This is a devotion I received today from Eld. Mickey Dodd who is pastor of the Church of Jesus Christ in Dyersburg, TN. Their church website is
http://www.tcojc.org/dyersburg/
The Price of Freedom
Act 22:28 “And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom.”
As we sit in our secure homes, speaking openly with others about the policies of government with which we disagree, worship God openly in our churches without fear of reprisal, and travel without restriction from city to city and state to state within this great country we call the United States of America, it is easy to take for granted the freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is easy to assume this is the way it has always been and always will be, and that it costs nothing. However, on the last Monday of May each year, we set aside time to consider the true cost of freedom and unity. We call it Memorial Day.
This day was originally set aside after the Civil War to honor fallen Union soldiers or their sacrifice in keeping this great nation united. Later it was expanded to honor service men and women from any conflict who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Most of us associate Memorial Day with family gatherings and/or cooking out. Most enjoy a day off from work. But even today the men and women of our armed forces stand guard and fulfill the oaths they took to protect us. Even as some of us are coming together today, there are families somewhere among us who will hear a knock on their door, accompanied by words that begin with “We regret to inform you ...” Their son or daughter will have paid the ultimate price for us.
Nothing in life is free, and the more valuable it is the greater the cost. If people are willing to sacrifice their lives so that others can have this freedom we enjoy, then we should value it as much as them and never forget that there are those who would destroy the unity and freedom we enjoy, and would force their wills on us. Let us be truly thankful for the sacrifice of these brave men and women.
As it is with the natural so it is with the spiritual. The Lord loved us and valued our freedom from sin so highly that he gave his life a sacrifice for us (
1Jn 3:16). Let those of us who have been born again into this great nation, the spiritual Israel, value his sacrifice so highly that we never forget the price he paid. Let us live our lives as memorials to him and never again return to the bondage of sin.
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
God Bless and Have a Great Week!
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