July, 1999

Psalm 119:44-45

I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

Many people think that religion is stifling and inhibiting. They are afraid that God doesn’t want them to have any fun. But the truth of the matter is that only when we obey God’s commands, do we discover that we have true freedom. As long as we are "doing our own thing" we are controlled by sin and a multitude of wrong desires. We may think we have freedom, but we are really trapped in chains of pain and despair.How many times have we seen people so trapped and ensnared by alcohol, drugs, sexual immorality, gambling, pornography and so many other things that they are willing to sacrifice everything for those things - their finances, their job, their health, even their families?

How many times have you talked to someone who told you they wanted to do what was right, but they seemed bound by their own destructive impulses? When we don’t follow God’s plan for our body, for our mind, and for our soul, we find that instead of finding freedom, we find addiction, regrets, guilt, and despair.We are only truly free when we allow the Holy Spirit to show us God’s way. The psalmist wrote that he would obey God’s law, and because he sought out God’s precepts, he was able to walk in freedom.Christ wants to set us free from those things that take away our liberty. He wants to give us a freedom in our soul and in our spirit. Jesus wishes to give us a freedom to think clearly and a freedom to be able to say "No" to all those destructive impulses which control us and drag us down into hopelessness.

If you want to experience true freedom in your life, then this year return to the Bible and learn about the divine plan for God’s creation. We were formed to experience a true joy and peace in our souls. Allow that freedom to reign in you this year. Declare your independence from sin and find out what true liberty is all about!

Dave