The Price of Freedom

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. ~~ Romans 8:1-2 

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  ~~ Thomas Jefferson

 

In previous blogs, we discussed what true freedom is, in the dictionary, freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think without hindrance or restraint.  We talked about how that completely wraps up everything Christ has done for us. Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”.


Today we are talking about the price of freedom.  Freedom can be incalculable. Some will think there is no price too large to pay for freedom, others will think there are limits to what they will pay for it.


Freedom liberates our spirits and frees us to be our best selves.  We can be free to worship, or perhaps someone who lifts our fellowman to heights that would be otherwise unattainable. But the cost of mistreatment of that freedom can also slam the door on human joy and cast a dark cloud on our creativity and growth.


In some instances, freedom of expression can lead to violence. When someone’s choices or ideas aren’t heard by other people, it may lead them to get angry, unable to control their emotions, and hurting someone in frustration ending their right to freely move about at will.


In view of all that has been said so far, I leave you with this question — What are you willing to pay for freedom? For Jesus, that answer was EVERYTHING.


PRAYER:  Dear Lord, because of you, freedom is our inalienable right. Help us to know that there is still a price to be paid for freedom.  We pray that our use of freedom will be to uplift, and not misused.  Thank you for paying the ultimate price for our freedom. We pray this is the name of Jesus,  Amen!

The Lord My Shepherd

Ezekiel 34: 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

 

If we know anything about sheep, we know that they are skittish, frighten by just about everything, prone to be scattered in different directions at the sound of any noise.  So, a shepherd has to keep careful watch over his flock of sheep, ready to guide them in the right direction and protect them from danger.

 Jehovah Rohi (The Lord Our Shepherd) is just as diligent; He is not a passive shepherd who is slack in the care of His sheep. He isn’t a hired hand —who does as little as possible to provide food and guidance, nor does He simply point out a pasture or water and tells us to go for it.

I am so thankful that the Lord doesn’t run the other way when He hears our cries for help, He sees us in trouble, and He knows every pain we suffer, the tears we shed, and the hurts we feel. But, most of all, he rescues us and brings us back to Him, and He knows when to make us lie down for a time of healing and restoration.

Psalms 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Prayer:

You are Jehovah Rohi, the Lord, our Shepherd.  We thank you for always taking care of us, for guiding us so that we don’t take the path that puts us in harm’s way.  Thank you for providing for our needs and ensuring that your rest is available to us so that we are restored.  In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen!

The Lord That Provides

PSALM 23: 1-3 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

God has provided for His people since the beginning of time.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had food they never had to work for; and of course, we can never forget how the Lord provided for the Israelites that Moses led to the promised land. He provided dry land in the middle of the sea. He went ahead of them as a pillar of cloud by day to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light so that they could travel by day or night. The stories of his provisions are endless.

EPHESIANS 3:20 God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.

Allow me to share a personal story of how the Lord provided in a very unusual and unexpected way.

In the midst of an upcoming move to a new church, the congregants were asked to pledge $1,000.00 per family for expenses for that move.  Being the head of my household and the sole breadwinner, I made that pledge, not really knowing how I would be able to keep it and pay my bills.  I prayed diligently and asked the Lord to honor my pledge and provide the means to be able to pay it and pay my pending bills.  The next week at church, by faith, I wrote the check for the pledge.  A few days later I got a notice from my bank stating they had made an error on my account and that in 1-2 business days they would credit my account in the amount of, you guessed it, $1,000.00! My mind went into overdrive, as I thought about it, I knew I had made a few deposits, but there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed that much money missing from my account.  After going over my deposits and giving it some more thought, I knew, without a doubt, it was the Lord providing for me.

I have had the pleasure of sharing that testimony with others when they’ve doubted that the Lord would provide for their needs.  Even now, recounting that story, makes me emotional and this isn’t the only time that the Lord has proved that He is the God who provides.  He keeps providing over and over in many ways and I continue to thank Him for his provisions.

2 CORINTHIANS 9: 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

PRAYER:  Lord, help us to put our trust in You to supply all our needs according to Your riches in glory! Thank You for the abundance of goodness You have stored up for those who love You.  Forgive us for doubting You, for worrying, and for trying to do it on our own.  It’s in Jesus’ name we pray!   Amen

The Lord our Banner

We live in times of great distress. Our health is threatened daily and every time we decide to step out our doors. Our brothers and sisters of all races are threatened every time they decided to go outside. Sadly, even inside their own homes.
 
Today, we look at our GOD as our Jehovah Nissi. He is our Lord, our Banner. Any time we feel those feelings of uncertainty, weakness, and even of terror, our Jehovah Nissi bans everything and anything from coming near us that can hurt us.
 
 
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. Exodus 17:15
 
 
What does a banner do for us? Protects us, covers us, lets us know no matter what comes or is thrown our way, He covers us, He protects us, He bans those things from destroying us. The dictionary describes a banner as a flag or other clothing bearing a symbol or slogan. This makes me think that when life comes and threatens us, it can only go so far because GOD’S banner is recognized and stops things in their tracks. God is our defense and He promised never to leave us or forsake us.
 
 
As we see in the first chapter of Job anything that happened to him first had to be allowed to happen when GOD knew and there was a limit to what could happen to him. As with Job, it doesn’t mean that life doesn’t happen or that we will not have tears and pain. What gives me great comfort is that unconfused and unconditional peace in knowing that in the midst of it all, my Lord, my Banner is there holding my hand, your hand. And He does not let it go, even if we let go of His.
 
 
 
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Light of Life

Sometimes it is so difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We, seem to get heavy laden with our day to day lives and can’t see the end in sight.  Has anybody felt this way?  During winter we long for summer to show up.  We know we do.  AGHH, summer is here!  We, walk outside, clear day, sun is shining bright and it’s nice warm weather. We gaze at the clear sky, feel the warmth of the sun on our skin, sunlight is bright.  Imagine capturing that same feeling and holding it tight in our mind when everything appears to be closing in on us.  Just like not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

We long for the summers to arrive every year. The sun shines a little brighter and it wraps us up in its warm embrace. Just thinking about it puts a smile on our face.  Unfortunately we know that summers only come once a year.

Unlike the summer season,  Jesus is the shining light year around.  When we find ourselves going through those dark tunnels in life, Jesus is always there with us representing our light.  The light at the end of the tunnel is closer than you think. For that light is Jesus, who is always walking right beside us at all times, most importantly during the darkest of tunnels.

 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5 NIV

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NIV