Today we (true patriotic citizens) celebrate Flag Day or National Flag Day as it is also known. It is a day of remembranced for the people of America, calling into memory all that the flag of our nation stands for.
The American flag is a symbol of freedom and liberty to which Americans recite the pledge of allegiance. It reminds us of the core values the counding fathers set forth in the founding documents that moved this nation forward to that in which all men can be free.
The flag’s 13 alternating red and white stripes represent the 13 original colonies. Its 50 white stars on a blue field represent the 50 states.
The colors on the flag each have a meaning:
- Red: valor and bravery
- White: purity and innocence
- Blue: vigilance, perseverance, and justice
Follow these guidelines from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for displaying the U.S. flag.
There are related articles below on Flag day, and the following devotional speacks on the importance of Biblical Rememberance.
June 14: Remembering
2 Chronicles 33:1–34:33; 1 John 2:18–27; Psalm 105:1–22
My mom discovered scrapbooking when I was a teenager. At first, the craft seemed time consuming and burdensome; paper scraps, pictures, and double-sided tape were constantly strewn over the kitchen table. But as the books came together, I began to appreciate her new hobby. A random photo would inspire a conversation about an event I had no memory of. The way she pieced the book together showed me a timeline of my parent’s sacrifice for my siblings and me. I had a deeper respect and a renewed sense of gratitude toward them.
Psalm 105 reads like a record of God’s faithfulness to Israel—a scrapbook of His work in their lives. To help them remember, the psalmist details each memory, beginning with the great patriarchs with whom God initiated and renewed His covenant—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God didn’t choose these men because of their spotless lives. He was true to Israel, protecting, guiding, and reprimanding them when they were unfaithful and forgetful.
Although the psalmist is remembering God’s work and encouraging others to do the same, he ultimately shows that God’s act of remembering should ignite our praise. “He remembers His covenant forever, the word that he commanded for a thousand generations” (Psa 105:8).
We are wayward children who don’t deserve God’s love. We are forgetful and ungrateful, which often means we don’t praise Him like we should. Despite this, God has remained faithful—even reconciling us to Himself through the work of His Son. We shouldn’t live in ignorance of His faithfulness. Knowing that He’ll “remember his wonders that he has done” (Psa 105:5), we can live lives of thankfulness and praise.
How do you praise God for His faithfulness to you?
REBECCA VAN NOORD
John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).
Related Articles:
FLAG DAY “I pledge allegiance to the Flag and to the Republic …” – A Republic is where the citizens are co-kings! – American Minute with Bill Federer
The Real Story Behind Old Glory
Why do we celebrate Flag Day? Here are the do’s and don’ts for the June 14 holiday
In what can only be described as a national digrace,
B.H. Carrol and Robust Confessionalism (A confession helps us to reflect and remember the core values the church stands for)
Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach 