Daily Lesson for February 24, 2015

Today's daily lesson comes from Deuteronomy chapter 9 verses 4 and 5:

4 "Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. 5 Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."

There's a big brouhaha going on today in the media about American exceptionalism -- in fact every day there's a brouhaha going on the media about American exceptionalism.

So here's my thought. We are exceptional in a lot of ways, the most important of which is our commitment to individual human rights and freedom. We haven't always lived up to our ideals, but our creeds speak to who we intend to be: a country with liberty and justice for all.

But I'm not sure getting into fights about how great we are, who thinks we're great, and who ought to be punished because they don't think we're as great as I do scores a lot of points in the exceptional category. 

Perhaps we should take a lesson from today's Scripture, if we're good it's by God's grace; if we're exceptional it's because a lot of other nations and their leaders have fallen from that grace. There's really not a lot to brag about; but there's everything to say thanks for.

And then remember these words: To whom much is given, much is required.