WHEN IT COMES TO FREEDOM, I DON’T THINK THERE HAS EVER BEEN ANY THING GREATER IN THIS WORLD THAT HAS ARRESTED MORE PEOPLE INTO BONDAGE THAN UNNECESSARY GUILT.
I CAN’T IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE STILL CARRY WITHIN THEM THE BURDEN OF PAST MISTAKES, HEAVINESS OF HEART OVER BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS AND FAILED MARRIAGES, GRIEF OVER WAYWARD CHILDREN, LOST ATTEMPTS AT EDUCATION, AND THOSE “ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME” OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAME AND WENT.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 11:28-29, “COME TO ME, ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS,” THEY CONTINUE TO DRAG AROUND THEIR BURDENS.
IF THEY COULD JUST FIND THAT STRENGTH TO CRY OUT, LIKE THE PSALMIST IN 62:1-2, “MY SOUL FINDS REST IN GOD ALONE; MY SALVATION COMES FROM HIM. HE ALONE IS MY ROCK AND MY SALVATION; HE IS MY FORTRESS, I WILL NEVER BE SHAKEN.”
IF THEY COULD JUST LIFT THEIR HEADS HIGH ENOUGH TO SPEAK THOSE REDEEMING WORDS OF PSALM 71:20-21, “THOUGH YOU HAVE MADE ME SEE TROUBLES, MANY AND BITTER, YOU WILL RESTORE MY LIFE AGAIN; FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH YOU WILL AGAIN BRING ME UP. YOU WILL INCREASE MY HONOR AND COMFORT ME ONCE AGAIN.” OUR RESTORATION IS POSSIBLE. OUR FREEDOM IS NEAR.
NO MATTER WHAT EVIL WE HAVE DONE IT IS STILL NOT “BAD ENOUGH” FOR GOD TO FORGIVE. DESPITE FAILURE WE CAN STILL ENVISION OUR SUCCESS. FOR EVERY LOST DREAM, WE CAN SEE THAT BELIEVING SO WAS A LIE AND NOW A GOAL OBTAINABLE.
WE CAN FIND OUR FREEDOM FROM THOSE MOMENTS IN TIME, THE EVENTS, CIRCUMSTANCES, AND CHOICES OF THE PAST THAT HAUNT US AND CRIPPLE US FROM MOVING FORWARD TOWARDS FULFILLING GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAYINGS I LEARNED FROM JERRY FALWELL WHILE ATTENDING LIBERTY UNIVERSITY WAS THIS: “YOU DON’T DETERMINE A MAN’S GREATNESS BY HIS TALENTS OR WEALTH LIKE THE WORLD DOES, BUT BY WHAT IT TAKES TO DISCOURAGE HIM.”
THIS IS WHY I ASK THIS QUESTIONS: ARE WE REALLY GOING TO ALLOW THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD (GOOD OR BAD) TO DETERMINE FOR US WHAT BECOMES OF US? ARE WE REALLY THAT SUSCEPTIBLE TO THROWING IN THE TOWEL THAT EASILY? IN SPITE OF ALL THAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES AND HIS LOVE FOR US, WHY ARE WE SO GULLIBLE TO QUITTING SO SOON?
MAY THE PHRASE THAT THREADS ITSELF THROUGH PSALM 80 BE OUR FIRST STEP OF FREEDOM WHICH STATES, “RESTORE US, O GOD ALMIGHTY; MAKE YOUR FACE SHINE UPON US, THAT WE MAY BE SAVED.” MAY WE ONCE AGAIN BE REMINDED OF GOD’S COMFORT TO JOSHUA IN 1:9, “HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU? BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE TERRIFIED; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO."
LET US RECLAIM OUR FREEDOM AND LOOSEN THE CHAINS FROM WHAT OPPRESSES AND EATS AT US. WE SERVE A MIGHTY AND POWERFUL GOD WHO OVERCOMES ALL THINGS AND HAS NOTHING THAT CAN CATCH HIM OFF GUARD.
BE ENCOURAGED! LUKE 1:37, SAYS “FOR NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.” BE AT PEACE! JEREMIAH 32:17 DECLARED “AH, SOVEREIGN LORD, YOU HAVE MADE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH BY YOUR GREAT POWER AND OUTSTRETCHED ARM. NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR YOU. BE COMFORTED! JOB 34:21 AND 36:7, “FOR HIS EYES ARE ON THE WAYS OF A MAN, AND HE SEES ALL HIS STEPS…HE DOES NOT TAKE HIS EYES OFF THE RIGHTEOUS.” WHAT AN AWESOME GOD TO KNOW THAT NOTHING IS TOO HARD OR IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM AND THAT HE IS ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR US!
THAT IS WHY WE CAN TAKE SUCH COMFORT IN KNOWING ALL THESE THINGS BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT GOD’S PROVISIONS FOR HIS PEOPLE IN NEHEMIAH 9:9-21, WE KNOW GOD WILL BE QUICK TO HEAR OUR PLEA FOR MERCY.
