First Cause
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Global >
      • United States
      • Africa
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Guatemala
      • India
      • Kenya
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Nigeria
      • Peru
      • Rwanda
      • Sweden
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Our Statement of Faith
  • Training
  • Leader Resources
    • Outreach
    • Quotes A-C
    • Quotes D-F
    • Quotes G-K
    • Quotes L-O
    • Quotes P-R
    • Quotes S-U
    • Quotes V-Z
    • Worship
    • Testimonials
    • Annual Newsletter
  • Leader Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Prayer
    • A Link In The Chain
    • Prayer Request
    • Long Eternal Line
  • STORE
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Inicio
  • Nosotros
    • Liderazgo
    • Equipo
  • Capacitacion
  • Eventos
  • Blog Devocionales
  • Galeria
  • Contacto
  • Link Page
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Global >
      • United States
      • Africa
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Guatemala
      • India
      • Kenya
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Nigeria
      • Peru
      • Rwanda
      • Sweden
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Our Statement of Faith
  • Training
  • Leader Resources
    • Outreach
    • Quotes A-C
    • Quotes D-F
    • Quotes G-K
    • Quotes L-O
    • Quotes P-R
    • Quotes S-U
    • Quotes V-Z
    • Worship
    • Testimonials
    • Annual Newsletter
  • Leader Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Prayer
    • A Link In The Chain
    • Prayer Request
    • Long Eternal Line
  • STORE
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Inicio
  • Nosotros
    • Liderazgo
    • Equipo
  • Capacitacion
  • Eventos
  • Blog Devocionales
  • Galeria
  • Contacto
  • Link Page
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Reveration Blog

7/4/1998 0 Comments

Independence

Meditation
Psalm 33:12,22--Happy is the nation whose God is Yahweh—the people He has chosen to be His own possession! . . . May Your faithful love rest on us, Yahweh, for we put our hope in You.
Proverbs 14:34--Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
Independence is the state of freedom from the influence, design or control of someone or others.  It is the ability to self-govern unfettered by foreign powers; the spitting loose of a tyrannical bit knotted to another’s reins.  A nation’s independence when married to morality rings the joyful bell of liberty, stirs the anthem of patriotism and honors the preservation of justice.  It models a people whose sum is greater than her parts.  Independence is much more than fireworks, baseball and homemade apple pie.  These are just the aroma of a greater truth—the right to assemble to worship as we please, the right to vote and own property, the right to free speech—all without fear of being hauled off to prison, of being tortured, or killed.

The threat to independence is greater perhaps today than any other time in our republic’s history.  I write this for three reasons.  First, an independence taken for granted by those who live free is one which is vulnerable to others seizing.  A complacent land is soon a conquered land.  It may not be a foreign army attacking our shores we should fear most. Our complacency creates another more insidious threat—the disease of immorality.  Our moral foundation daily crumbles beneath a growing virus of crime that festers in our cities and towns.  What cherished freedom can we boast of if we cannot allow our children to play in their own neighborhoods alone without fear that they will become prey to some vulture of perversion?  How do we diagnose illness if the television is the one doing the monitoring?  How does a reputed $8,000,000,000 pornography industry infect the minds of our citizens?  What we are attracted to defines and redefines our constitution. If those who lead our nation abdicate the conviction that character matters than what matters is that we are now led by characters.  

Second, disdained independence eventually atrophies to meaninglessness.  How is it disdained?  By those who promote anarchy—independence exploded to the extreme causing the meltdown of essential authority.  We did not become a free land because our forefathers despised authority! We became a free land because they rejected tyranny and the unjust application of rule by those in power.  

Third, the dark side of independence is selfishness which rips apart the fabric of decency clothing a nation.  Do we not live in a land today which basically promotes pleasure over morality? To a people tired of facing each day and its challenges is the lure of “getting high”.  Wanton consuming outweighs thoughtful conserving.  Winning is more important than telling the truth. What happens to others is “no big deal” as long as it doesn’t affect me!  

One of the best ways to gauge selfishness is to listen carefully to a nation’s speech. We are a country that coins euphemisms to de-emphasize problems and excuse intolerable behavior.  Instead of labeling a person an alcoholic or drug-addict we address him as chemically-dependent and fault the genes. The logical extension of absolving personal and collective responsibility for immoral behavior or conduct is the promotion of malfeasance.  It is no wonder that Dr. Laura is the Jewish prophetess radio listeners tune in to.  Many people are so ill from the candy of rationalization that they hunger for the bread of absolutes she steadfastly dishes up.  

Our independence ought not to be bartered away on the world’s flea markets.  We have a rich history, rights mortgaged by the blood of countless patriots.  We still carry coins that define our independence as trust in our Sovereign Maker. If we go to a cashless economy even that reminder will be lost.  

