Devotional

Freedom

by Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of July 15, 2007

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” ~ Galatians 5:1

Just as the Apostle Paul encouraged the Galatians to live by their newfound freedom in Christ, and not return to their former bondages of the flesh, so too must we take a stand in our divine assignments.

Often when the Lord calls us into a new season, our flesh fears the unknown and desires to flee to what is familiar. The enemy would like nothing more than to facilitate our exit, the return to our past, thus inviting us to not accomplish the higher works God has set before us. When at the gateway, what will we choose? God or fear? Faith or familiarity? Trust or temptation?

Standing for God is a journey of trust and perseverance that requires supernatural courage to carry out supernatural assignments that are bigger than we. It can only be accomplished by choosing to exercise a progressive level of faith that the Holy Spirit tries to lead us into. But we must cooperate. And, if we do, the rewards are great.

Consider Romans 6:22 which says, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

          Indeed, God grows and promotes us from holiness to holiness, increasing our levels of faith, trust, understanding, courage, righteousness, wisdom and honor if we will just cooperate and obey.

          It’s okay to venture forth scared. And one of the best ways to overcome ungodly fear is to do exactly that which we’re afraid of. Sometimes, we must set our faces like flint to usher in the freedom of Jesus, the supernatural breakthrough. Sometimes, the journey can feel hard and long, but God has need of us. And God is able to make all grace abound to us, so that in all things at all times, having all that we need, we will abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8). Therefore, we must keep our eyes stayed upon Jesus, the author and the finisher, to the end, not on our circumstances, which the enemy uses to try to pressure us into giving up.

         Even when we are in the midst of the fire, the testing, and obstacles are everywhere we turn, God is with us, and through Him there is a greater freedom, even if the only thing we feel is pain and fear and frustration.

         Consider Sadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to worship Babylonian idols and were ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar to die in the furnace. Even when their death appeared painfully imminent, God was not only with them, He supernaturally made a way of escape.

         Through the men’s resolve of standing firm in their faith, God was able to demonstrate His truth to an entire nation, which had been captivated by deception. He shifted the mind of a king (Dan. 3:29). God was glorified, and He promoted the men (Dan. 3:30). They exercised trust in their God, regardless of the surrounding pressures to do otherwise, and they were publicly awarded the gift of freedom, the gift of life.

         But they had to stay the course and choose faith, all the way to the finish line of their divine assignment. Remember, when the enemy throws everything he has at us from every angle, it’s because he knows he’s going down. Again. At the intersection of battle, choose God’s freedom, His path to life, and know that your divine escape, His divine breakthrough is very near.