The Devotional - 107 - Freedom

Thought for the Day – 106 – More Freedom concerns

 

Proverbs 7:1-5 – Buddies, ever have one? We can be very tight with friends, they are close to us and we share things with them that we do not share with others. Sometimes they are a husband or wife; a brother or sister or a near relative. This is what God desires for us all; to know Him as a friend and His commands and laws as a loving Father. Psalm 19:1-14 is a perfect expression of God’s relational friendship with those who are not ignorant of Him.

 

Comments and challenges

Lifestyles in other parts of the world and that would be outside of the United States of America are different. For example; when I visited Spain, from noon until 2pm the streets in any town was deserted, all of the local people were at siesta. The stores were closed; transportation services ceased and even though it was day time it was very much like midnight.

In Ukraine away from the city of Kiev and in the small hamlets or towns there were very few stores to purchase things, maybe one or two stores to a town and these did not get a lot of business; just enough to survive. All of the villagers waited for what could resemble a traveling super store.

This would be a caravan of many different vehicles and trucks filled with clothing, house wares, cleaning products, butcher shops, bakery shops, produce, can goods and all of the merchandise like appliances, hardware and tools. These caravans showed up once a week and would stay through the day and overnight. The town was buzzing with people from sun up through the night to sun up again buying needed things.

It was also a time of much chatter, the chatter of purchases and bargaining, the chatter of family and friends seeing each other at least once a week. The chatter was so loud, there would be little sleeping, so it was better if you just would get up and join the commotion. Being there for two weeks was a very nice experience, so I guess this is added for free. If you get the chance to visit a foreign country and experience the culture… do so; you will enjoy the moment.

What I am seeking to say here is that what we do and citizens of the United States of America is NORMAL to us, what people do in other parts of the world is NORMAL to them. Cross culturing is not NORMAL for any nation under the sun. in fact; cross culturing is a condition that crumbles the identity of any nation, we need only to look at our own history to see this and just as other FREEDOM loving countries too; AUSTRALIA for example. Freedom is not FREE.

Freedom is not a hand out from the government, freedom is earned by hard working PEOPLE. Freedom is not being able to express your sin in public and expect it to be accepted by everyone as NORMAL; freedom knows that there are SOLID LAWS that prevent SIN as one might prevent a SICKNESS epidemic. Freedom is not IGNORANCE of God, FREEDOM KNOWS GOD and God KNOWS those who are HIS. John 10:25-30

What else can be said? As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for God, for the Living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my continual food day and night, while they continually say; where is you God? These words are the beginning of Psalm 42 and the Psalms ends like this; why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted (upset) within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help (salvation) of my countenance and my God.

You might want to read the whole Psalm; I do recommend that you do! The soul within all of us longs for God; if your soul does not talk with God, in fact; if you soul is ignorant of God’s love, comfort and peace then you are like the rest of the world. Scared and miserable, sad and lonely, sinful and critical, the writer of Psalm 42 is not king David, but are the sons of Korah. These men understood the results associated with ignoring God and after contemplating His Character wrote about their souls need for resting in Christ.