Declaration of Dependence

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty

by which Christ has made us free, and

do not be entangled again with a

yoke of bondage.”

    Galatians 5:1 (NKJV)

"My soul, wait silently for God alone,

for my expectation is from Him. He only

is my rock and my salvation; He is my

defense; I shall not be moved. In God is

my salvation and my glory; the rock of

my strength, and my refuge, is in God."

     Psalm 62:5-7 (NKJV)

As we celebrate Independence Day in the U.S. this week, we have much to thank God for in so blessing this country. We have freedoms that many places in this world do not have.  We should not take them lightly or for granted.

As believers, we have amazing freedom in Christ---freedom from the penalty of sin, freedom from death, freedom from the cares of this life. We are also blessed by the truth we have in Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). That truth makes us free when we believe on Him and live by His word.

But freedom is only one side of the coin. Even while declaring our country's independence, the founding fathers recognized the importance of reliance upon God and the inalienable rights that come from Him alone. This applies to us as individuals as well.  The Christian life cannot be lived without dependence upon God.  For He has given us life and salvation, our very being and all the blessings we enjoy. We must walk humbly with the Lord, letting Him lead and acknowledging our reliance upon Him for all things. He alone is our strength, our defense, our refuge.  

I pray that we rejoice in the freedom we have in Christ but also that we joyfully declare our total dependence upon our gracious Lord.

Freedom In The Spirit

Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.  2 Corinthians 3:15-18

Reading God’s word can be convicting.  There are many times I will read something, and have a strong visceral reaction towards it.  I begin to ask myself, “Is this the flesh rebelling or is my heart in the wrong place?”  I reflect as if God is trying to teach me a lesson that will take an amount of time for me to learn.  Spiritual growth is supposed to be this way.  You feel uncomfortable, and you must start stretching it out testing it to get comfortable.  Then there comes a level of thankfulness as it sinks in.  Then as I write my a devotion based on it, I pray that God guides me to say the right things and not lead me and those who would read it wrongfully.  It is then that I can feel God’s Spirit begin to awaken, and it flows within me.  Before I know it, the words flow freely, and my confidence in what God is impressing on me sinks in.  My heart is filled with His love, and my mind and soul are free from hesitancy and inhibition.

Embracing God and His word is true freedom.  In a discussion with a good friend of mine, I was able to share a bit of my faith discussing The Greatest Commandment.  As I shared the lessons from it, I could see the glow coming to their face.  This was a great feeling as I did not worry where I was or who might have heard me.  It was just the conversation and the words God impressed upon me to say.  There are lots of things that cause us to think of words God would wish us to say yet somehow never make it out of our mouths.  Sometimes it is prudent to not say anything particularly as it may be harmful.  However, we must be able to discern the difference between prudence and fear.  Prudence is obedience to God much like patience.  Fear is a tool of the devil that prevents the best God puts in you to come out.  To combat this, we must be courageous as courage is the opposite of fear, and we know this much through God’s word.  Think of the many times Joshua was encouraged where the phrase “Be strong and courageous” was repeated to him multiple times (see Deuteronomy 31 & Joshua 1).  The more courageous we are, the freer we become, and it is this freedom Paul speaks of in the verses today.

Jesus Christ died so that we would be free from the bondage of our sins.  The love He showed is certainly far above anything we could imagine.  However, all because we cannot fathom His sacrifice does not excuse us to be meek followers unwilling to share His love, grace, and wisdom with others.  Don’t let the fact you are not Jesus inhibit you from being like Him.  Remember the words of Paul when he said, “Because of Christ and our faith in Him we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.”  Be willing to share what God places on your head, heart, and soul with others.  What message has God placed on your heart today?  What is the one thing God would want you to share with others?  My prayer is that on this Independence Day, we celebrate one of the greatest freedoms we have; the freedom in the Spirit of The Lord.  Amen, and Happy 4^th of July everyone!

Love and Faithfulness

Proverbs 3:3-4

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.

Continuing on from last week, Proverbs 3 is giving us instructions on how we should live in order to have a good life as God intended for us.  Here we are told to love and be faithful.  To bind them around our neck and write them on the tablet of our heart.  In other words, be clothed in love and faithfulness.  If we are clothed in them, others will surly see that in us. 

Being liked by others is often something we want in life.  Here we are told that by clothing ourselves in love and faithfulness, we will win favor and a good name in the sight of both God and man.  This is something that I know I find to be a desire of my heart. 

So how do we cloth ourselves or bind them around our neck and write them on the tablet of our heart?  What this really means is that you live it in all things.  It sounds so simple yet it can really be a challenge. 

How can you show others that you are clothed in love and faithfulness?