Dear Ones, Happy Independence Day! Hope you will be celebrating in some special way today. We are going out with friends to eat and then coming back here for fellowship and prayer. Lots of family is up at the lake and my niece spent the afternoon here with us yesterday! Two grandsons are coming early this morning for pizza.

Devotions from Judy’s heart
This is a special week as we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday and the signing of the Declaration of Independence that says, “All men are created equal and have unalienable rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.” It’s a time when our whole nation should come together to celebrate in thankfulness for the freedom we have been given. I recently read an article by James Robison who wrote (just before he died) on our nation’s beginning and what we stand for. His words for our country are important, as he writes how freedom can only be experienced while exercising personal responsibility.

Freedom and liberty are not exactly the same. Robison gives the example of animals are free, but they lack conscience and wisdom to make choices. They kill prey as that is what comes naturally; they have no personal conscience. But if our lives as humans are centered on God, we are responsible to choose wisely and make responsible choices. Uncontrolled desires can rob us of our personal and even national freedom. Even Thomas Paine, a purported atheist said, “It is the fool only, and not the philosopher, or even the prudent man, that will live if there is no God.” He went on to say that if a man had a belief in God, His life would be regulated by the force of that belief and he would stand in awe of God.

We are all called to live in submission to God and do what is right and responsible; in other words, to do what we should, not the right to do whatever we want. Robison said, “…it would not then be liberty, but rather license, rebellion and lawlessness.” If we are honest, we might say that our freedom is on trial now in our nation. People are rejecting responsibility and choosing to do away with God’s ways. If you are reading this and a believer in the Lord, then let us not be indifferent and uninvolved, but prayerfully unite with others in faith to pray for our nation and to live responsibly before the Lord and others.

Challenge for today: Pray for our nation and be bold to stand for what you know is right in God’s eyes.
Blessings on this special holiday and prayers and love, Judy