Morning Devotional

July 4, 2003

“The Price of Freedom”  

by Don Emmitte

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Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God--for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. (1 John 4:7-10 NLV). 

The price of freedom is high. There have been many wars over the years to which our people have been marched off in the name of freedom. Many have lost a father, husband, brother, uncle, nephew, daddy or maybe even a sister in a war. Some went of their own accord; others were drafted. This has gone on for years all over the world.  

In Patrick Henry's speech of March 23, 1775 entitled Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death, he spoke these famous words: "Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave." That speech was spoken over 200 years ago, yet it still rings true today. There is one who will help fight our battles. But this one has been forsaken over the years. HIS word and prayer has been taken from the public schools. A battle by a judge in Alabama wanting to win the right to keep the Ten Commandments on the walls of his courtroom was lost. The battles rage. The price of freedom is high! God sent his only begotten Son to earth in the flesh to become the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom - the right to reign with Christ in eternity. Yet today, humans battle against the very thing that paid for their freedom!  

In our reading today there is a clear understanding of how much of a sacrifice God’s love prompted. To survive the battle of today and of this world, we, as individuals, are going to have to rise up and proclaim Christ as Savior of our lives, giving God full reign in our lives. When we come humbly before Christ, asking the Father to give us 'life' through his Son, then we, too, will have this freedom for which God sent his Son Christ Jesus, to earth.  

Today is a celebration of freedom. Do you have the true freedom in Christ? If not then, pray, asking Him to forgive you and give you eternal life. If you do possess that freedom, then celebrate with praise and commitment to lead others to it also.  

Happy July 4^th!