Setting captives free (2)

When the Israelites ‘cried to the Lord…he saved them…He brought them out of darkness…and broke…their chains’ (vv. 13-14 NIV). And He can set you free from whatever is holding you captive today. And not just temporary freedom, but long-term freedom: ‘If the Son sets you free, you are free through and through’ (John 8:36 MSG). Here are two steps you can take towards freedom: 1) Cry out to the Lord. God said, ‘You will…find me when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). Away with dignity and decorum – desperate situations call for desperate measures! Stop trying to handle it alone. If you could save yourself, you wouldn’t need a Saviour. Give it to God, ‘casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you’ (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV). 2) Feed your soul spiritually. Freedom is a two-part process. The first is communion with Jesus. The Israelites fed on the Passover lamb in preparation for leaving slavery. And Jesus, the Lamb of God, declares, ‘I am the living bread…Whoever eats this bread will live forever’ (John 6:51 NIV). Sharing your feelings and needs with Him will lighten your burden, relieve your loneliness, and nourish your soul. Jesus came to proclaim ‘freedom for the prisoners…to set the oppressed free’ (Luke 4:18 NIV). The second part is meditating on Scripture. Rejecting God’s Word caused the Israelites to become slaves: ‘Because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High…they fell down, and there was none to help’ (Psalm 107:11-12 NKJV). To be set free and stay free, feed every day on God’s life-giving Word.