For Freedom

I have spent a considerable amount of time tonight looking at some old pictures of and reading one young man's words and one older gentleman's words regarding a time about which I know very little. 

I highly recommend this website, though, if you have some moments to spare. Even if you don't, I think it would be worth your time to visit. History is so important. I wish I had known that when I was younger and actually supposed to be studying it. I did what I needed to do in order to pass tests, but not much truly stuck. I've learned so much teaching Michaela. 

As I was looking through these old pictures from the Vietnam War, my eyes were full of tears. Knowing what little I know about my cousin's war experiences, hearing the news these days about the horrors of war and what can happen to soldiers who aren't even in combat, or to anyone, really, who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, make me so sad. And I struggle not to be so sad that I forget that beyond the sadness and the horror there is hope. 

When another cousin of mine, three weeks ago, lost her youngest son in a tragic accident, I was heart-broken for her. Since then, she has shown publicly that Christ her savior is the one in whom her security lies. She has repeatedly given the Lord praise, called herself blessed, and claimed that God has given her more than she deserves. There is only one way that a person who is grieving one of the greatest losses that a person can experience is able to claim these things. When our beliefs about God and his son Jesus Christ are so deeply rooted in his word, and we can assuredly trust that what he says is true, even when our circumstances say the very opposite according to the wisdom of the world, then we can face the most difficult trials with his strength, with his hope. 

I often let fear have too much power in my mind. A wild movie plays in my head sometimes; irrational thoughts turn into short films that show again and again and again. I often have to say out loud,"Stop it!" I have to remind myself of the truth: 

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31-39

What does Paul remind us of? God is for us, he graciously gives us all things, he justifies...there is no room for fear here! There is nothing, NO THING, that can break the union that we have with Jesus Christ! His list is fairly comprehensive. See if you can come up with something that isn't covered. 

If we cannot be separated from the love God that he has shown us in his son, our Lord, our savior, then what have we to fear? The writer of Hebrews also encourages the church: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." (10:23)

We are united to Christ in such a way that we can never be separated from him; the faithful One has promised; we have hope and profess! 

Remembering the past is important so that we may not be enslaved to it. However, we must remember it along with remembering what God has done in history too. Only there will we find freedom.