Breaking Chains

Mountains in the Bible often represented some kind of trial, suffering, or obstacle to moving forward. Perhaps what you're going through right now feels just like a mountain. Picture that mountain in front of you. Now imagine trying to climb that mountain only to realise that, before you even start, your hands and feet are bound together. You first need to be unbound before you can tackle the mountain. So often we can try and tackle the mountains in our lives without ever seeing the chains that hold us down.

When you meet Jesus, He not only comes with love and grace in His eyes but a key in His hand. It’s a key that unlocks the freedom we so desire, the freedom we need if we're ever going to overcome the mountain. It can feel incredibly hard to admit we need help, especially if the one giving it comes with an air of judgment. Jesus doesn’t. He comes with compassion; He comes understanding your pain and He comes wanting the best for you. By ourselves, we can't overcome, but in Jesus, we can.

Jesus paid the price that sin had cost us, the sin that bound us and took away our freedom to overcome. To find that freedom we need to go to the one who purchased it for us. We need to apologise for going our own way and commit to following His way, the beautiful way to true life. As we follow Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, it’s in this relationship that our chains begin to fall off. There are two Scriptures I believe God wants you to hear today, the first - a promise, the second - a call to action.

The promise: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” - John 8:36. When it comes to God’s promise in our lives, the biggest tension we’ll face is that of our own experiences against what we’re assured. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed, regardless of our past reality.

The call to action: "For freedom, Christ has set us free: stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1. This is a commitment to keep moving forward and not return to what enslaved us.

Response:

Spend a few minutes where you are asking Jesus to show you what freedom looks like in Him.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the first chain that needs breaking.