Today, We Declare Our Dependence...On God!

The fourth comes each month, but today is that particular fourth on which we celebrate our nation's independence. These days many have taken that a big step further and stated their independence from religion, prayer, faith, and especially God. Therefore, I thought that today might be a good day to remind us all of our dependence on God, our Father and Creator.

Years ago, for some of us decades ago, we grew from childhood into the teenage years and began in so many obnoxious ways to declare our independence from our parents. Teens are infamous for this sort of behavior, and their parents for the most part are at least marginally prepared for it. After getting out, or, in rare cases, being thrown out of the house and home, the young teen grows into a young man or woman and sets about declaring independence in financial matters, career paths, and many other things. Most then immediately set about locking themselves up in a marriage with little future teen independents of their own. Who says that a declaration of independence ever goes unpunished.

Somewhere along the way of this journey, we may try to be independent of God. Those raised in a godly home or brought up with regular church attendance and Bible study may leave that behind for a time to try their wings in the world, in a manner of speaking. Like the mythological fellow and his melting wings, we often find through trial and some errors that we are not so independent as we may have thought. Many traps and temptations await the one who would soar without benefit of God's provision. However, we also have the chance to look back on these past mistakes, not to wallow in shame and self-pity, but to learn that in looking carefully we can see that God's provision and protection remained on us even in those years of independent fluttering about.

Today, wisdom from the trials has taught us that we are in fact more dependent upon our Father in Heaven than ever before. It is not age, or scars, or painful memories alone, but perhaps a combination of all that we have learned and seen that brings us to realize that without God we can do nothing. God does indeed cause His rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Happy are we who realize that God's love does not toss us out into the world alone but rather calls us to depend more and more on our Lord each day. From the day we began to know that dependence on our God is not slavery, but freedom in truth, we have stretched out our prayer wings for those who live the false independence of the fallen sinner. Today, we are also proud to declare our dependence on God.

Bucky