Deuteronomy 4:5-6 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it.  Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

When America is at it’s best it is for the very reasons mentioned in these verses.  The foundations of America are laid in the great documents of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, a promise of hope and a beacon of light in a dark world.  Unfortunately, there has sometimes been a gap in the rhetoric and the reality of American society.  Sometimes this gap has been glaringly so.

In general, that same thing some say of our religious views, both of our faith and that of us as individuals.  Sometimes our nation, our faith and our character are judged by our failings rather than the promises we hold high. We are often judged more severely because of the claims of our lofty aspirations.

However, we are more than any failed attempt. We are something beyond what can be measured by our physical successes. That something is identified in the next verse (Deut 4:7): What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him?

When we are near God, we become the very best that we can be. It is under the wings of God that we may soar.