Growing up, I went to a small Christian school. As part of our assemblies, not only did we say the pledge of allegiance to the flag, but also to the Christian flag, and to the Bible. With the uncertainty swirling around our political institutions, I got thinking about the words of all three pledges I recited daily.
We all know the American pledge, but do you know the pledge to the Christian flag?
I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose Kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again with life and liberty to all who believe.
When I reflect on those words, I’m reminded that my allegiance to Jesus, and to those values supersedes my allegiance to any country of this earth. This is Jesus’s prayer to the Father:
John 17:15-17 - I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
So Jesus even said we are not to be of this world. Paul references this in:
2 Corinthians 5:20 - Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
So our greatest allegiance needs to be God and His Word. This was our pledge of allegiance to the Bible:
I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, and I will hide its words in my heart, that I might not sin against God.
This uses the Scripture from:
Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Psalm 16:11 - You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Do we know what the Word says, and are we living in the promises of the Lord? Are we different from the world? Or are we tossed and turned by everything we see or hear in the natural. I’ve heard so many people in the last few days say “oh we just don’t know what’s going to happen”. You know what I hear when I hear that? We have lost our testimony. And it’s not just because of the election. I hear it in so many facets of life. “I’m just struggling right now. I’m not sleeping, I don’t know where my money is coming from, I can’t get to feel better.” I’ve even heard “I’m not sure I believe in prayer anymore.” What?!? How have we fallen so far from God’s Word and truths for us?
We are giving more credit to the devil’s work in our lives than God’s. That means we’re putting the schemes and plans of the enemy ahead of God’s. We’re making the devil bigger than God? How is that possible?
1 Peter 5:8-9 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
He is LIKE a roaring lion. But the truth is that he only has ground where we allow him to have ground. Not only is he trying to sow seeds of discord and disappointment among believers, he’s trying to get us to believe horrible things about ourselves. I’m not good enough, I’m not smart enough. I’m not making the amount of money I should.
Revelation 12:10-11 - Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Not only do we overcome the enemy by the salvation and blood of Jesus, but by our testimony. When we don’t accept the promises of God, the enemy wins his accusations against us, and we lose our testimony.
Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
It’s time for us to realise that every promise He has for us is our right. It’s a gift for those of us who have accepted Jesus as Lord. When we are sick and want prayer, how many of us have said “if it be God’s will…” We negate the very thing God wants to do for us by not believing His word is true. When He says He wants us to prosper and be in health, does that only mean if it’s not what we deem too difficult?
I challenge you today to think about what you’ve been saying about yourself, your situations, even other people. Does it line up with the Word of God? Do you know what the Word does say about it? It’s time to dig in and know the Word, know what we believe, and begin speaking in alignment with God and His promises for us.
Be blessed my friends!
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