A Time for Courage

A Time for Courage
By
James Scott Trimm

I know that many of you have lost hope. Our society is moving in the wrong direction and it seems like now more than ever it is on an irreversible course.

While some talk about the federal government "making America great again," it was never the federal government that made America great in the first place, it was something else entirely. I am writing you to tell you that there is hope. That hope is not in our governments, it is in our Creator. Our hope has never been in earthly men, though we are blessed when we have leaders that are guided by the principles of prudence, righteousness, courage and temperance. Restoring our nation need not have anything to do with politics.

I am talking about restoring the values of "prudence, righteousness, courage and temperance" which are the "forms of Wisdom" (4Macc. 1:17-18).

These values are the Judao-Christian values ... we as a nation have drifted away from those values that can restore the nation to honor.

Now is a time for courage and hope. You see true hope does not come from politicians, political parties or government... it comes from courage, and courage comes from trusting faithfulness.

Our forefathers had faith, courage and hope when they first came to this New World. And facing perilous times, they stopped and took stock of what blessings they had and gave thanks to the Creator for his blessings. My cousin once mentioned the blessings of having grown up in a godly nation, and it reminded me of extended family gatherings as a child with our huge extended family at my grandparents. I remember the generation before us, my late parents, my aunts and uncles and grandparents... they had the courage to get this nation through the Great Depression and through WWII and we too must have courage, faith and hope, as they did.

The Maccabees suffered greatly under an oppressive government, yet we are told that they faced this tribulation with "prudence, righteousness, courage and temperance" (4Maccabees 1:17-18).

There is an inspiring account about George Washington in relation to the Maccabees.  For centuries, the lights of the Hanukkah menorah have inspired hope and courage. They may have also been responsible for inspiring then-General George Washington to forge on when everything looked bleak when his cold and hungry Continental Army camped at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777/8.  The story is told that Washington was walking among his troops when he saw one soldier sitting apart from the others, huddled over what looked like two tiny flames.  Washington approached the soldier and asked him what he was doing. The soldier explained that he was a Jew and he had lit the candles to celebrate Hanukkah, the festival commemorating the miraculous victory of his people so many centuries ago over the tyranny of a much better equipped and more powerful enemy who had sought to deny them their freedom. The soldier then expressed his confidence that just as, with the help of God, the Jews of ancient times were ultimately victorious, so too would they would be victorious in their just cause for freedom. Washington thanked the soldier and walked back to where the rest of the troops camped, warmed by the inspiration of those little flames and the knowledge that miracles are possible.

Friends, this is not a time for defeatism. This is a time when the world needs faith, courage and hope more than ever!  The true restoration of our nation will be in restoring our values.  So gather around with your families, give thanks to our Creator and have faith, courage and hope, in spite of politics.   And like our forefathers... believe in miracles.  We and only we can make America great again.