Tuesday, July 7, 2009

A Declaration Of Dependence

“The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress of July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The birthday of the United States of America – Independence Day – is celebrated on July 4, the day the wording of the Declaration was approved by Congress” (“United States Declaration of Independence”, wikipedia.org).

As citizens of the United States, we have a rich history of independence. From the birth of our union, we have been blessed with many independent thinkers and doers who have made important contributions toward the building of one of the greatest nations on the face of the earth. Independent men and women with a “never-say-die” attitude and a willingness to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps were vital in the settlement and growth of our country. But independence can be overdone. This is especially true in our relationship to God. When our spirit of independence leads us to believe that we can do without Divine assistance in our lives, then we have serious problems.

Let’s make today and every other day of our lives a celebration of our need for Divine help. With the apostle Paul, we can affirm that it is only in God that “…we live and move and exist…” (Acts 17:28). With the Psalmist, we can assert that, in comparison to God, our days are “…as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath” (Ps. 39:5). With Isaiah, we can admit that those who contend with God “…will be as nothing and will perish” (Isa. 41:11). Beginning today, let’s issue our own Declaration of Dependence upon God!

God loves you!
Mike

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