July #jammed: Grace serves.

Day 185: Free by default.

“So he was despised and forsaken by men,
    this man of suffering, grief’s patient friend.” Isaiah 53:3 (VOICE)

Independence can become an obsession if we believe we’re entitled to it. As the world gets bigger and bigger, and our reach to communicate across it get’s smaller and smaller, the freedom to reach out is easier than ever to grasp.

independent- not subject to control by others. Merriam-Webster

For those lucky enough to live in parts of the world where they are not controlled by others, there sure are a lot of us trying to control others. This human reflex for control confuses what it means to be free.

God, who created everything and everyone, is in control, but He’s not a controlling God. If He was, we’d all be robots, and there’d be no debate over His existence.

Today’s verse was written by the prophet Isaiah. He’s describing Jesus.

“There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
    nothing to attract us to him.
 He was despised and rejected—
    a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
    He was despised, and we did not care.” Isaiah 53:2b-3

There are over thirty-five New Testament references reflected back to Isaiah, Chapter 53.  Jesus truly is the Word. The more I study it, the more I see Him in every verse. And if I don’t see Him, I start to search …knowing He’s there.

The Way, The Truth, and the Life. Our Independence. Our Freedom.

Jesus (thinking of John the Baptist): Elijah does come first to restore all things. They have it right. But there is something else written in the Scriptures about the Son of Man: He will have to suffer and be rejected. Mark 9:12

We are often under the assumption that because God is not controlling, that God is not in control. Our country of residence does not make us any more soul-free than those that are living under oppressive rule. Jesus bought our freedom on the cross. Grace aims to free everyone …leaving no one behind.

Father, Praise You for Freedom. Thank You for assuring us that no matter where in the world we reside, You are bigger that borders and stronger than governments. Forgive us for getting it backwards, and strengthen us to operate respectfully in this world and with respect to our democracies, but not to place them on higher ground than Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace! 

#greatgrace17

Happy Freedom-chasing,

Megs

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