As media outlets create their latest History Day special to air today, most if not all will forget spiritual leaders whom established America as a Christian nation. While revisionist historians continue to eliminate Christ and his devoted followers faith from most modern textbooks, facts reveal a different story. Francis Scott Key was instrumental in establishing Sunday School in local churches. Noah Webster, created a dictionary to help people better understand the meaning of the Bible with many of the original definitions having a biblical reference. The founding fathers, well, all they did was create the America Tract Society, to publish religious pamphlets to help people better understand biblical principles. George Washington, our first president, played a key role in forming this organization.
However, my favorite History Day fact comes from the life of Abraham Lincoln. The media overemphasizes Lincoln losing his first 6 elections, yet fails to mention his faith which pushed him to never give up. Today, most people give up on the first, second or third try. What if Michael Jordan had quit after getting cut from his first basketball team? What if the Wright brothers decided to stop pursuing airplanes, not happy with their progress? What Abraham Lincoln taught us is that life is full of failures. Success is not determined by our failures, but how we respond to and learn from our mistakes.
After the Civil War, America was in financial ruin. Lincoln’s faith inspired him to call for 4 different national fasts. Like king Josiah in 2 Kings 22:13, Abraham Lincoln inquired on the Lord. Leading by example Abraham abstained from food, praying to God, asking for His help and blessings. This final fast, 1867, resulted in the purchase of Alaska and an eventual surplus for 2 decades. On this President’s Day, don’t get distracted by commercialism and all the sales, learn from Lincoln to never give up, keep fighting until life’s last breath so that you can hear God say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” Matthew 25:21.
by Jay Mankus
