Thankful for the Homeland

A few days before the 250th celebration of America's Independence Day, I joined in with friends in the singing of patriotic songs.  My heart filled with gratitude as we sang America the Beautiful, My Country Tis of Thee,  The Star-Spangled Banner, and others. 

As we sang This Land is Your Land, my mind flashed back to the days when my third grade students and I sang those lyrics. At that time, in the late 60s and early 70s, I had never seen -- and neither had they -- the places mentioned in the song. But since then, I have been blessed to see many of them, including the Redwood Forest, the Gulf Stream waters, the golden valleys (in California and in Yellowstone National Park), and ribbons of highway visible for miles in places like Montana.

Since singing those songs and re-living memories, I've often had thoughts like these: Thank You, God, for choosing America as a homeland for me. It is, indeed, a wonderful one. Not a perfect one, but definitely a wonderful land filled with breathtaking beauty and unparalleled freedom.

Freedom

The July 2025 issue of the monthly newsletter published by the Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) contains an article written by Carl Redemann, who is the Executive Director of that multi-faceted ministry. 

He began the article with a reference to the long-ago night when General George Washington led a daring crossing of the Delaware River and launched a surprise attack that reignited the American Revolution. 

Redemann writes, “They were not fighting for territory, but for a dream–the dream of a land, where men and women could live freely, speak freely, and most importantly, worship freely.”

Although many of those brave men would not live to see the freedom they were dying for, they fought bravely in the monumental battle that changed history.

But, as Redemann points out, there is another battle with even greater impact. That battle was waged on a hill called Calvary where God’s Beloved Son was nailed to the cross. As the beaten and bleeding Son hung there, He was fighting for freedom for guilty sinners like you and me: freedom from the chains of sin, freedom from the curse of death, freedom from the power of hell itself. As that battle of all battles continued, the sky turned black. The earth shook. With one final breath, Jesus cried out in victory, “It is finished!“

That greatest of all battles for freedom had been won, not by the sword, but by the sacrifice of Jesus.

On Independence Day, may we give thanks for all the courageous men and women who have battled bravely for the cause of freedom. May we be even more grateful for the One who shed His life’s blood to provide freedom from the power of sin, freedom from the penalty of sin, and, ultimately, freedom from the very presence of sin.

Happy Birthday, America!

Blessed is the nation 

whose God 

is the LORD; 

and the people 

whom he hath chosen 

for his own inheritance.

Psalm 33:12, KJV

Happy Independence Day!

Devil's Tower in Wyoming
Quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1809-1894, American physician, poet, professor, lecturer, author