Old Glory

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

With Independence Day upon us, you might be noticing the many flags on display. No doubt this Fourth of July morning, many runners will be participating in 5ks and other runs wearing red, white and blue and maybe even carrying the American Flag. You could say that most Americans are very proud of their flag. And with good reason - 'Old Glory' represents the day our country's founders declared independence from Great Britain. Did you know, though, that each part of the flag stands for something? The 50 stars stand for the 50 states and the 13 stripes stand for the 13 British colonies which declared their independence on July 4, 1776. The colors also stand for something. The white vertical stripes signify purity and innocence while the red vertical stripes represent hardiness and valour-and the blue signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice. 

There is another flag to be flown with pride too... the Christian Flag. It represents the day we were granted freedom from the power of sin. The shade of red on the cross symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary. The blue canton represents the waters of baptism as well as the faithfulness of Jesus and the white represents Jesus' purity. Regardless of their differences in appearance, these flags are both symbols of what we stand for, who we are and that we are connected to one another as Americans and Christians. 

John Adams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, in a letter to his wife regarding this special day wrote, "It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.” May we, as Americans, join together this holiday to commemorate the day of deliverance by God Almighty. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for setting us free from the yoke of slavery and the bonds of tyranny. My solemn prayer is that this country would raise the white flag of surrender and celebrate our freedom every day with solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. May we once again be known as"one nation, under God" as we wave our white flags in total surrender to You. It's in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

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White Flag - Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1jgD69WzMY