I want you to imagine that you are locked in a room. It’s pretty dark, but you can see even in the darkness that the room is empty. Your hands are bound, but you can walk around.
The door is barred. There are no windows.
You don’t know how long you’ve been there, but you are ready to get out.
You try to push the door, but it doesn’t budge.
You sit defeated, thinking you will be forever bound to this dark, dismal room.
There is no way of escape.
After what seems like months, you suddenly hear footsteps, and someone opens the door and leads you out into the light of day.
They cut the ropes that are binding you and tell you that you are now free.
The feeling of freedom is exhilarating. The sun's light on your face feels so renewing; you feel lighter. This is what freedom feels like.
Your heart and soul feel so light.
You feel weightless and happy.
Then imagine after only a few hours of freedom, you decide to walk back to your captor and say, "Bind my hands back up and put me back into that locked room."
Why would anyone want to do that? Why, after being so free and liberated, would you purposely walk back into such bondage?
God gave me this picture the other day when fear started to creep in.
Fear about the future.
He reminded me that I’ve been set free from that.
He showed me through that picture that it’s my choice to walk in freedom or fear.
I have to choose to control my thinking and not open the door and let fear come in and tie me up.
He reminded me that Jesus died and rose again to bring forgiveness, cleansing and deliverance.
Jesus has brought us out of captivity.
As we journey with him, we need to make sure we are still walking in freedom.
Have our choices or way of life let us slip into old ways, allowing the enemy's lies to affect them?
Christmas time is a reminder of why Jesus was born.
Jesus came to set us free.
What do you need to be set free from?
This Christmas, ask Jesus to deliver you from all that is binding you.
Ask a trusted friend to pray over you.
Start a new year walking in freedom.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Comments