Sweet Freedom

Well, here we are. Happy Independence Day! Independence. Freedom. Liberty and justice for all. This day makes me proud to be an American but even more proud to be a child of God. As I read more and more of His beautiful Word, I'm seeing that God is all about freedom and justice, too. We are inductively studying the last ten chapters of Isaiah together as a community. We're learning all the cool things God values in His kingdom and for His people. He intervenes on the behalf of those who are oppressed when nobody else does. He calls us to "maintain justice" (Isaiah 56:1) and to "let the oppressed go free" and to "loose the bonds of injustice" (Isaiah 58:9). That is good news!

We boast in our American identity. "Proud to be an American," the banners say. And God tells us to boast about something else. "...but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight" (Jeremiah 9:24). My Father in heaven knows me as His child. And He is working things out for good on this earth. Nice!

In His kingdom there may not be fireworks shooting up in the sky like they are tonight, but there is a promise that He "will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations" (Isaiah 61:1). So I'm pumped. Today we celebrate independence as a nation. But most importantly, we get to celebrate dependence on our good, just, and glorious Father in heaven. And we get to celebrate God's promise that "where the Spirit of the LORD is there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Sweet freedom.