I looked up the words “pledge” and “allegiance” in the American Dictionary of the English Language – Noah Webster 1828. A pledge is something given to be held until payment is ready. Allegiance is the duty of fidelity to a king or government. Both involve being bound to someone or something.
I pledge allegiance. I promise my loyalty. I give to be held my fidelity. I bind myself to.
When you pledge allegiance to someone or something, you give your loyalty and fidelity to be held by it. You are purposefully supporting it. You have a duty to uphold.
While it is good to give loyalty, you need to be careful where you place it. You may hold loyalty to your country, but do you hold any such loyalty to God? If your country put itself at odds with the King of the universe, where would your ultimate allegiance be?
I don’t want to tell you not to have loyalty for your country, but I am saying that your pledge of allegiance to your country should not overshadow your pledge of allegiance to your King.
So God bless America, but only so long as she walks with Him. Happy Independence Day!