Independence with God
Psalm 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hears, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” Yes, they ARE different verses, and Yes they do say the same thing. So YES, I think this is important to GOD!
2 Corinthians 3:3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
We are rapidly approaching the 245th anniversary of our country declaring independence from England. Many of the early settlers had arrived here in search of freedom in their religious beliefs, as many kings had declared their own interpretation of the bible, and declared all must follow the king’s beliefs. God’s Word had spread throughout Asia, Europe, and was being carried to “all the nations” as He had written. I never much thought about the fear, the need to express one’s religion and live according to God’s Word, and being told one had to follow the edicts of another in regard to one’s beliefs.
In school there were several things that struck me with this time period. First was that much of the anger and initiation of freedom was begun in Massachusetts with Samuel and John Adams, the Tea Party, and of course, Paul Revere and his infamous ride from Lexington and Concord. My mind recorded the concerns as high taxes, the right to not judge and govern for themselves, and the fact they were being “bullied” to comply to a great they had left, and now still were expected to give wealth to.
Then I began learning more and more of the religious components and how very important God was to these new settlers, and the risks they undertook to arrive here so they could live their lives according to the biblical principles they believed in. I saw the movie, Monumental, with Kirk Cameron. It depicted the persecution of people in the late 1500’s and early 1600’s and their desire for freedom to have and practice their biblical beliefs, even to the point of crossing an ocean and taking the chance of that dangerous, long, and crowded ship ride to reach freedom. The other side was a big unknown.
These people chose to come here because they believed in God, and God’s freedoms listed. They chose that their children’s first readers were verses of the bible. This how the children learned their letters and first words, and obviously were learning the truths held within the covers of this book.
Most families had their own bible and it held a place of honor and easy use within each home. It was the way to end each day, after dinner, to read a chapter or more by candlelight as a family. They took it to heart to learn, study and teach their families God’s Words and His Will. I love the fact that prime readers for these youngsters was all from the bible. There was no ‘See Spot. See Spot Run. Dick played with Jane.’
They learned the Words and thoughts of God early; it was important to many of these early settlers, and they were willing to take a chance it could cost them their lives because His words were so important to them.
So as we approach Independence Day, I hope you remember many settlers came to this country to “be My people and I will be their God.” We all need to remember the basics and get study and learn and love and honor Him the way they did. Thank You, Lord for Your freedoms.
I am so thankful I did some more research regarding this holiday, and realize it was not just leaving English rule, but fighting for religious freedoms, the right to govern our colonies/country, and the right to grow in Your name. I am honored to declare You and all You have done for me and mybellaviews.
Comments