My friend, happy Independence Day or 4th of July! It’s wonderful and right to celebrate the freedom of America. I pray you have a safe and celebratory holiday with friends and family. 

As Christians, we understand that the source of true freedom is not the policy of any nation, but the liberating power of Jesus Christ at work within us. To this end, let’s look  at the story of the conversion of Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul. Having pre-identified followers of the Way in Damascus, he was on a mission to arrest them when the Lord appeared to him on the road. He suddenly fell to the ground, was blinded by a bright light, and heard a voice from Heaven say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Stopped in his tracks, this previously bitter and self-righteous Pharisee was suddenly set on a different course. Now blind and filled with the fear of God, he humbly received instruction and yielded to an alternate — and better — destiny for the remainder of his days. Free from enslavement to hatred, his heart tasted true liberty and his life became an unstoppable force in the service of His Savior.

My friend, your Savior called you by name and set you free to surrender to His good plan. While it has required you to change course and leave the wide path of self-righteousness to travel the narrow road to victory, the rewards of walking in His Way can be felt deeply in the depths of your spirit.