God is there in the highs and the lows

Life is full of high points and low points. The same is true for nations. America had just reached a high point in the early 1800s with the Second Great Awakening, and especially the beginning of the American missionary movement. However, it also experienced one of the darkest events in its history. During the war of 1812, the British were able to scatter a large American military force that was protecting Washington D.C. President Madison and other government leaders were able to escape, but the British troops marched right into our nation’s capitol. The British officers ate food that had been prepared in the President’s mansion. The soldiers went into the Capitol building and took a vote as to whether or not the building should be burned. As you can guess, the vote was unanimous to set the Capitol on fire. They then continued to set the President’s mansion and several other key buildings in our nation’s capitol on fire. It was at this time that God's hand was seen again in our country's history. As the buildings were beginning to burn, a series of thunder storms came roaring in. The fires were put out, with many of our buildings being spared. Even though our country had been humiliated, God kept the damage to a minimum. Many Christians during the war of 1812 felt that the war was God’s judgment for allowing the Constitution to be ratified without any mention of God, and no religious test being required to run for office. The war did turn out to be unnecessary, but even in judgment, God showed His mercy.