Our Chains ARE Gone!

I've been sitting on something for a few weeks now. Just thinking & trying to put it into words.
A couple weeks ago, I was able to make it to the morning session of the women's retreat that the women's ministry hosted from our church. Before the session began we were singing a song by Kari Jobe. Here are some of the Lyrics:

So faithful. So constant. 
So loving and so true.
So powerful in all You do.

You fill me. You see me. 
You know my every move
and You love for me to sing to You.

I know that You are for me. 
I know that You are for me.
I know that You will never, 
forsake me in my weaknesses

I know that You have come now, 
even if to write upon my heart.
To remind me who You are.

So patient, So gracious, 
So merciful and true…
So wonderful in all You do. 
You know me. You see me.
You know my every move. 
You love for me to sing to You

Lord, I know that You are for me.

Man just sitting & letting those words marinate in my heart does something to me. For the first time I can FULLY say...I DO know He is for me. Truly. I believe it! Please don't hear that its because I have what I've dreamt of, or that I am well & healthy, or for any other reason than....He TRULY is for me. He is so faithful. Absolutely constant; when I am a chaotic mess! I just love those words. They speak my heart completely.

So after that women's retreat a week or so later, I went to Thirsty. For those of you who don't know its a worship service we have on the 3rd Friday of every month at our church. One of the songs we sang there was one I've heard many many times, but this time it sank in...we sang, Amazing Grace. In light of what happened in my heart at the women's retreat the words to this song sank in like they never had before...read this:

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

Think about this...those words were written by the English poet & clergyman, John Newton. They came from his own personal experience. If you have time & are interested, read on it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace
its truly fascinating!  Part of his story was, he was involved in the Atlantic slave trade back in 1748. So if you can imagine this man having many encounters, no doubt brutal, with these slaves that were in chains. Think about what he experienced & what he saw. Crazy.
The definition of a captive is: "someone held against their will." Can you just picture it? All these people chained up against their will.....or if you are a modern day thinker, think about those sweet kids being sold in slavery right now!
Then....one day....someone comes along & takes the key and sets them free. Takes their chains away! After all those years of torment & torture....They are FREE.....It just brings a whole new level to that song.

Then.
As I was singing that song the Lord gave me a picture. Of me. Ugh here we go.
Every time I give into that "one thing" that is so tempting, or the thing I KNOW I'm not supposed to do but do it, or that snappy response I give to my husband when I don't want to respond nicely, or the attitude I give coworkers...on and on.....in essence what I'm doing is putting my chains & shackles back on. Every time.
I just picture it like this: when I make those choices to disobey the Lord, even in the smallest of things, I'm taking those chains & put them back on my wrists & say...."No Lord being chained to this wall is SO much better than just a simple yes to you."

Are you kidding me?
This is how I live.  People! I am crazy. I mean truly crazy. Who does that?? Who would deliberately choose this??
What would it be like to live out life in such a way that we never put our chains & shackles back on??? To truly live in Freedom! I think sometimes its so hard for me to take the chains off because I don't know what it looks like to really be free. Like these struggles are just "what I  know" and "who I am." Or so the lies go that I have been told, and listened to.

2Timothy 2:26 says, "and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."

..."And then will come to their senses." Wow.
I am free. YOU are free. WE are free! I have no clue what that looks like on a daily basis, but I'm committed to find out! Lead on Lord!
♥