Set Them Free
July 4
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him.
John 3:17
Kevin had been the sole survivor of an attack on his M2 Bradley tank. Tears
began to build in Lauren’s eyes as she listened to her brother’s story. “The
IED came out of nowhere. One minute we’re haulin’ along, the next there’s
this deafening explosion, and there’s fire everywhere!” Then his voice lowered.
“Guys were screaming.”
Fighting for composure, he went on. “Next thing I remember is waking
up in Walter Reed. That’s where I found out I was the only one that made it;
someone from the Humvee behind us had pulled me free.” Kevin’s face mir-
rored the loss he was feeling. “They were my friends,” he whispered. “Why
them and not me? Why’d they have to die?”
“I don’t know the answer to your question, Kev,” his dad quietly answered.
“But sometimes good people die so that others might live.” He continued,
“Freedom will always have its casualties. War is a reality in the world in which
we live. When tyranny sets itself up to steal freedom from those who hold it
precious, there will be conflict. Your willingness to fight and set others free was
shared by each of your friends, son. Remember them. Never forget they under-
stood the sacrifice of freedom, just like you, and paid the ultimate price. When
others are held captive, our freedom, if it means anything at all, must rise up
and defend them in their weakness. We must set them free.”
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When Satan set himself up against his Creator, he began the work of pitting
man against man, good against evil. Since then there have been casualties of
war. Sadly, there will be more.
Seeing what mankind had done to His plan, God undertook the means
by which we are set free. He submitted Himself to the hardships of a war He
could have won with the utterance of one word. Yet with a love so deep that He
could not bring Himself to destroy His Creation, He spoke to His Son, “We
must set them free.” And in one act of love, They set us free!
Prayer
“Mighty God, thank You for Jesus. May we never
take His sacrifice for granted. Amen.”
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