Freedom is part of the abundant life.
2 Corinthians 3:17 – Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
What does it mean to you to live in the “land of the free and the home of the brave?” You’ve sung the words countless times. They are part of the poem by Francis Scott Key, written following the bombardment of Fort McHenry. At the time, the poet was a prisoner of war, being held by the British aboard a ship in the harbor, watching his country being attacked. He felt anything but brave, and he certainly wasn’t free; but he knew the longing of every human heart in America that night.
For most, that phrase from The Star Spangled Banner touches something deep inside every person who loves America. Yet today, like many other things once considered dear to the nation, the anthem has fallen into disrespect. Sports stars and others refuse to stand, instead taking a knee” as if in submission to a different ideal. For them, “taking the knee” during the anthem is to call attention to issues of racial inequality and police brutality. Where once kneeling was a sign of loyalty and respect, it has become another sign of protest.
Freedom in Jesus Christ is, first of all, a removal of the chains of the bondage of sin; then it is a transformation from one old set of ideas and perceptions to a whole new set of attitudes about life. You are spiritually liberated to be the person God created you to be. There are numerous Bible texts about being free, and others about being brave. Pray for a greater appreciation of what is yours in America…but most of all, what is yours in Christ Jesus.
Pray With Us
Most gracious Father in Heaven, how I thank You for the gift of Your Beloved Son, Jesus. Then I thank You for being a part of Your forever family. I thank You, too, that I am an American…that I can know freedom. Help me to appreciate the personal freedoms that this country gives. Help me remind others of how our founding fathers were inspired by You and Your Word to delineate so many freedoms and rights. Thank You for the abundant life You have given me and all who believe and trust in You. Even in my freedom, I acknowledge my total dependence upon You. Guide me by Your Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
