August 15

Excellence. As a people, we once aspired to it and we once achieved it. The entirety of our society functioned on that ‘can-do’ spirit that defined America. Our children were nurtured in truth—not just the truth of facts and knowledge but in the Truth of the ages—in the Truth that is Jesus.

From that unshakable foundation, anchored in spiritual life, the greatest society that has ever existed was birthed and grew—“in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man,” even as the Word proclaims (Luke 2:52). That excellence produced the greatest advances in science and medicine and technology that the world has ever seen.

All mankind has been advantaged by the fact that the United States of America tapped into and reaped the benefit of knowing Christ. In Proverbs 22:29, we are invited to check it out for ourselves. It says, “Do you see a man diligent and skillful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” There is no mean end to the person who grounds himself in the Lord.

Our people have risen to great heights of accomplishment because of the investment of ourselves—first of all into Jesus, who is Truth and then into the pursuit of the knowledge that is achieved by having "the mind of Christ.” If we are to return to our former greatness, we must return to the One who made us great. No man, no nation can be truly great apart from Him. Man’s best is temporal; Jesus is eternally excellent.