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Did you know America’s first flag was not the Stars
and Stripes? It was this flag, used during the American Revolution. Why a green pine tree on white cloth with the motto, "An Appeal to Heaven?"
The Pilgrims harvested and exported white pine trees, that grew over one hundred fifty feet tall, to places as far away as Madagascar. The British Crown wanted those ideal trees to make ship masts for their navy vessels.
So the Kingdom of Great Britain sent the King’s Surveyor
to the colonies to mark and take every towering white pine with a diameter of
twelves inches, and then required colonists to purchase a royal license to
harvest trees not marked by the King’s
Surveyor.
This led to the Pine Tree Riot—an act of resistance to
British royal authority—which culminated in the American Revolution, after a
long list of the colonist’s grievances to King George III fell on deaf ears. (It’s
quite stunning to read that list in our Declaration of Independence.) Besides refusing
colonists’ grievances to be addressed, Great Britain also confiscated their
guns and ammunition.
Before the Revolutionary War began, George Washington formed
and financed our country’s first Navy, and commissioned a squadron of six ship
cruisers to sail with the “Appeal to Heaven” flag. He petitioned the only One
Who could help this infant country survive—this infant country with pitiful
troops. Only an appeal to Heaven could help them as they fought for freedom
from oppressive tyranny.
I see such parallels between then and now. Today in our
beloved America, when tyranny once again threatens (this time from within), people
are crying out for righteousness to be established in our nation once again. For
truth and justice to prevail. For political correctness to lose its voice. For
the Church to arise and bring God’s deliverance to a country ravaged and torn
at so many levels.
I thank God for America. She is still the greatest country on earth, the best place to live, despite all her faults and wounds. I thank God for every freedom we enjoy; I thank God for all the good that is in her. I thank God for Christians who fast and pray, who turn from their own crooked ways, who bear America on their hearts before God's throne. God has His hand over this nation; she is His. Ah yes, God is doing great things in our country.
America, I sing prophetically over you; I sing on your
behalf, as though you were singing a vow to God: “Lord, I give You my heart, I
give you my soul; I live for You alone. Every breath that I take, every moment
I’m awake, Lord have Your way in me. You are Lord, You are Lord; You have risen
from the dead, and You are Lord! Every knee shall bow; every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord!”
America, I bless you with wholeness. Be healed, in Jesus' name. I speak peace over you. I bless you with
deliverance at the hand of the Lord. I appeal to Heaven.
Copyright©
2016 Elaine Beachy
