On the edge ...

I received a forwarded e-mail from a very good Christian friend last week alerting all on her mailing list about an important omission on the new presidential coins. The gist of the forward was that these new coins should be boycotted because the phrase, “In God We Trust” had been left off. If you were out shopping, the article advocated returning any of these new coins back to the merchant and requesting a paper dollar bill instead. The premise was that if everyone refused to use these coins, they would not be circulated, and hopefully the message would be communicated that Americans were sick and tired of God being left out of everything!

I was telling Mr. Jones about this information and he stopped me practically mid-sentence. He claimed the debated phrase WAS on the coins! I gave him one of my doubtful looks so he marched me right over to the internet, where we were readily able to bring up this exact picture of the new presidential coins. And there it is in plain print ~ “In God We Trust, “ right along with “E Pluribus Unum” (out of many, one). How DOES Mr. Jones always know this stuff?

Anyway, all of this reminded me of a conversation I had with Dylan a few years ago about the Pledge of Allegiance. I am uncertain of all of the facts involved, but there seems to be an ongoing argument that the two words “under God” should be eliminated from the pledge (“…And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Indivisible …”)

Dylan said he would be delighted if those two words were completely left out of the pledge. At first I was shocked and disappointed to hear him say that. But then he explained that our nation didn’t seem to be willing to be “under God” or His authority at all! Why give ungodly folk a wrong impression? Perhaps by reciting the pledge, people were gaining a false sense of religion, a completely wrong understanding of their relationship to their Creator!

“In God We Trust.” I wish it were true! Sometimes it seems the god who is worshiped in America is just a man-made egotistical, impotent, whimsical weakling … someone we blame all of the ills of the world on … but Scripture says He is the exact opposite!

“Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong…The Almighty cannot twist justice!” Job 34:10-12

“Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? No one can tell him what to do. No one can say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’ Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.” Job 36:22-24

The LORD, your Redeemer and Creator, says: “I am the LORD, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. By myself I made the earth and everything in it.” Isaiah 44:24.

“I created you and have cared for you since before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime ~ until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” Isaiah 46:3-4

“… do not forget the things I have done throughout history. For I am God ~ I ALONE! I am God, and there is no one else like me.” Isaiah 46:8-10.

Well, now you know! If you receive any forwarded e-mails about the presidential coins, fear not! “In God We Trust” is inscribed on the edge of the coins. Perhaps they used the rim because the inscription won’t rub off as easily as it would on the surface of the coin. Or perhaps they just wanted to see how many Evangelicals or Religious Right folk would glance over the coin, miss seeing the words, and immediately jump to the conclusion that it was intentionally omitted? I’m not sure, but perhaps there is more information out there on the internet as to why they put the words where they put them. I just know that our God is The Almighty, Powerful, fair and perfect Judge, Redeemer, Creator and Savior, the One who “cares for us and carries us”! He is a God we can trust in! There is surely no one like Him! Perhaps if true believers daily walked with Him, "letting their light shine", proclaiming the great salvation of their great God, all people everywhere would bow before Him and truly put their trust in Him!

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).