God Speaking

“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts”

(Psalm 119: 45)

The terrible corona virus that is sweeping through the world is bringing chaos to travelers and even to virtually making people prisoners in their own homes or to keeping passengers confined to their cabins on cruise ships which have infected passengers aboard. I was watching one such passenger discussing his plight over the internet with a reporter and he was describing his feelings of being those of prisoners in jail and all he could think of was, when he would finally be set free.

Freedom and being set free, is often mentioned in Scripture and is actually a beautiful gift offered to the children of God and when we realize this we can echo the words of the psalmist who senses he can now run freely on the true path set out by God for us all to take.

“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” (Psalm 119: 32)

When Jesus is teaching his disciples, he emphasizes that true freedom will be found by believing in him and following his words.

“To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 31 – 32)

The Pharisees took offence at what Jesus was saying and hotly denied being slaves to anyone, not understanding what Jesus was really meaning by being trapped by sin and being enslaved by many parts of their lives that inhibited them from discovering the joy of being able to shake off those ugly thoughts and actions that were eating away at their very beings not allowing them to run with that great sense of freedom.

Even today we can be trapped by many different circumstance that  can spoil our relationship with others and our relationship with the Lord, not realizing that we are prisoners choosing to stay locked in when the Lord is so willing to set us free. The writer of Hebrews describes it as being entangled, giving a very clear picture of being tied up in ropes and unable to untie the knots.

 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12: 1)

Sometimes we can become entangled by what is happening in our lives as when someone hurts us anger can take over our thoughts and slowly entangles us unless we call out to the Lord to untie the knot and help us to forgive that person. Self-destructive thoughts can tie us up if we begin to feel unworthy and not measuring up to others and feel the Lord could never accept us. Again, we need the help to be set free and to call upon the Lord for help. Others who love the Lord deeply can often help us to do this.

When we realize that we can be set free, life can be lived to the fullest as that is also a promise from Jesus who came to give us life in abundance.