Unbound

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.  Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” 

Daniel 3:19-25 NKJV

The other day I read this passage for the umpteenth time, and I noticed something I never saw before: The bindings.
Bound at the orders of the king these 3 faithful men of God were thrown into the furnace. 

Not only were they protected by God from the heat and smoke, no bruises from falling down, but the bindings that they had been tied up with were disintegrated! Their oppressors watched in amazement as they walked freely with a fourth being whose appearance was so glorious that Nebuchadnezzar himself referred to him as "the Son of God". In the flames, the only things burnt off were the ropes that they had been bound with!

"Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free Indeed."
John 8:36

Often times we must go through refiner's fires in order to have the various ties that have bound us burnt off. Sometimes these shackles are the doings of the devil and others, but more often than not it is us- we have stretched out our own arms, legs, necks and bound ourselves. You know what some of them are: addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, being double minded, and struggling with unbelief to name a few....
Although we may have stepped forward for deliverance, been prayed over, etc. many times, until we are thrown into that superheated "furnace" nothing changes, and we already knew that it wouldn't ... We want to blame the devil for everything, but every time those ties are loosened we ourselves cinch them tight again.
Only when we realize that it takes the glorious revelation of Jesus our deliver being right there with us, walking with us that we can truly become set free and unbound.

Beyond the Boat/Comfort Zones

"And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus."
Matthew 14:28, 29 

We have all read this scripture where Peter joins Jesus for a stroll on the Galilee.
The scriptures tell us that the lake was tempestuous, with high winds that had kicked up whitecapped waves. The small boat with the disciples on board-without Jesus-was taking the brunt of it.
There are no comments of the disciples recorded here, but I am sure they were not very happy about Jesus making them head out to the other side of the Galilee (Matt.14:22) without Him accompanying them. I'm sure they may have felt stranded, abandoned. They were "up the proverbial creek with a paddle", or so they thought.
Out in the middle of that stormy sea, just before dawn, they see something, or someone-walking across the waves! Thinking with their natural, unbelieving minds they surmise it's a ghost, but then they hear the voice of the Shepherd! How could it be ? After all, aren't they in the middle of this body of water that has a 33 mile circumference? But Peter calls to Him: "Lord, if it's You, bid me to get out of ths boat (paraphrased) and come to you on the water!" Jesus says."Come!" and as his astounded companions watch, he throws comfort and convention to the wind, swings his legs over the side, fixes his eyes on Jesus and does the seemingly impossible.

I find myself getting "out of the boat", maybe even being thown out of the boat,to be totally honest, out of the established comfort zone, jettisoned from my Egypt, my Ur... I'm headed down (or up) a new path that is directed by faith, not the convention or  wisdom of the world.
It is the voice of my Shepherd that guides me and I reach forward to grab hold of His hand.
Fixing my eyes on the Perfecter (Heb.12:2), I desire to do what Peter failed to do here...
he sank because He took his eyes off Jesus and let his worldly thought overwhelm him.
Jesus continues to tell me that nothing is impossible when He is with us and this is what I concentrate on. He calms my anxieties, squashes my fears, and  illuminates my journey step by step.
It is faith, not sight that directs me.  (2 Cor. 5:7).

Assurances and Fears/Amazing Grace

"You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 
You know when I sit and when I rise; 
You perceive my thoughts from afar. 
You discern my going out and my lying down; 
You are familiar with all my ways. 
Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 
Where can I go from your Spirit? 
Where can I flee from your presence? 
Psalm 139:1-4, 7 NIV

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling"
Philippians 2:12

The Holy Scriptures tell us that the Lord is omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign, and all powerful, halleluyah! If you are like me, you find these considerations to be very reassuring...but I must confess that at the same time they can be quite frightening. This means that He sees all of our trials, every situation, tribulations and triumphs. This also means that everything that I have thought or will think about, every action, every holy or fleshly thought, is laid bare before Him.  His grace is more than sufficient, but the very thought of my unholiness being on display before my Most Holy Magnificent God...can be unnerving to say the least. Now don't get me wrong; my love for God and the realization that Jesus paid the highest price to redeem me from sin and death, and the fact that I live, move, and have my being in Him through the Holy Spirit are driving forces. I am acutely aware though that He sees every trace of leaven, every speck of darkness, and He desires that we just be honest and real with Him. It makes no more sense to try to hide anything from Him anymore than when Achan hid golden idols under the floor of his tent, or Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter  about holding back money. Let us be thankful for His amazing Grace that covers our mess-ups, and let us exercise this same grace abundantly with each other.

Striving and Resting 9

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; 
against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:22, 23 NASB

I know of very few things that are more difficult for me to accomplish than waiting.
Waiting requires patience, and patience has not been a historically strong attribute of mine.
Waiting requires resting, the time and place when you can't do anything on your own.
I want things to happen my way, now.
My flesh often has already predetermined a desired outcome or decision,
and therefore I have crafted prayers in my heart that I want  to make happen, or so I think.
The trouble with that is rarely the outcome I have desired for past decisions the outcome that God had desired.
I can trace most of the problems I have brought on myself because I was unwilling to wait for the answer from my Father, and in so doing, I have created a striving.
In Galatians 5:22-23, notice that patience (NIV translation reads forbearance-) is sandwiched by the the other fruits of the Spirit. Patience places one in a position of waiting/rest...the balance of the fruits accompanying. Now consider replacing patience/rest with striving-the opposite position, and replace the other fruits with their opposites...you may well find yourself in an atmosphere where you are immersed in the bitter fruits of anger/hatred, unhappiness/depression, strife/quarrels, STRIVING, mean-spirited,  evil, unfaithfulness, harshness, reprobate mind/ selfish.  Ouch.
So, I find myself in a place of physical disability-unable to strive- where God has brought me, kicking and screaming, to a place of rest. Unable to force anything,  I hear Him say, "ssshhh", as a parent comforts a wailing infant,  as my spirit is quieted and I fall into His rest, knowing that whatever the situation, He's got it under control, and I am comforted by His inexhaustable grace, mercy, and love.
As the song goes: "He's got the whole world in His hands..."