"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble." Ps 107:1-2
"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!" Ps 107:13-15
I am reading through the Bible chronologically this year, and have been slowly making my way through I and II Chronicles, I and II Samuel, and the Psalms. A recurring theme has been the story of the Israelites' journey from slaves in Egypt, through the desert, to the Promised Land. Over and over again, the writers recount the journey and rejoice over God's deliverance.
As I was reading through Psalm 107, verse 14 jumped out at me. It says "He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart." The Christian Standard Bible translation says, "He brought them out of darkness and gloom and broke their chains apart." God saw them in their captivity, heard them in their distress, and provided a way out.
As I had previously shared with you, I spent most of my early adult years in bondage to sin until Christ set me free. Christ came so that we could be free from our chains. In fact, the Bible is full of examples of the freedom offered to all who believe:
- II Corinthians 3:17 - Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
- John 8:36 - If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
- Galatians 5:13 - You were called to be free.
- Galatians 5:1 - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
- Ephesians 3:12 - We may approach God with freedom and confidence.
- Acts 13:38-39 - Everyone who believes is set free from sin.
- Romans 6:22 - You have been set free from sin.
- 1 Peter 2:16 - Use your freedom to serve God.
- Romans 8:20-21 - You've been set free from the law of sin and death.
- Luke 4:18 - Christ came to set the oppressed free.
Friends, can I just encourage you with this simple truth today: the same God who brought the Israelites out captivity, who broke their chains and set them free, has promised to do the same for you. He was a Chain Breaker then, and He's a Chain Breaker now.
I pray you live in victory and freedom throughout this week!
Love in Christ,
Janelle
I used Distress Oxides, a white gel pen, and the Freedom in Christ and Typewriter Blocks Alpha stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps to create this page. I would love for you to spend some time studying the freedom found in Christ and journal your own "Freedom" page. Be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram (@journalingjoy) so I can see your finished work! ❤
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