Speaking of Independence Day

What are the chances that this year Independence day occurs on a Thankful Thursday? How appropriate that it does! In all my recent thoughts about this country and about our precious Savior, I feel compelled to share them. I have never felt the thankfulness in my heart like I do this Independence Day that we live in a country that is founded upon "In God We Trust." We have obviously fallen away from this and have allowed some pretty hard core corruption to penetrate the minds and hearts of a lot of people who hold influential places in our government. Even in that case, God is so good! I am so thankful that I live in a country where I am able to freely proclaim Christ. I am thankful that I live in a place that I am able to tell anyone about the God of my salvation! Isn't that so sweet! Seriously, though!

With all of that said, and in thinking about that freedom that we have, I can't help but think about all of the amazing people who God has truly blessed us with. People that gave their lives up so that we could be a free country and people who still serve to this day so that we can be a free country. While I agree there are some, for lack of a better word, stupid things going on in our government today, we still have that freedom and we still live in a place where, regardless of any other factor, I have the right to tell a person about Jesus Christ who saved me and gave His perfect and sinless life up so that the life of every single human being who accepts Him as Lord and believes and confesses their sin and asks the Lord for forgiveness and to be Lord over their lives, will be saved and can know a freedom that doesn't even compare to our freedom as Americans. I say that not to discount the lives of the men and women who served and continue to, but to put into perspective the freedom that we can have in Christ.

Thinking about all of that, the scripture, " It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to the yolk of slavery." Galatians 5:1 comes to mind.

So, to all of you today, I just want to say I will be the first to admit that I most definitely still fall into the yolk of slavery sometimes. I feel like I am not good enough to be entrusted with the Gospel, or just not worthy enough to be bold and stand firm. But those are lies! Such lies! I know we all fall into that occasionally, but I feel like I just need to say, we don't have to! Really! I almost feel sometimes after I have given into the temptation to believe all of those lies, that it's like a never ending cycle that just continues to spiral down until we break inside. At least that is how I feel sometimes. I let it paralyze me in my walk and I feel like it's almost taking away from the Gospel. I mean, it was for freedom that He set us free! It wasn't so that even in our failure to be bold or in our stumbling into being subject to that yolk of slavery that we would continue to beat ourselves up. He came so that we could have freedom from that! He came so that we can boldly come to Him and He will hear the cry of His people. He came so that in our contrite hearts pleading that He takes the pain away from our hearts when we fall into that, the God of our salvation would look on us and say my child, the blood of the perfect and spotless lamb, the GREAT I AM, JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh and given Himself so that you may be free, come and rest in my presence. Ahhh! We get to rest in the presence of God! The maker of heaven and of earth. The creator of absolutely everything, who speaks and the wind and the waves obey His command. The God who commands the trees, and the birds, who all of creation proclaims His majesty and glory! I am thankful for that freedom today!

My prayer is that if you don't know and haven't experienced that freedom, that today you would! I write theses things, not for my health, or so that my blog will have content, or so I can babble on about the things that are important to me. But because, these things should be important to you too! This is a matter of truth, love, life, and peace. I pray that you will know all of those things today! Truth. Love. Life. Peace. Things that can only be found complete if you know Jesus personally. True joy comes from knowing the Lord and I pray that you know that joy today. I pray that you know true freedom today!

I love all of you and I am so thankful for all of you too! Thank you to all of you who comment and give me feedback on my other posts! I am thankful for the encouragement! God is so good to bless me with all of you!