Psalm 72:8 – He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. (KJV)

Back in 1866, when the founding fathers of Confederation were discussing naming Canada, Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley was reading the Bible one morning. While reading Psalm 72, he was inspired by the words of today's verse. His suggestion that the new nation be named "The Dominion of Canada" was accepted.

Engraved on the walls and appearing in the stained-glass windows of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, are at least 25 Scripture verses. Over each of the arched exterior windows of the Peace Tower, the following Scriptures from the King James Version are inscribed:

• Over the east window: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea." (Psalm 72:8)
• Over the south window: "Give the King thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the King's son." (Psalm 72:1)
• Over the west window: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18)

As the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada points out:

The largest bell [in the carillon] is the one that is heard ringing in the new hour. Of particular interest is that on this largest bell [is] inscribed … the Scripture verse announcing the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men" (Luke 2:14). While politically correct thinking occasionally attempts to dilute the true meaning of Christmas, every hour of every day there is a reminder of the angelic message proclaiming the Messiah's birth. (christianity.ca)

In many legislatures and schools, however, the Bible is now considered hate literature. We live in an anti-Christian political climate, where some people are trying to destroy Christianity and family values, and others are engaging in lawless demonstrations and riots with destruction of property, looting, and setting buildings and businesses on fire. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world live in fear of being persecuted and killed because of their Christian faith. To be caught with a Bible can mean beatings, being sent to a forced-labour camp, or death. Many governments throughout the world have dictators who do not want religion to influence their country. Many people fear what lies ahead of us, so we need to turn to the Lord with our prayers for all nations and all of God's people in all corners of this world and seek Him to help us through these troubling times.

Let us turn to our Bibles and be inspired by God's words.

Psalm 56:3-4 – But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? (NLT)

Prayer: Most gracious Father, we pray that all nations throughout this world would come to respect the values and message of the Bible, just as the wise leaders did who brought together the Dominion of Canada from sea to sea. We pray that You would put a stop to the killing and persecution of Christians all over this world. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Larry Fisher <larryfisher17@gmail.com>
Wainfleet, Ontario, Canada
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