I have a younger brother who I adore. I remember the day that he was sentenced for some crimes that he never thought that he would get caught committing; he was young, carefree and thought that he ruled the world, but the world was ruling him. On his sentencing day when I heard the judge bang the gavel, and I watched the bailiff lead him out of the side door my heart broke. He looked back and winked at me as if to say, “it will be OK” but I wasn’t convinced. I visited him before he was transported to the prison and my heart broke again as the guard led him in wearing both hand and ankle cuffs with chains. Several years later I took my family to the prison on the day of his release and when he walked out of those iron bars I felt his freedom for him. He was free! We were all ecstatic for him, we walked out of those gates and never looked back. Except my brother, he was free…yet he wasn’t free…
I was discussing my life with my eldest son a few days back, and he seemed shocked at some of the things that I had done in my lifetime; I wasn’t an angel by any stretch of the imagination though I know that will shock some of you (smile); so when I make the statement that Christ set me free, I really mean it. I did not look back, I did my best to try not to go back, and even on the most trying days when I was at my weakest I sometimes yelled out for the Lord to help me hold on, because the chains that I had been held in were so tight. Many of you are probably in the same predicament. You have done something, gone somewhere or behaved in some unseemly manner and now you are living in regret, not knowing how to free yourself from the guilt or shame of it and you probably feel as if you will never be able to get back to God. Read the rest of this entry »
