Into the Fire

Those of us who are Christians have learned the price of freedom. It isn’t cheap. We know what it’s like to be prisoners. Trapped within a jail cell of sin, we gave up our lives to the only One who could purchase our release: Jesus Christ. When we surrendered our worthless souls to Him, He renewed us and gave us true life. Forever. All we have to do is follow Him. For some of us, it will be a perilous path filled with sacrifice but powerful and exalted in eternity. For others of us, it will be joyful with only occasional journeys into the sorrows of life which will demonstrate to us, and cause us to yearn for, the wonders of a place which will offer perfection.

Those of us who have had the privilege of being an American have experienced the honor of freedom. We don’t know what it’s like to be imprisoned by a ruthless dictator who executes his own people at will. We have had dark hours in our history, and we still have problems to work on, but the foundation of our government was built on the rights of people to be free. Sometimes those rights have been abused by our citizens, by our government, by our courts. We have overcome many things, and we have much more to achieve as a nation.

One thing we have learned is the cost of freedom. Our military has sacrificed to keep this nation free from the tyranny of other radicals who desire to bring down this great country. They have fought hand to hand, sailed the open seas, flown the skies over all the world to defend, to protect, and to serve a nation who has at times not shown its full appreciation for all their endeavors and their obedience to go where this government has sent them. They have returned wounded, disabled, scarred, and victorious when allowed to truly fight. As a whole, they are the best soldiers in the world.

Fathers, sons, brothers, husbands—they have all served, fought, and surrendered their lives for not only their families’ freedoms but for the freedom of strangers, their fellow countrymen, because they believed that a more noble nation does not exist in this fallen world, that this nation deserves their loyalty, their devotion to defend it whether on our own shores or across the world. They get it.

Sooner or later, those who have no other motivation but to serve themselves and their own ideologies and to overcome all those who will not comply will continue to assert their violence and murderous sieges against any and all foes. Few have stood up to them. It is a vicious and ugly fight, but if the fight is not waged, freedom will hang in the balance.

The price is expensive, enormous even. Lives are given in service to it. Soldiers die fighting for it. Believing the cost of freedom is worth it. It’s often tragic, terribly painful, and sometimes tempting to claim it’s too much—too expensive, too costly. But we’ve never lived under the alternative. Hideous enemies seek the destruction of this nation built on freedom’s ways and the blood of its soldiers who’ve purchased and sustained it. The truly tragic part of this is when the enemies are within the borders of this country, within its very government—those who water down the importance of freedom from an evil enemy who breeds and practices unadulterated hatred.

The honor due to those who have served, who have laid down their lives for freedom cannot be minimized. They served, they gave, and as a result, we are free. Our military deserves our salute, our praise, our gratitude, and our support because they are defending us.

The price of true freedom was purchased with blood. The Savior of the world laid down his life so that anyone who believed He died for the penalty of sin and rose again could be set free from the wages of sin which is death. Ultimately that freedom is available to all, especially in this country. It seems those who wish to stifle freedom also wish to eliminate the freedom of this Savior Jesus Christ. But He is not subject to their threats. And His offer still stands to anyone who wishes to lay down their lives to find true freedom. At any cost.

Father, I lift up our service men and women across our nation and throughout the world. Some of them are in harm’s way daily. I ask, Lord, that you would send your Holy Spirit to draw them to Jesus, to give them the opportunity to experience true freedom as they fight nobly for our freedom and the freedom from tyranny across the world. God, we know what the Revelation reveals about the end of our world, but you are still merciful. You are still giving salvation through Jesus Christ, offering it to any and all who will come. Lord, please be close to our military people. Show them supernatural things to help them. Give them protection even when they don’t see it. God, you know each one’s number of days. I pray you would help them to see that regardless of their number of days, you offer abundant life in Jesus Christ for the time they are here and perfection when their days are done. I ask that you would watch over them and their families, giving comfort, protection, and hope of Truth to each one. Help them to find Jesus and be set free. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.