Freedoms Unaware

By Elisabeth

Squirrel mannaged to find his way back into his cage last night. But, since we had already decided to return him to the wild, we took the cage out this morning and offered him his freedom. If you've ever been out driving in the country, you are probably well familiar with how indecisive these little rodents can be. It took a good while, along with extra probing to get the little guy to actually leave his confinements. He had chewed several bars in his cage and was already working on another way of escape when we brought his cage out and opened the door. But, despite his ability to wriggle his way to freedom through extraordinary measures, he could not acquaint himself with the fact that the obstacle hindering his frantic jumping around was a gaping whole through which he had but to step out. It was only when he lost his footing and tumbled out that he realized to his amazement that he was free--like really and truly free!

However, though he was now liberated, Squirrel stumbled around unsure of how to 

walk in his new freedom. The big world seemed overwhelming to him and living on 

his own was a foreign venture.  

It was just more feasible to return to captivity than to undertake such a vast responsibility. For, though he would be kept behind bars and never be able to live to his fullest potential, it was so much more comfortable to be a prisoner than to walk responsibly. And, not only did he return to his captivity, but he was also placed behind greater barriers, thicker bars that would not be easily broken. 

So many times, we as people find that we have a lot in common with Squirrel. At birth we are enslaved to sin. But God has made a way of escape through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet, instead of simply trusting and walking through the open door to salvation, we frantically jump around in our captive condition, wishing that the gaping hole that is intruding our space as a 'hinderance' would just go away. We think we could find freedom so much easier on our own, in our own way and by ourselves, instead of through the provided door. Finally, we figuratively go through the door, but find ourselves unable to experience the freedom given to us because our trust is still in ourselves. When life gets too big and we realize that the comfort of our old life was so much more easy and comfortable, we fall back into our former slavery of besetting sins, only with much greater bars of confinement about us to be sure we do not escape again. 

So, how can we become truly free with no return? 

"Then said Jesus to those...which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, 

then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make 

you free. ...Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

(John 8:31-32, 34, 36)

The Door is open. Trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, Who already paid for your redemption by his death on the cross and His glorious resurrection and repent of your sins, renouncing the wickedness which is keeping you in bondage. Place your faith in Jesus Christ and walk through the open Door to freedom in Him. Then, seek Him with all of your heart and He will take you by the hand and teach you how to walk in His freedom so you will never need to return to the bars of sin's prison.  

     

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new 

spirit will I put within you: and I will take away 

the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will 

give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my 

spirit within you, and cause you to walk in 

my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, 

and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land 

that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be 

my people, and I will be your God."

~ Ezekiel 36:26-28 ~