At the signing of the Declaration of Independence, freedom and all of its blessings were bestowed upon America. For centuries, this Declaration has given hope to everyone on this planet who ever dreamed of seeing what can only be offered by true freedom.

But freedom is never free; it comes at a cost. Read the words of founding father John Adams: “You will never know how much it cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. ”

More than ever, we must cherish the freedom we have and never take it for granted.

God bless you and yours as we celebrate the blessing of living in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

James Robison is The Stream’s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed.