A Declaration of Dependence

"So if the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed."
(John 8:36)
Saturday, July 4th, is America's 233rd birthday, an annual celebration and commemoration of our country's "Independence Day".

While I am grateful for the blessings and privileges that have resulted from my American citizenship, I am not heralding my country's independence in this post. Instead, I am proclaiming complete and total dependence ... on the Lord Jesus Christ. The liberty that interests me is the freedom found in Him.

Our earthly homes and temporal circumstances are just that: earthly and temporal. Yet, where we live and what we face are neither random nor insignificant. Acts 17:24-28 reveals the purposeful eternal kingdom plan of God: "The God Who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.' For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' "

There's a fine line but an imperative distinction between independence and freedom. As my associate pastor illustrated in his message this past Sunday, independence implies self-sufficiency--the ability to stand alone and the exemption from reliance on or control by others. Freedom, in contrast, intimates a deliverance from bondage and oppression, including full and unrestricted access to accompanying rights and privileges. Just consider: those who proclaim Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord are His heirs (reference, among others, Acts 3:25; Romans 8:17; Galatians 3:29, 4:7). Therefore, we have every legal right and freedom to His full and gracious inheritance (reference, among others, Ephesians 1:13-23; Colossians 1:12, 3:24; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:4)!

An individual who--and a nation which--attempts to live independently of the Lord Jesus Christ is choosing a proverbial hard row to hoe, risking current freedom in Him as well as eternal freedom with Him. Why would we choose self-sufficiency when His grace is sufficient (reference 2 Corinthians 12:9)? Why would we choose independence when our salvation and honor depend upon Him (reference Psalm 62:7)?

"This is what the LORD says: 'Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.' " (Jeremiah 17:5-8)

That principle applies to nations as well as to inviduals. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD ... no king is saved by the size of his army," extols Psalm 33:12, 16.

Dependence is defined as "the state of relying upon someone or something". The Someone on Whom every nation and all of creation must rely is the Lord Jesus Christ. Job 8 recounts: "Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? ... Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass. Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider's web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold." (verses 3, 11-15). Now in this particular passage of Scripture, Bildad, in attempt to explain Job's suffering, wrongly accuses him. However, the generalization of Bildad's words ring true: those who forget (or outright reject) God are deceived and will eventually find themselves groundless.

Precious ones, time is short. Independence is inconsequential. What matters is freedom, eternal liberty in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our glorious inheritance in Him hinges upon our humble dependence on Him. Let's declare it.

Precious Father, thank You for being our depender and our defender (reference Psalm 68:5)! Thank You for the freedom You provide through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, forgive us for failing to depend upon You. Forgive us for striving in self-sufficiency when You have promised to provide our every need (reference Philippians 4:19). Forgive us for remaining in self-inflicted bondage when You have set us free (reference Psalm 81:6, 119:32, 146:7; Romans 6:18-22; Galatians 5:1). Forgive us for preferring to stay in our little corner of the world when You have given us the keys to the kingdom (reference Matthew 16:19)! We depend upon You. We declare it, Lord, and we ask for boldness as we share it. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, My Savior, and "Heir of all things" (reference Hebrews 1:2). Amen.

"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks
that they must turn to God in repentance
and have faith in our Lord Jesus."
(Acts 20:21)
For further reflection on this topic, see also ...

• "Don't Forget to Remember"
• "There's a Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On"
• "In God We Trust"
• "The Great Depression"
• "Blessed is the Nation ..."

How can I encourage and pray for you today? Please let me know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!

Copyright 2009. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.

Proclaiming the Proper Prescription

" 'What I tell you in the dark,
speak in the daylight;
what is whispered in your ear,
proclaim from the roofs.' "
(Matthew 10:27;
see also Luke 12:3)
Precious friends, I pray that you are being well-fed with Traci's rich and meaty e-mail devotions during this Feast of Tabernacles!

There is a lot to savor and digest in those devotions, but, at the risk of gorging you, I thought I'd share an extra portion that the Lord laid upon my plate today ...

Once upon a time, I filled my public waiting time by reading newspapers and magazines. In recent years, however, I've begun taking my Bible everywhere I go.

Absolutely, I read it at home, at Bible study, and at worship service. But I don't want to EVER be without it! So, today, I take it everywhere I go. (OK, maybe I don't have it in the grocery cart, but it's on the front seat of my car waiting for me ... and I do have that purse-size edition in the store with me!) Now, whether I'm waiting on a friend at Panera, waiting in the car line at my daughter's school, or waiting in the doctor's office, the love letter from my BFF is always with me.

His Word is written on my heart (reference Deuteronomy 6:6; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10, 10:16), but that's invisible to a watching world. I worship and praise Him, but those outside my home and my church might never witness it. I bear His fruit (reference Isaiah 32:17; Hosea 10:12; Matthew 3:8; Luke 3:8, 6:43-44; John 15; Romans 7:4; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:10-14; Hebrews 13:15; James 3:17-18), but those who don't know Him might not recognize it.

The Word, which became flesh as Jesus Christ, (reference John 1), is currently invisible to an unseeing world. So, I carry what can presently be seen: His Word as recorded in the Holy Bible.

Oh, how I love my quiet time with Him! Oh, how I love the refuge of my own little Bethany (reference Matthew 21:17; Mark 11:11; Luke 24:50)! But, how can I keep Him all to myself?

I can not. I must not. I should not. He says not.

People are perishing. The enemy is prowling. The spiritually ill are growing fainter by the day, but many do not even know that they are sick.

My heart is drawn to Jesus' words in Matthew 9:12-13: " 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.' " (reference also Mark 2:17; Luke 5:31; and Hosea 6:6; Matthew 12:9).

My daughter has been ill for about two weeks with a cough, runny nose, and congestion. I assumed she had a cold, so I've been treating her with over-the-counter meds. For the past two days, though, she's was running a low-grade fever, indicating that perhaps her condition was a little more serious than "just a cold". This morning, a doctor confirmed Katy's condition. It was not a cold but bronchitis. A few minutes later, we left with a clear diagnosis and an antibiotic prescription. (And, yes, I had my Bible with me in the waiting room!)

I could have continued to treat Katy with ineffective medications that temporarily masked her symptoms, but her condition would have worsened (aside from a supernatural healing!). Thankfully, I recognized the clues to Katy's illness, but I didn't have to heal her. I just needed to refer her to the doctor.

Beloved, how many people do we see each and every day who are spiritually sick? I see them all around me. They're sick and tired. Sick to death. And, some of them don't even know it. Actually, I think many of them do recognize their symptoms, but they are self-medicating with one thing or another. Drinking. Eating. Shopping. Surfing the net. Trying to fill the void. Searching for relief. Constantly treating the symptoms ... but failing to treat the cause. Masking the aches and pains ... but failing to receive a proper diagnosis. Arbitrarily trying every hopeless placebo ... but missing the Holy prescription.

You know, we are not responsible to heal them. That is the work of the Great Physician. But we can recognize the telltale signs of their condition, and we can refer them to Him.

It is He who "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)

But it is we whom He "has anointed ... to preach good news to the poor ... to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:1-3)

And, when He returns, if we've saved only ourselves, I believe He will hold us accountable. " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them ... I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice ... I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? ... See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another ... I the LORD have spoken.' " (Ezekiel 34:11-24)

We may rest assured in our salvation, but we must proclaim it before a watching world. We may not be sick, but we must recognize those who are. Jesus is too precious to keep to ourselves. And, He alone provides the prescription for eternal life. We just ... we must ... proclaim His healing grace and refer others to His eternal remedy.

Precious Father, thank You for Your Word! Thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ! I praise You that one day, Your children will be physically and spiritually whole, that "No one living in Zion will say, 'I am ill'..." (Isaiah 33:24). Until then, let me proclaim Your name before the suffering and the sick, in the hope that they will turn to You. I pray that I may declare You and Your Word fearlessly, as I should (reference Ephesians 6:20). And, it is in the name of Jesus Christ that I submit this prayer to You. Amen.

" 'If anyone is ashamed

of Me and My words

in this adulterous and sinful generation,

the Son of Man will be ashamed of him

when He comes in His Father's glory

with the holy angels.'

And He said to them,

'I tell you the truth,

some who are standing here

will not taste death

before they see

the kingdom of God

come with power.' "

(Mark 8:38-9:1)

How can we encourage and pray for you today? Please let us know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!

If this topic sparked your interest, see also ...

• "Time is Short; Seek the Lord While He May be Found!"

Copyright 2008. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.