His Promise of Freedom

His Promise of Freedom
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The image with this devotional is my untouched photograph from Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan. Yes, these pinks, lavenders, blues, and greens were in my view from the room where we stayed. The scene reminds me of Psalm 18:19, “He brought me forth into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”

Loving Him First
Over 20 years ago when I was single, my pastor encouraged me to attend The Great Commandment Principal Seminar given by David Ferguson. In a moment during the seminar, I sat stunned, awed. Mr. Ferguson read the words of Yeshua (Jesus) from John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” Then, he asked us – “What if this statement is not a warning, but a promise?”

Before he could expound, I understood – Yeshua said, “If loving Me is your priority, I promise you will supernaturally, naturally end up doing my will.” His words were not a finger-wagging threat but a loving promise that His desire would be fulfilled in us.

Loving Him first results in a life lived in His ways.

The Apostle John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3; also see Romans 8:3-4)

When He is our delight, His instruction is not difficult, because it flows from the Holy Spirit He has given to us at our new birth.

Living in Freedom
After God delivered the Israelites from generations of slavery and constant toil, they needed instruction. They had been controlled for so long, they didn’t know how to live on their own. And so, He instructed them. He taught them the importance of rest by requiring it fully once a week on the Sabbath. He gave them precepts, so they would know how to love each other, how to be healthy, and how to live in shalom (total well-being). Their lives of love were to be lights to draw all the nations to Himself.

We were also controlled, enslaved to our own desires, “alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled us in His body of flesh through death, in order to present us before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” (Colossians 1:21-22) “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son…” (Colossians 1:13) Then, we, too, needed His instruction.

The songwriter of Psalm 119 uses words such as commandments, instructions, ordinances, precepts, law, statutes, His ways, testimonies, and judgments. The keeper of these receives delight, revival, and joy!

Elohim, our Creator and Father is Complete Unselfishness.
He does not ask us to keep His commandments because it pleases Him.
He asks us to keep His commandments because He wants us to be free.
He is pleased when we are free. His commandments bring freedom, result in loving relationships, and allow us to discover the unique person He called us to be.

Scripture is full of pictures of this freedom – Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Romans 12; and Isaiah 58:6-14 are just a few. We are free to love. We are free to be vulnerable with those we trust. We are free to listen and receive the perspective of others, while discerning His perspective.

We are free to allow God to search our hearts because of 1 John 1:9. Yes, we are free to be wrong because He forgave us with His blood! We are free to ask for forgiveness, and we are free to break free from the enslavement of unforgiveness. (For more on this subject, see Living in God’s Undeserved Love, a really good writing at ShaleFragments.com)

Delighting in our Father as we relate to Him each day opens our eyes to see His path and live in wholeness and freedom!

O Holy Spirit, reign over us, so that we can live with light hearts in the freedom you designed for us! Renew us in Your love today!

The Spacious Place Art Card is available as a 4-Pack at Flower Girl Greetings.