Never forget the priceless treasure of holding citizenship in a land that allows you yet to own a Bible, to bow your head and pray to God, to congregate in fellowship, to breath words of faith and sing songs of worship.  If we ever lose these inalienable rights it will be because we fell asleep when we should have watched and prayed.  
​
May God bless you and give you a spirit of dependence on Him.  May God bless America and give her yet another chance to repent and be restored to the greatness that brings Him glory from sea to shining sea. Something to think about . . . in reveration.
 
©1998 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)
 
0 Comments


Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Abiding
    Accountability
    Accusations
    Action
    Adaptable
    Adversity
    Advice
    Agreement
    Alert
    Alliance
    Ambition
    Angels
    Anger
    Anointing
    Arguing
    Aspiration
    Assumptions
    Attitude
    Authority
    Available
    Balance
    Baptism
    Belief
    Betrayal
    Bible
    Bitterness
    Blessings
    Blood
    Bold
    Boundaries
    Bribery
    Burn Out
    Busyness
    Calling
    Calm
    Causes
    Challenges
    Change
    Character
    Choices
    Christmas
    Comfort
    Commitment
    Communication
    Communion
    Community
    Comparison
    Compassion
    Complacency
    Complaining
    Compromise
    Concern
    Conduct
    Confession
    Confrontation
    Confusion
    Conscience
    Consent
    Considerate
    Contentment
    Context
    Corruption
    Courage
    Craving
    Creation
    Creativity
    Criticism
    Curiosity
    Dark
    Death
    Deception
    Decision Making
    Dedication
    Delay
    Deliverance
    Demons
    Depression
    Despair
    Discernment
    Discipleship
    Discipline
    Discouragement
    Dishonesty
    Disobedience
    Disrespect
    Divine Appointment
    Divisive
    Dogmatic
    Doubt
    Duty
    Easter
    Edify
    Empathy
    Encouragement
    Endurance
    Envy
    Eternity
    Ethics
    Evangelism
    Evolution
    Example
    Excuses
    Experience
    Failure
    Faith
    Faithful
    Fasting
    Fathers
    Favor
    Fear
    Feedback
    Fellowship
    Flesh
    Focus
    Follow
    Foolishness
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Friendly
    Friendship
    Fruit
    Gentle
    Giving
    Glory
    Goals
    God
    God Fearing
    Godly
    Gods Love
    Gods Promises
    Good Friday
    Gossip
    Government
    Grace
    Grumbling
    Guidance
    Habit
    Happiness
    Healing
    Healthy
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hell
    Help
    Heresy
    Heroism
    History
    Holidays
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Honor
    Hope
    Humility
    Hypocrisy
    Idolatry
    Image
    Immorality
    Incompetent
    Inconsistent
    Ingratitude
    Inheritance
    Initiative
    Inspiration
    Integrity
    Interference
    Isolation
    Israel
    Jealousy
    Jesus
    Joy
    Judgment
    Justice
    Justification
    Kindness
    Knowledge
    Language
    Laughter
    Law
    Lazy
    Leadership
    Learning
    Legalism
    Life
    Light
    Listening
    Lonely
    Love
    Loyalty
    Lying
    Marriage
    Meaning
    Meditation
    Memorial
    Mercy
    Mind
    Ministry
    Miracles
    Money
    Music
    Name
    Obedient
    Observation
    Opportunity
    Opposition
    Pain
    Parables
    Parenting
    Passion
    Patience
    Peace
    Perseverance
    Philosophies
    Plan
    Poem
    Possessions
    Power
    Praise
    Prayer
    Prayer For Leaders
    Prejudice
    Preparation
    Pride
    Priorities
    Profiles
    Promises
    Protection
    Providence
    Provision
    Prudence
    Psalms
    Punishment
    Purpose
    Questions
    Rebellious
    Recognition
    Reconcilation
    Redemption
    Relativism
    Relevance
    Religion
    Repentance
    Reputation
    Respect
    Responsible
    Rest
    Restoration
    Revenge
    Revival
    Reward
    Righteous
    Role
    Sacrifice
    Safety
    Salvation
    Satan
    Security
    Selection
    Self
    Sensitive
    Serving
    Sickness
    Silence
    Sin
    Sincerity
    Sorrow
    Soul
    Speech
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Spiritual Gifts
    Spiritual Growth
    Spiritual Warfare
    Status
    Stewardship
    Strategy
    Strengths
    Stress
    Stubborn
    Submission
    Success
    Suffering
    Suicide
    Teaching
    Team
    Temptation
    Testimony
    Testing
    Thankful
    Theology
    Thinking
    Thoughtful
    Time
    Tradition
    Training
    Travel
    Trinity
    Trouble
    Trust
    Truth
    Understanding
    Unequal
    Unity
    Values
    Victory
    Virtue
    Vision
    Warning
    Weakness
    Will
    Wisdom
    Witness
    Work
    Worry
    Worship
    Youth
    Zeal

Picture

Contacts

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Photo used under Creative Commons from Rachel Maxey Miles