Freedom isn’t free.
I sit in my cozy house, under a warm blanket with my Bible sitting prominently on the coffee table in front of me. It strikes me that I don’t have to hide the most important thing in my life, my faith. Today I’m aware how much I take that freedom for granted even though it was purchased through the shedding of blood.
persecution
On the first Sunday in November our church played a video clip for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
I was struck with a profound sorrow at the hardship people are facing because of their faith. There are men, women and children all over the world who are losing their lives simply because they follow Christ. They cannot openly worship. They cannot openly discuss their faith. They are in constant danger.
have & have not’s as a result of my faith
i have freedom to openly worship the Lord
i have not lost my life
i have not had my house burned down
i have not had my hands cut off
i have not had my eyes plucked out
i have not had to watch my children die
i have not had my business confiscated
i have not been put out of normal society and branded a heretic
i have not had to tear my Bible into pieces to share with others
i have not had to meet secretly with other believers for fear of reprisal
today
Today I’m doubly thankful.
I am thankful that the blood of Christ paid the price for my spiritual freedom. It transcends boarders, cultures, laws, restrictions, pain, torture. And certainly death holds no fear because being absent in the body means being alive in the very presence of God!
And I’m thankful for all those who went to war so that I could be free in this country I live in.
Let’s stop scrolling, quiet the chaos in our lives and just remember. Two minutes of silence for the fallen. It’s an unequal exchange for the price they paid for a lifetime of freedom.