Reading: Psalm 20:1-9
We have freedom through faith.
When we have faith in God, we have freedom in many areas, especially when we're facing a struggle of some sort. We can experience an unimaginable peace through the freedom God gives us by offering protection, help, support, success, acceptance and victory through Him in all of life's crazy twists and turns. We can experience freedom from worry, enemies and tough circumstances when we pray for and pursue God's will.
Reading: Matthew 26:69-27:10
We have freedom from our guilt.
We have all let Jesus down in one way or another. When we realize we've let Him down, we can be overwhelmed by guilt and bitter sadness. We see two big instances in this reading. Peter, who denies Jesus 3 times copes with his guilt in a Godly way. He weeps bitterly, realizing his fault. We read later that Peter's heart is healed and he later becomes a great leader and advocate for the purpose of Jesus' ministry. His guilt, though bitter at the time, comes back in growth and passion for the ministry of Jesus.
Judas, on the other hand, realizes his guilt and takes his own life. Though it may seem that he would deserve the punishment of death, taking one's own life is never God's plan. This coping with guilt is worldly and the easy way out. Jesus comes to free us from our guilt and sin. When we come to Him with our guilt and repentance, He will free us from it. At this point we are to repent and let that sin and guilt go, not dwelling on it any longer. God wipes it away clean when we go to Him a those affected with a heart of sincere apology. Let Him set you free from your bitter regrets.
Reading: Exodus 9:1-10:29
God fights for freedom.
The ongoing battle between God and Pharaoh through Moses is a hard-fought one. The hardness of Pharaoh's heart is utterly unbelievable as he keeps dealing with the ridiculous plagues that come his way. The irony of it all is that the plagues that were sent were Egyptian gods at the time. God attacked Pharaoh with his own gods. The freedom Pharaoh begged for was from the things he and the Egyptians worshiped.
God fights for freedom of all people. Not only for physical freedom, but freedom to worship Him. Moses is asking Pharaoh to let his people go so they may go to the wilderness and worship God. God hates oppression. We've seen that through our previous readings. He fights to free all the oppressed, whether they are oppressed by human trafficking, persecution, enemies, or for those who aren't free to worship Him freely. He fights hard for Moses' people, and you can bet He'll fight for you.
Freedom, in it's entirety, comes from God alone. Only He can free us from our worries, our guilt, our sin, and from the things that keep us from fully worshiping Him. Allow Him to take those things away that oppress you. Give those strained feelings to Him. Those who are set free by Christ are free indeed.
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