I Am Set Free

I Am Set Free:

"In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free." (Psalms 118:5)

A crushed spirit within pounds with painful misery. My contrite heart cries for closer fellowship with the Father. I feel so far, yet not forsaken. I feel so distant, yet not separated. I wonder how much longer, how much longer until I'll be there with Him face to Face.

"I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:2-3)

I remind self that maybe He's not finished painting walls or constructing a desk up there. Convicting my frazzled flesh thoughts He gently reminds me of a different greatly possible factor. Is it possible that I'm the one that hasn't completed my call of ministry yet? Am I the one not done HERE? Could there be more to what feels like an empty life? Maybe I'm not an empty life at all?

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Called according to the purposes of the Lord? Is there any way I am included in that list? Me? Is it possible, that the season of stillness is to spur spiritual hunger and strengthen trust bonds?

I reason again. I reason with the deadly poison of logic and a much too lowly humility. I persuade my easily swayed mind to think it's possible God wants me to live a quiet and unexciting life trapped in my own home. As if I'm of no special importance to His grand plan. Then in all His glorious grace, He convicts my constricted correlation with compassionate care.

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Chosen, royal, holy, special. Words like these are not used to describe something (or someone) worthless. Each one of us has been called out of dismal darkness and into His marvellously merciful light and love. We once were lost and did not belong, but now we've been bought at an incomparable price into redemptive righteousness.

God has a destiny for each of us. He doesn't desire our lives to be squandered away into an oblivion of has been mistakes. God didn't accidentally create too many people with too few purposes.

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands." (Psalm 138:8)

Stepping back now, I see it. I'm one of those He predestined to be saved. I'm His very own chosen child.

"just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will," (Ephesians 1:4-5)

His divine delight and wondrous will have worked together to splendidly gift His chosen generation of souls with sonship. It is His pleasure to adopt us into inviting arms.

By the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, we've all been FREED from any and all hindrances. Nothing can hold us back from an incredible future of hope. Our future is held in His hands, and our future is IN HIM.

That's the undeniable joy contained in the years of life remaining and the eternity to come. It's Jesus. Jesus is our destiny. He is what makes our hearts bleed with passion, our hands move to action, and our hearts filled to satisfaction. Everything we need, and everything we desire is found in the Father.

"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Philippians 3:8-9)

Though I may feel like I've lost all hope. Hope lives on in Christ, and that's all I need. All the hope and encouragement I could ever require, all in Christ the Lord. I can surrender the struggle to earn my own future and joy, and rest knowing He has secured my future and renewed my joy. I am free! I am free from the burden of striving to earn or deserve!

Walk in freedom and faith in Him today, and be filled to overflowing with abundantly ecstatic expectancy.

-The Introverted Evangelist

Photograph Taken By: Jon Courville