ReleasedSample

Petey was, well, stupid. As a little yellow parakeet, sitting in a brass cage that dangled from a nail on the doorpost, Petey thought he knew freedom. He’d fly 6 inches to the left, 6 inches to the right, and up and down over and over each day. One morning, we decided to open the little cage door and release Petey in the house to fly and stretch his wings. Carefully flipping the latch and propping the door to its open position, we waited to watch Petey make his escape. Nothing. Petey the parakeet kept flying to the roof of his cage, bumping his head over and over, not accepting his freedom.

The Bible tells us of a group of people who did the same thing. Throughout Exodus, we see God free the Israelites over and over, only to have them, instead, desire bondage and all the hardships that came with it.

It’s easy to say we’d never be like Petey or those Israelites. But how often are we freed from fear, only to find ourselves worrying about a new fear the next day? How many times does God free us from stress, yet we find a new stressor the next week?

God wants us free. Let’s learn together about His will and how to accept it.

Reflection: As you read the following passages about the Israelites, consider how your life is similar to their actions.