AS WE’VE READ THE SCRIPTURE EARLIER, WE SEE THE ANCESTORS OF THE ISRAELITES BECAME DISOBEDIENT AND REBELLIOUS AGAINST GOD. HOW BAD? BAD ENOUGH THAT IT GOT TO THE POINT OF WORSHIPPING THE IDOL OF A GOLDEN CALF.
DESPITE TURNING THEIR BACK, CHOOSING EVIL, AND MAKING FOR THEMSELVES A GOD OF GOLD, GOD WAS STILL GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE. HE CONTINUED TO GUIDE THEM, INSTRUCT THEM AND PROVIDED FOR ALL THEIR NEEDS.
THE AMAZING THING TO ME IS THAT EVEN WHEN GOD HAD TO “STEP IN” AND CORRAL HIS CHILDREN BY ALLOWING THEM TO BE BROUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY, HE STILL RAISED UP DELIVERERS TO SET THEM FREE ALL BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT COMPASSION. IF YOU EVER DOUBTED THAT GOD WOULD GIVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE OR EVER THINK OF CLEARING YOU OF YOUR SINS, THEN THINK AGAIN!
DESPITE ALL THE COMBINED HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S SINS, GOD CONTINUED TO BE PATIENT, GRACIOUS, AND MERCIFUL. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PASSAGES IN ISAIAH IS 55:6-7, BECAUSE IT SPEAKS OF A FATHER DESPERATE FOR HIS CHILDREN TO “COME BACK HOME.”
MUCH LIKE THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON IN LUKE 15:11-32, WE TOO, SEE GOD’S LOVE CALLING OUT FOR US AS THIS PASSAGE IN ISAIAH SO ELOQUENTLY STATES, “SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND; CALL ON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR. LET THE WICKED FORSAKE HIS WAY AND THE EVIL MAN HIS THOUGHTS. LET HIM TURN TO THE LORD, AND HE WILL HAVE MERCY ON HIM, AND TO OUR GOD, FOR HE WILL FREELY PARDON.”
WHAT ARE YOU STILL HANGING ON TO TODAY? IS IT GRIEF OVER A FAILED MARRIAGE? MAYBE GUILT OF FEELING LIKE YOU FAILED SOMEWHERE AS A PARENT DUE TO A WAYWARD CHILD WHO NOW SITS IN PRISON? MAYBE SOMETHING DEEPER?
YOU CHEATED AND GOT AWAY WITH IT OR MAYBE AT WORK SOMEONE ELSE GOT BLAMED FOR YOUR MISTAKE AND BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T SPEAK UP THAT PERSON WAS FIRED. MAYBE YOU JUST WANDERED TOO FAR FROM THE LORD AND SIMPLY NEED TO COME BACK.
THROUGH THE PROPHET NEHEMIAH LET US BE QUICK TO REMIND OURSELVES JUST HOW MUCH LOVE GOD HAS FOR US AS HIS CHILDREN. LET’S LOOK AT IT THIS WAY: IF YOUR CHILD MISBEHAVED, DID SOMETHING HORRIBLE, YOU WOULDN’T THROW UP YOUR HANDS AND SAY “WELL NOW, THAT’S THE FIFTH TIME YOU’VE DONE THAT! I JUST CAN’T KEEP FORGIVING YOU! OFF TO THE ORPHANAGE YOU GO! YOU’RE JUST TOO BAD TO BE MY CHILD OR IN OUR FAMILY!”
THAT MAY SEEM LIKE AN EXAGGERATION, BUT YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL WALKING AROUND IMPRISONED WITHIN THAT TYPE OF MINDSET ABOUT GOD.
THAT MINDSET THAT MAKES THEM THINK THEY HAVE BEEN TOO BAD, HAVE GONE TOO FAR, STEPPED OVER THE LINE OF DECENCY, OR HAVE BECOME SUCH A FAILURE THAT SOMEHOW THEY ARE NOW TOO BAD FOR GOD YET TOO GOOD FOR THE DEVIL.
HERE THOSE WORDS FROM NEHEMIAH 9:17, ONE MORE TIME: “BUT YOU ARE A FORGIVING GOD, GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN LOVE. THEREFORE YOU DID NOT DESERT THEM….”
THERE IS NOTHING TOO BAD, TOO EVIL, TOO SINISTER, BROKEN, BRUISED, OR DEMOLISHED FOR GOD TO FIX AND FORGIVE. HE HAS NOT DESERTED YOU OR TAKEN HIS HANDS OF MERCY FROM OFF OF YOU. HE OFFERS YOU A PARDON AND LIBERTY. IF YOUR DESIRE IS TO BE SET FREE THEN KNOW TODAY, YOUR FATHER GRACIOUSLY STANDS AWAITING YOUR RETURN.
