Independence Day

Jul 4, 2022

I see violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they prowl about on its walls;

malice and abuse are within it.

Destructive forces are at work in the city;

threats and lies never leave its streets.

- David, Psalm 55:9b-11

Today, we celebrate the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. 246 years ago, our nation declared its independence from the sovereign authority of Britain. While it was a time of great celebration, it was also a difficult time as this new country was engaged in a bitter war to fight for that freedom. On this day, 246 years ago, the Revolutionary War was in its early stages, having commenced on April 19, 1775 and finally coming to an official end when the Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783.

3000 years ago, David wrote concerning the woes of the nation of Israel. 246 years ago, our nation experienced the same violence, strife, malice, and abuse to which David professed. Destructive forces were at work. Today, our nation continues to experience that same violence, strife, malice, and abuse. Destructive forces are still at work.

The recent shootings in New York, California, and Texas have sent us reeling. Families all around our nation are struggling to find peace and hope. And it is not limited to this country. The war in Ukraine still rages. Our hearts ache for those who have lost homes and lives.

With all that is going on around us, it would be easy for us to respond as David did, when he wrote (verses 2b, 4-7):

My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught...My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”

- Psalm 55:2b, 4-7

Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to pack things up and move away from all of it… to escape to a place where none of it could touch us?

246 years ago, as our country was engaged in a great war, I am confident there were those who felt the same way. Where can I go to hide? How can I escape this? Yet brave men and women stayed the course and fought for our freedom. And today, we reap the benefits of the sacrifice they made.

We, too, must stay the course and fight the battles around us, not with violence, but with love.

We have an amazing opportunity to seek out meaningful ways to positively impact our neighborhoods, our nation, and our world. We can pray for those who are hurting, we can provide financial resources to assist broken families and communities, and we can step up to personally lend a hand where needed.

Then, like David, we can proclaim the greatest of all battle cries, both for ourselves and for all those whose lives we are given the opportunity to touch:

As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me...He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me...Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken.

- Psalm 55:16,18a,22

This Independence Day, may we remember the sacrifices made that allow us to experience the freedom we enjoy today, and may we do our part to bring peace and hope to those around us. And may we remember to thank the One - Jesus - who will one day reconcile all things to Himself and bring everlasting joy and peace. He is the Only One who offers eternal freedom. Let us put our trust in Him.