True Freedom *

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
       Because He has anointed Me
      To preach the gospel to the poor;
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
      To proclaim liberty to the captives
      And recovery of sight to the blind,
      To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
      To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

 Luke 4:18-19  NKJV

How many times have you read this portion of Scripture and held on to it for dear life - or used it when ministering to someone who was heartbroken? Have you ever wondered if God really understood the depth of your broken heart? I'm not trying to be fractious or facetious. I've had people express that very question to me. To be honest with you, I've wondered a time or two myself - God, do You know to what extent exactly it was broken?

Let me assure you, He does.

There are some horrible, deplorable, gut-wrenching events that take place in the lives of those around us and in our own lives. Some we know about. Some we don't... not till much later. Some we read about and throw a prayer heaven-ward, but are we touched with the feeling of their situation? For instance, when was the last time we thought about and fervently prayed for the people of Malaysia who are still trying to recover? Scripture tells us Jesus IS touched with the feeling of our situations. 

If we do even just a little study on the word thrauo  - which is the Greek word interpreted as oppressed, we will find that it means to break, break in pieces, 

shatter, smite through.  If we go to the original reference (Isaiah 61:1), we find that the Hebrew word definition translates to break, break in or down, break in pieces, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench, rupture (figuratively), to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked, to shatter... I'd say that pretty well covers it, wouldn't you?

And as Jim Mackey sagaciously pointed out a few years back, anything that crushes or shatters our life creates a prison of our own making. It is from THAT prison Christ came to set us free. Free to be who God created us to be. Free to free others from the chains of their souls, no matter where they may be. 

That's true freedom.

Prayer:

Father,

          Continue to illuminate Your Word so that we get it and can walk in the freedom that You alone can and have provided for us. And as we grasp the Truth of Your Word, help us to give the keys to those around us who need a way out of the prison of their souls. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen