Corona Devo 75
Freedom.
It means many different things to people, and the definition can change, depending on your situation. Our definition of personal freedom has changed in light of Corona.
Freedom defined: Our great Nation was founded on the blood, sweat, tears and prayers of brave men and women that left the safety of England for the freedom of a new land. They took time and purposeful effort to write a Declaration of Independence and a Constitution to proclaim our freedoms and establish our Nation.
Freedom defined: Our American freedoms grant us more liberty than any other nation in the world, and we have many heroes (alive and at rest) that we salute and thank for those freedoms.
Freedom denied: I am reading "The Diary of Anne Frank" to our kids. People of Jewish background in Europe strained to maintain any definition of freedom in the 1940's. And in the absence of their freedom, so many lost their lives.
Freedom denied: Some of us know the captivity of being addicted to a substance, a screen, a job, or even Facebook.
But where does true freedom come from? We often think it comes from having enough (fill in your own blank here): money, success, food, clothing, fame, friends, etc.
But even when we have any or all of those things in abundance, there is still not a complete sense of freedom. In fact, I would argue that the more you have of those things, there is often a greater sense of enslavement.
True freedom defined:
I will keep obeying your commandments forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~Psalm 119:44-45
There is true freedom in God's word, and in following God's word.
If we keep on the steady path (of Christ), He walks with us. Day after day life can start to feel so similar, but don't let time or the counting of days weigh on you, because God doesn't break our lives down into 24 hours, He looks at the big picture: I will keep obeying your commandments forever and ever. ~Psalm 119:44
For me, there is a sense of relief in "forever and ever". Day to day we can struggle, but sometimes when we look at the larger picture, it is easier to see growth and forward movement.
For example, with small children, there can seem to be no end to the repetitive cycle of feeding, changing, sleeping, waking, feeding...
But then you step back and realize that they have started crawling, they have started walking, they have started talking. In our human schedules (and psyches), the days can seem long, but the years go quickly.
And in a spiritual example, it is sometimes difficult to see how God is moving today, but it becomes more clear when we look at how God has moved during the past few weeks, months or years.
And so, there is freedom for me in that this verse gives us leeway. I may have fallen short in "obeying your commandments" today, but good news--we have "forever and ever" to keep applying His word to ourselves.
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~Psalm 119:45
Have you ever connected the word "freedom" with God's commandments? Or considered that reading God's word and living in the ways and with the attitudes He advises can "free" us?
It's a pretty radical idea. And it could change our lives.
There are so many distractions and pressures that we feel from the world, society, media and even our family and friends. I feel guilt at not "doing" enough, "achieving" enough, "serving" enough.
But those are commandments that others are giving us, and that we are giving ourselves.
God doesn't require any of that, and in contrast, I love this verse because He promises us FREEDOM from all of those worldly "commandments" when we tune in to His commandments.
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~Psalm 119:45
What are God's commandments? The Bible is chocked full of beautiful, wise and prudent advice for us, but the 10 Commandments that God gave Moses to share with the Israelites still ring with truth and relevancy for us today. As you read them, chew on them. They are not as old-fashioned and frumpy as you might think. For example, the first one is “I am the Lord your God…3 You must not have any other god but me.” ~Ezekiel 20:2
At first glance we might self-righteously think this only applies to the ancient Israelites who had false images and idols such as Baal. But what other "gods" are we worshiping with our daily time and attention? Consider online time, video games, social media, TV, work, money, athletics and popularity. Those are gods that we worship today. Do any of these take priority over your time and relationship with God?
I challenge us to actually apply these Commandments to how we live, and then watch to see the freedom that follows.
It means many different things to people, and the definition can change, depending on your situation. Our definition of personal freedom has changed in light of Corona.
Freedom defined: Our great Nation was founded on the blood, sweat, tears and prayers of brave men and women that left the safety of England for the freedom of a new land. They took time and purposeful effort to write a Declaration of Independence and a Constitution to proclaim our freedoms and establish our Nation.
