Want Freedom?

It’s a quiet, Saturday morning in my corner of the world. The sound of a distant train horn and its rumble down the tracks seems to fit the cooler temperature. The birds are chirping near my window. A creature is clawing and scratching as it calculates the safest path to preservation beyond the edge of our house.

In my morning quiet time, the focus characters were Caleb and Joshua. Ordinary men who decided to take the adventure with God. How’s your adventure going with God?

Matthew 7:14 says, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Psalm 139:5 says, “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.”

It seems to me the Lord is the Provider of a safe path in life. Our nature, however, doesn’t like to be led along as a gentle Shepherd would lead. We want to gallop the hills unbridled and call that freedom. That is until we get an injury or fall down. Then we might consider being led as only the gentle Shepherd could lead us, was willing to lead us, all along, from the beginning.

We mistake freedom. We think freedom is wide open spaces, our own choices, our path. Even one of the basic salvation verses tell me, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ” Romans 6:23.So which do you want? Eternal life, and a life of freedom? Or your idea of freedom which comes with consequences, always? The Lord demands that we walk with Him to be free. To take the narrow path, so we sense Him around us, keeping us safe. That’s something to ponder. A lifelong journey, however long our lives are, walking with the Lord. There is a path to freedom with our Lord.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Matthew 7:13

Dear Jesus, because I follow you, I have an enemy who tries to deceive me. He wants to steal the abundant life you have planned for me. Sometimes he does, and I fall for the lie of whatever I believe freedom to be. It would be better if I would walk with you under your protection. Help me Jesus to want to walk with you in freedom. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• Valerie Rumfelt is an on-mission writer, sharing winning ways to follow Jesus
• She and her husband, Clark, formerly served with the NAMB and have been church planters in Canada and Rhode Island and were the Executive Directors for Buried Treasures Home
• They will be serving with the IMB in Japan and working as a part of Southern Baptist efforts to be a light among the many people living in darkness.
• You can follow Valerie’s blogs on valerierumfelt.com