I Peter 2:1, 2). We will crucify the sinful nature and seek to be filled with God’s Spirit (Romans 8; Ephesians 5:5-15-20) We serve our Lord and our country best when we submit in trusting and obeying the Lord!
Isaiah 1:16-20 calls for such a pursuit: Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Katherine Lee Bates was an English teacher at Wellesley College near Boston. In the summer of 1893, she took a trip out West. When she made the ascent up to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado, she was overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur of what she saw. She returned to her room and wrote down the words that were to become the hymn, "America the Beautiful". Katherine Lee Bates recognized that this land was a blessing from the Lord! So, she asked that God shed His grace on us, crown our good with brotherhood, refine our gold so that our treasure would be a noble rather than crass materialism, mend our every flaw.
Now let me note this. I am afraid the Church, particularly Church leaders have failed to effectively teach God’s word. Hosea 4:6-9 states from the Living Bible, My people are destroyed because they don’t know me, and it is all your fault, you priests, for you yourselves refuse to know me; therefore, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten my laws, I will ‘forget’ to bless your children. 7 The more my people multiplied, the more they sinned against me. They exchanged the glory of God for the disgrace of idols. 8 “The priests rejoice in the sins of the people; they lap it up and lick their lips for more! 9 And thus it is: ‘Like priests, like people’—because the priests are wicked, the people are too. Therefore, I will punish both priests and people for all their wicked deeds.
So, it is incumbent on church leaders to be spiritually and emotionally mature in Christ, to live a righteous life, to teach God’s word and to develop righteous people. The state is not in the business of creating righteous leaders. God-fearing individuals are created, raised, when the Church will make not just evangelism but especially discipleship a priority! Over the past 40 years, numerous pastors have fallen. Churches have been more concerned about numbers instead of people developing in Christ. Too many church leaders are more concerned about entertaining, not helping the people grow up in Christ.
Church, we need to make worshipping and growing in Christ a priority in our lives. Next week, I will note several other key principles if God is going to bless. Now let me close with this.
I think all of us would agree that America needs Jesus! Only He can transform lives, families, and society. Today, we need another great awakening. When settlers initially came here, they had a commitment to trust in the Lord. For nearly two generations, the settlers were Godly people. However, over time a new generation arose that began to drift away from the Lord. And many of the new immigrants were not interested in Church as many were criminals that England exported here. By 1730, only about 10% of the people in the Colonies attended church at all. But then something amazing happened! Beginning in 1734, a handful of preachers: Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, John Wesley, and others began to preach in churches, in the streets and in the fields. These soon turned into great crusades and revivals that spread throughout the 13 Colonies. Tens of thousands of people dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ and were baptized. The Church then had influence on our Founding Fathers. That era came to be known as “The Great Awakening.” Oh, how we need a great awakening today. Let’s pray!
