Devotion
What does it mean to be ‘free’?
David Jacobs
The United States of America is called "the land of the free." As someone that has spent the majority of my life living there, I have to say that it is pretty far from the truth. Although the founding fathers in the Revolutionary War times certainly fought to be free from English (as did many other countries against the Imperialists), modern American society is rife with restrictions. There are more lawyers in the city of New York than in all of China, the most populous nation on earth!
Freedom is overrated. There is a great honor in being a loyal and obedient servant, and God handsomely rewards those that are the most obedient: King David, Abraham, Jacob.
Prayer
To serve the Lord is to serve the people. The laws and word of God are not meant to restrict us, they are meant to help us. If we followed the word of God, the world would improve to an unfathomable degree. Freedom from God is not freedom at all: it is being lost, wandering the desert without a guide, unable to find the path. If you feel lost, do all that you can to find God. Seek the fellowship of other Christians and people that you trust, because together, we will create a light in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.
Devotion
Remember What The Lord Has Done
Frances Taylor
Jesus has just cured a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years, lying beside the healing waters of Bethesda with no one to put him into the water. After Jesus heals him, he finds him to warn him against sinning. Does this seem weird? Well, let's think about it. A man who can't walk can't get into too much trouble. Now, he has choices and he may be tempted to make poor ones. God answers our prayers too. When we are in trouble and praying for God's help, our focus is on God and trying to work things out. Once everything is great again, we often forget about God and get back into the same trouble or worse. Many people have prayed to become rich, to win a lottery or get an inheritance, and then what happens? In the majority of cases, the money can lead to a spending spree, a dissatisfaction with one's spouse, job, home, etc, and the person loses what he has gained and more as the family, the job, the home, etc. are now gone. God's ...
