Some people by the word freedom understand the ability to do whatever one wants … People who have the more allowed themselves to come into slavery to sins, passions, and defilements more often than others appear as zealots of external freedom, wanting to broaden the laws as much as possible. But such a man uses external freedom only to more severely burden himself with inner slavery. True freedom is the active ability of a man who is not enslaved to sin, who is not pricked by a condemning conscience, to choose the better in the light of God’s truth, and to bring it into actuality with the help of the gracious power of God. This is the freedom of which neither heaven nor earth are restrict.
(St. Philaret of Moscow,
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. The LORD has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The Stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
~ David, A Man After G_d’s Own Heart, in Psalm 118
Oh beloved, it is true.
We will be pressed hard in the moments of our lives. There will be times where we know that we are not but a few moments from our last breath. We will be pushed into a corner. We will know that the we know, we are nearly done.
This fool of a writer has been closer than he even knows to death.
I have been overcome by alcohol and slept from a Sunday night until a Tuesday morning. A scar on my leg from a compression wound and necrosis, from sleeping on it for nearly two days, still graces my leg.
I have been in a race for my life to get out of terrorist-held territory – late at night, in Israel. Really.
I have been in a very close call landing in San Jose, Costa Rica in a terrible storm.
I have been cornered in a trash mountain in Jakarta, by a member of a local Muslim gang.
I have been bleeding out from internal bleeding in the mountains, 70 kilometers from a hospital.
I have been supernaturally saved from a large van pushing over on my in traffic in Arizona.
I have been on the edge of a 210 meter-high chasm and nearly slipped.
I have survived a sustained knife attack in the Philippines.
I have watch and heard buckshot fly through the brush a few feet in front of me.
I narrowly (and I believe angelically) avoided a head-on crash in a car that could not have sustained the impact.
This is only the stuff of which I am aware. There has to be more (and for you too, beloved reader).
Beyond this, the normal stresses of life. Finance, relationship, career, politics, health, etc. bombard into our life. It feels completely overwhelming. It is overwhelming. Our lives were not designed to live under these stressors on an ongoing basis.
Can we see it?
David shows it.
The freedom is not from the resolution of the crisis. The freedom comes from our resolve to lean into the Strong Hands that are fighting the way through for us.
Read it. Read it again. And then, repeat.
The breakthrough is the freedom. But, the freedom is Him. Yes, it feels great to finally get that new job, or to survive a life-threatening illness. But, those are just indicators of Who is at work in our lives.
So, are you feeling the pressures of life? It will happen. However, if you would let one fool preach at you. I have been to the edge, too many times. But each time, the breakthrough to freedom was not getting my problem fixed. The breakthrough was a Person. His Name is Jesus Christ.
Tonight is your night. Time for your own breakthrough, into His Presence. Call on Him. He is there. And He will rescue you!
The love-slave has no pleasure like that of serving his master; this is his joy, and his very “crown of rejoicing.” The love-slave is altogether at his master’s service. He is all eyes for his master. He watches. He is all ears for his master. He listens. His mind is willing. His hands are ready. His feet are swift to sit at the master’s feet and look into his loved face, to listen to his voice and catch his words; to run on his errands, to do his bidding, to share his privations and sorrows, to watch at his door, to guard his honor, to praise his name, to defend his person, to seek and promote his interests, and, if needs be, to die for his dear sake; this is the joy of the slave of love, and this he counts his perfect freedom.
~Samuel Brengle
