Free Indeed
Hurricane Frederick hit the Gulf Coast with unabated fury in the fall of 1979. Craig and I were newlyweds and had never experienced a storm with such intensity and anger. The following morning, as we struggled to clear our yard of debris and trees in the beastly hot sunshine, a dog appeared in our yard.
The beautiful Doberman had no tags and was ravenously hungry. Our first mistake was putting a bowl of water out for him, and our second mistake was feeding him left-over hotdogs from the refrigerator. Our third mistake – the most impactful of all - was petting this lonely, traumatized dog. He was hooked and so were we.
Our neighborhood was filled with children, and so until we knew this orphaned dog was friendly and safe, we decided to put him on a leash and attach him to our back patio. Whenever he tried to run away, the leash held him back; when a child rode by on their bikes, the leash held him back. He could only run the 8-10 feet that his leash allowed him.
We took “BJ” to the vet and after a few weeks, we realized he was a family-friendly dog, and so we removed his leash. BJ still wanted to stay close to the back patio and refused to move more than the accustomed 8-10 feet away from it. We tried to coax him with a game of fetch, but BJ would only go the 8-10 feet allowed by his former leash. We bribed him with hot dogs, but BJ would only go as far as the leash had permitted him. This vibrant, playful dog was in bondage to an invisible leash. He was free indeed, but he remained enslaved to the limitations of his past. The only one holding him in bondage was himself.
“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” – John 8:36
My friend, the Son of God has set you free! His death on the cross bought you a freedom you never could have experienced or earned on your own. You have been set free from your past and from sin when you humbly declare, “Jesus, I love You. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart.”
When those words are spoken, the freedom will be immediate and enormous. The freedom that Jesus has given to you is exciting, complete, and eternal.
The day you simply said, “Yes,” to the Lord was your day of liberation and it is time to celebrate! The war is over, the chains have been unlocked and you have stepped into a brand-new life of freedom and joy.
Points to Ponder
1. How is spiritual freedom different from political freedom?
2. What have you been set free from?
3. Who in your life needs to experience the freedom of the Lord? Spend some time praying for this loved one today.
Prayer
“Dear Jesus, thank You for the freedom you have given to me. Thank You that I am no longer in bondage to the past or to my pain. I pray You would give me the strength to walk in your glorious freedom and to celebrate the joy that only freedom can offer. Thank You that I am free from sin and from shame. I am free from the expectation of my culture and from the compromise of the world. I declare today that my chains are gone in the mighty Name of Jesus. I thank You that the freedom You have given to me is eternal and complete. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”
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