Christ in Me, the Hope of Something New!
“We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.” Psalm 124:7
(Fowler: In the Bible, a fowler used traps to capture birds for a meal, sacrificial purposes or as pets.)
When I was a weird little kid, I became fascinated with the flight of the birds in our backyard. With my best friend, I hatched a plot to catch a bird or two and keep them as pets. My friend’s dad knew how to build a humane bird trap. All we needed was a wooden box with a mesh top, a handful of birdseed, and two sticks; one to raise the box lid off the ground and another stick to serve as a perch and trigger.
With our trap set, we went into the house for milk and cookies. When we returned an hour later, we had trapped a little bird. Success! My heart, however, was tender to small animals, so I watched the terrified bird for just a moment and then set him free. Coulda’ been a fowler – another possible career path down the drain.
Have you ever found yourself ensnared by a well-concealed trap? Just a little enticing morsel of sin, and the lid drops hard and fast. This morsel catches your eye, promising pleasure and fulfillment of needs without consequences; an inappropriate relationship, a purchase on credit you really couldn’t afford, or partaking a dangerous substance at the recommendation of a “friend.” Once ensnared, we feel powerless to break free. We continue to sing our songs, but this only serves to draw others into the trap with us.
Good news – Jesus came to set the captives free! When we open our hearts to Him, He opens the doors of our spiritual prisons. He loves us and pursues us. He enters our hearts, and by the very power of His presence, breaks the chains that bind us, and then charts a new course for our lives. This new freedom brings Christ-centered ways of thinking, better grids for decision making, and new heart-attitudes toward people and circumstances. No longer entrapped by sin, we are free to walk out a life of purpose and blessing, pointing others to the hope of something new. We begin to sing new songs of freedom, drawing others to receive the gift of freedom Jesus offers (John 8:36).
Now, those who have been set free sing this song,
“Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!” Psalm 124:8
Singing songs of freedom,
Pastor Steve
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord ’s favor has come.”
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day.” Luke 4:18-21
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