Freedom defined: Our American freedoms grant us more liberty than any other nation in the world, and we have many heroes (alive and at rest) that we salute and thank for those freedoms.
Freedom denied: I am reading "The Diary of Anne Frank" to our kids. People of Jewish background in Europe strained to maintain any definition of freedom in the 1940's. And in the absence of their freedom, so many lost their lives.
Freedom denied: Some of us know the captivity of being addicted to a substance, a screen, a job, or even Facebook.
But where does true freedom come from? We often think it comes from having enough (fill in your own blank here): money, success, food, clothing, fame, friends, etc.
But even when we have any or all of those things in abundance, there is still not a complete sense of freedom. In fact, I would argue that the more you have of those things, there is often a greater sense of enslavement.
True freedom defined:
I will keep obeying your commandments forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~Psalm 119:44-45
There is true freedom in God's word, and in following God's word.
If we keep on the steady path (of Christ), He walks with us. Day after day life can start to feel so similar, but don't let time or the counting of days weigh on you, because God doesn't break our lives down into 24 hours, He looks at the big picture: I will keep obeying your commandments forever and ever. ~Psalm 119:44
For me, there is a sense of relief in "forever and ever". Day to day we can struggle, but sometimes when we look at the larger picture, it is easier to see growth and forward movement.
For example, with small children, there can seem to be no end to the repetitive cycle of feeding, changing, sleeping, waking, feeding...
But then you step back and realize that they have started crawling, they have started walking, they have started talking. In our human schedules (and psyches), the days can seem long, but the years go quickly.
And in a spiritual example, it is sometimes difficult to see how God is moving today, but it becomes more clear when we look at how God has moved during the past few weeks, months or years.
And so, there is freedom for me in that this verse gives us leeway. I may have fallen short in "obeying your commandments" today, but good news--we have "forever and ever" to keep applying His word to ourselves.
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~Psalm 119:45
Have you ever connected the word "freedom" with God's commandments? Or considered that reading God's word and living in the ways and with the attitudes He advises can "free" us?
It's a pretty radical idea. And it could change our lives.
There are so many distractions and pressures that we feel from the world, society, media and even our family and friends. I feel guilt at not "doing" enough, "achieving" enough, "serving" enough.
But those are commandments that others are giving us, and that we are giving ourselves.
God doesn't require any of that, and in contrast, I love this verse because He promises us FREEDOM from all of those worldly "commandments" when we tune in to His commandments.
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~Psalm 119:45
What are God's commandments? The Bible is chocked full of beautiful, wise and prudent advice for us, but the 10 Commandments that God gave Moses to share with the Israelites still ring with truth and relevancy for us today. As you read them, chew on them. They are not as old-fashioned and frumpy as you might think. For example, the first one is “I am the Lord your God…3 You must not have any other god but me.” ~Ezekiel 20:2
At first glance we might self-righteously think this only applies to the ancient Israelites who had false images and idols such as Baal. But what other "gods" are we worshiping with our daily time and attention? Consider online time, video games, social media, TV, work, money, athletics and popularity. Those are gods that we worship today. Do any of these take priority over your time and relationship with God?
I challenge us to actually apply these Commandments to how we live, and then watch to see the freedom that follows.
Then God gave the people all
these instructions:
2 “I am the Lord your God…3 You must not have any other god
but me.”
4 “You must not make for yourself
an idol of any kind”
7 “You must not
misuse the name of the Lord your God.”
8 “Remember to observe the
Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”
12 “Honor your father and mother.”
13 “You must not murder.”
14 “You must not commit adultery.”
15 “You must not steal.”
16 “You must not testify falsely
against your neighbor.”
17 “You must not covet your
neighbor’s house…wife…or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” ~Exodus 20:1-2, 4, 7-8, 12-17
See which one of these God speaks to you about, and get to work on obeying it more fully. There will be freedom in doing so.
I will keep obeying your commandments forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~Psalm 119:44-45
Let God's freedom ring out in our lives today.
Blessings!
sarah
https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com/
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