No Greater Sacrifice

 

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. –2nd Cor. 3:12

photo by C. Castle

 

Today is Independence Day, the fourth of July, a day set aside to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 by the Continental Congress, whereby the 13 states declared themselves a new nation. They called the new nation The United States of America, and avowed they would no longer be a part of the British Empire.

 

The cost of freedom from Britain was not small. One in 20 able-bodied, white, free males died during the war:  6,800 were killed in action, 6,100 wounded, 17,000 died of disease, 20,000 were taken prisoner, and this is just the American soldier count! In addition, almost every one of the founding fathers lost most, or all, of their personal wealth funding the war.

 

Because of the actions of these brave men, today you and I live in a country that is free. We are not under the tyranny of a dictator. We are not under the thumb of Communism or Fascism. We are not under the dictates of kings or despots who answer to no one. We are free to elect the men and women we want to represent us in this great country of ours, and we have a say in how our country is run.

 

And because we live in a free country, we are able worship as we choose. Here in America we often take freedom of worship for granted. In other parts of the world Christians are not as lucky. They are forbidden by civil laws to worship, persecuted, and even killed for their faith.

 

As Christians we also have a liberty others don’t. Ours is not a liberty granted by our founding fathers or other men. But liberty only God could provide us. We have liberty from sin. This doesn’t mean we’re perfect. Far from it.  All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Liberty from sin means that the Lord, Jesus Christ, has paid a price for our freedom from the punishment of sin. He has given his life to insure we may one day live in a new world, free from the tyranny of sin and Satan’s grip.

So this July 4^th remember to celebrate all the freedoms we have in America. Freedoms that were bought so dearly with American lives. And thank the Father for the freedom Jesus bought us on the cross. After all, there is no greater sacrifice than to lay down your life for another.

May God Bless America, and you, on this day of liberty and freedom.

 

 

True Freedom's Symbol

Tall and proud against the sky,

Our country’s beacon stands.

Each star and stripe the symbol

Of sacrifice by willing hands.

Each thread within its fabric,

A reminder of the tears;

Of sweat and toil and suffering

By men and women through the years.

Our flag, a sign to all the world,

Of freedom, hope, and peace,

Of triumph over hardship,

And victory’s sweet release.

We all saw Lady Liberty

Framed against the smoke…

Of attacks by men in ignorance

Of the promise which she spoke.

Her words cry out to men like them,

The “tired”, and “poor” who suffer,

To the “huddled masses,” “tempest-tost,”

A hope of plenty, she offers.

But there stands a Symbol greater,

Which will endure beyond the years.

Born by our Savior in sacrifice

To wipe away all tears.

The Cross of Christ is the reason

Our Founding Fathers came,

And the only hope for our nation

Is to return to Him again.

The only hope for this country

Is to seek the Creator’s plan,

His Cross the same from age to age,

Dwarfs the symbols of this land.

Ó Copyright, 2001, Norma Gail, October 8, 2001

(Quotations come from “The New Colossus”, by Emma Lazarus, 1883,

engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty.)

Norma Gail –

Norma Gail has had a love-affair with words since she first learned to read. There is no such thing as

too many books. She loves the mountains, and enjoys tackling 4x4 trails in her Jeep. She is a former RN and homeschool/soccer mom who loves family research, history, and Scotland.

Norma’s passion is sharing Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living. She served eight years as a Discussion Leader in Bible Study Fellowship, and s.has led women’s Bible studies at her church for the last ten years. Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 18 years. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, and the newly formed New Mexico Christian Novelist Her website, found at www.normagail.com includes a weekly devotional blog, daily scriptures, poetry, and a blog about her debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, set in Scotland and New Mexico.

Norma lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 37 years. They have two adult children.