Independence Day

Yesterday, while looking over my grandson. I began pondering how from the time that we were babies our parents or guardians look over us. They feed us, clothe us and provide for us. As we begin to grow we learn how to hold our bottles, we begin talking, and learn how to walk all by ourselves.

There starts the beginning of our independence. A time when we are learning to be more self sufficient. As we grow through the stages of life ranging from childhood, adolescent and eventually adults we pride ourselves on our independence.

In fact, how many times have you heard someone say I'm a grown man or woman? Some people add another word in the statement after grown but I'm not going there. You know what I'm talking about.

Am I right about it?

A funny thing about this word independence. We pride ourselves on it. We wrap our flags around it, salute our troops for it, blast fireworks and say happy 4th of July while many of us are not free.

Not free.

For many of us our slaves to our passions, desires, habits, and lifestyles. Fault finders quick to point fingers at others while we hate the finger being pointed at ourselves. We hold everyone else to a higher standard by raising the bar for them while lowering it for ourselves.

How independent is that?

What makes it all worst is some of us don't even know we slaves. Running around talking about I love my freedom and you living the life of a slave. When I was riding down here and passing all this land I envisioned how slaves must have felt working on those plantations in blistering heat. Working hard on their masters acres. I could see it, like a movie.

It's a terrible thing to be shackled and don't know it. At least our forefathers knew they were enslaved. The thing about modern day slavery is many people don't realize that they are slaves.

I can recall years ago falling in love with a woman who I loved dearly. We broke it off going in different directions. Even after we were done I was still held in captivity by what she meant to me. I always used her as a measuring stick against others. In fact, to make it clearer I was still addicted to this woman.

I couldn't shake it. I was shackled to her while she was long gone.

How sad is that.

I never gave the other young ladies a fare shot because I always scrutinized them for not being like my former lady. Enslaved emotionally. Thinking everything was all good with me. But it was not.

There are people who are enslaved emotionally, spiritually, sexually, financially, mentally, physically, and definitely. However, there is a way to be set free.

It was not until God brought to my attention that I sold myself into slavery of that woman. Only then could I ask Him to set me free. Listen how can you be set free when you shackled to someone, something, and you don't know how to get away. You don't have strength to get away.

God can set you free. He is a specialist at snapping chains. Ask the children of Israel and they will tell you Pharaoh had us bound until God came around. We were slaves in Egypt and God reeducated us in righteousness, brought us up out of captivity to the Promised Land.

Call on Our Father who art in heaven.

He is the shackle breaker. For he came to set the captives free.

When I was addicted to smoking cigarettes people prayed for me, I prayed from myself and God gave me the victory over that.

Listen when I needed to let go of the thought of my former girlfriend. God broke the shackles and set me free.

When I was feeling helpless in my battle to stop drinking alcohol God took the taste of it from me. Allowing me to drink from His living waters. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh watch and see, He can set you free.

On this Independence day, beloved think of something or someone who may have you bound?

This Independence Day, bring it before the Master of the Universe. Allow him to unlock the locks. Allow Him to break your chains. When He sets you free you are free indeed.

Pray for deliverance from whatever has you bound.

Pray to the God who answers prayer because He will never let you down.

So pray that He will make a way out of no way.

Pray that God will wipe your tears away.

You can call Him G-O-D because He's God of Deliverance to me.

Let today be the start of your Independence Day. So you can really celebrate because you truly have the victory.