God Loves America, What’s Left of It

7/20/25 4:52 PM
Lloyd Immanuel Acree

July 20, 2025

Dream:

I found myself fictionally relocated to a place near New York City within view of Manhattan from a long way off (I am not from this area and have never been in this area except driving through. And I am not from New England either). The distance must have been roughly 10 miles away. Yet, the city skyline still arrested the view in that direction. Around me, I found a busy suburban or urban area, full of concrete and over-developed infrastructure.

My family had also relocated with me and we had a small house. As I looked around at the surrounding town development, I remarked as if to my family or someone else nearby,

“Imagine how this looked 100 years ago.”

I envisioned the farmland that would have occupied every lot in all directions, broken up by rare country stores and groves of enormous trees. I seemed to transport back in time. The rolling Hill under this main road now seemed so majestically situated: a place where families must have gathered to behold this great city as its first skyscrapers announced a new era of prosperity the world had never known before. I realized how charming and energizing it would have been to celebrate the grace of God and freedom in this location with such a sight. I remarked, “We might as well call it “Fourth-Of-July-Hill.”” How I envied the Americans of long ago, whose country had so certain a God-fearing culture, and so stable a future of investing and resting in ‘a nation whose God is the Lord.’ Then it seemed that the evening overtook us, and the dispersed semi-suburban, semi-country homes would now dot the twilight with their inviting porch and window glow, beckoning everyone to venture back to a quaint dinnertime social. Even the fireflies spoke encouragement to relax as we walked down these dusty roads of incredible freedom and peace.

I awoke from this dream with such heaviness and sorrow that I did not attend church this Sunday morning.

God bless America.

“Awake, awake, O Jerusalem, and put on the strength of thine arm; awake as in the early time, as the ancient generation.”
Isaiah 51:9 LCLB

“And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.
And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart.
Therefore thus saith the Lord; Enquire now among the nations, who has heard such very horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done?
Will fertilising streams fail to flow from a rock, or snow fail from Libanus? will water violently impelled by the wind turn aside?
For my people have forgotten me, they have offered incense in vain, and they fail in their ways, leaving the ancient tracks, to enter upon impassable paths;
to make their land a desolation, and a perpetual hissing; all that go through it shall be amazed, and shall shake their heads.”
Jeremiah 18:11-16

Psalm 77:1-15
“For the end, for Idithun, a Psalm of Asaph.
“I cried to the Lord with my voice, yea, my voice was addressed to God; and he gave heed to me.
In the day of mine affliction I earnestly sought the Lord; even with my hands by night before him, and I was not deceived; my soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered God, and rejoiced; I poured out my complaint, and my soul fainted. [Selah].
All mine enemies set a watch against me: I was troubled, and spoke not.
I considered the days of old, and remembered ancient years.
And I meditated; I communed with my heart by night, and diligently searched my spirit, saying,
Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be well pleased no more?
Will he cut off his mercy for ever, even for ever and ever?
Will God forget to pity? or will he shut up his compassions in his wrath? [Selah].
And I said, Now I have begun; this is the change of the right hand of the Most High.
I remembered the works of the Lord; for I will remember thy wonders from the beginning.
And I will meditate on all thy works, and will consider thy doings.
O God, thy way is in the sanctuary; who is a great God as our God?
Thou art the God that doest wonders; thou hast made known thy power among the nations.
Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. [Selah].”

Lloyd Immanuel Acree