Remember your leaders on President’s Day

February 19 is the day we take to remember and honor the great men who have led our country with dignity, courage, bravery and depth of spiritual awareness. We are not the nation we are today out of our own will or spirit. We are the nation we are because of the people who have gone before us and their leaders who feared a holy God. Like the great kings of the Bible, none were sinless but the best were the ones who led lives of confession, chose to walk with their Creator and sought His wisdom and guidance in all situations.

What follows are quotes from some of the men who have held the title of “President of the United States” and who led this nation to the greatness from which we all benefit today: “Let me live, according to those holy rules, which thou hast this day prescribed in the holy Word… Direct me to the true object, Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. Bless, oh, Lord, all the people of this land.” - George Washington “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” - John Adams “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?” - Thomas Jefferson “No book in the world deserves to be so unceasingly, studied, and so profoundly meditated upon as the Bible.” John Quincy Adams “Sir, I am in the hands of a merciful God. I have full confidence in his goodness and mercy… The Bible is true… I have tried to conform to His spirit as near as possible. Upon that sacred volume, I rest my hope for eternal salvation, through the merits and blood of our Blessed, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Andrew Jackson “Unless the great God, who assisted President Washington, shall be with me, and aid me, I shall fail. But if the same, omniscient mind, and Almighty arm, that directed and protected him, shall guide and support me, I shall not fail… Let us pray that the God of our fathers may not forsake us now.” - Abraham Lincoln “In the actual world, a church lives in a community, that community where men have abandoned and scuffed at or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid downgrade.” “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” - Theodore Roosevelt “They were intent upon establishing a Christian commonwealth, in accordance with the principle of self-government. They were an inspired body of men. It has been said that God shifted the nations that he might send choice grain into the wilderness… Who can fail to see it as the hand of destiny? Who can doubt that it has been guided by a divine providence?” - Calvin Coolidge.

“With every passing year I become more confident that humanity is moving forward to the practical application of the teachings of Christianity as they affect the individual lives of men and women everywhere.” Franklin Roosevelt.

“Without God, there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first—the most basic—expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of America saw it, and with God’s help, it will continue to be.” - President Gerald Ford, quoting Dwight Eisenhower “The frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion claim they are doing it in the name of tolerance, freedom and open mindedness. Question: Isn’t the real truth that they are intolerant of religion? They refuse to tolerate its importance in our lives.” - Ronald Reagan “He changed my heart.” George W. Bush.

“Faith is central to American life and to liberty. Our founders invoked our Creator four times in the Declaration of Independence. Our currency declares “In God, We trust”. And we place our hands over our hearts as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance and proclaim we are “One Nation Under God”. Our rights are not given to us by men; our rights come from our Creator. No matter what, no earthly force can take these rights away. That is why the words “Praise be to God”, are edged on top of the Washington monument, and those same words are etched into the hearts of our people. So today, we praise God for how truly blessed we are to be American. Across our land, we see the splendor of God’s creation. Throughout our history, we see the story of God’s providence. And then, in every city and town, we see the Lord‘s grace all around us, through one million acts of kindness, courage, and generosity. We love God.” - Donald Trump.

This President’s Day, as Hebrews 13:7 reminds us: “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.