Honestly, I used to sing this song and pray that God would come and take me away - out of my circumstances and stand me in the middle of a beautiful field where all I could see was His glory shining all around me. I NEEDED to see His face. I Needed to feel the wind under my wings for just a moment of freedom. I felt like I was in a sea on concrete I don't even remember if I felt like any of my limbs could break out and move. But now when I hear this song it makes my heart jump because He did show up, and He did liberate me - but I had ALOT of strength training to do in order to fly. So let's celebrate our training, lets see it in it's reality. Nobody likes it!! Seriously - nobody. But we are not nobodies are we? WE are somebodies!
"Cowboy take me away fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue
Set me free, oh I pray, closer to heaven above and closer to you....
Closer to you...." Dixie Chicks Lyrics
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (GWT)
We now understand that freedom is the ability to not be bound, to have made it out of our turbulence so that we CAN help another person. I want us to be sure we understand what we are actually free “from”. What does He mean when he says “do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” ?
2 Corinthians 3:17,18 states:
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
To understand what the true meaning of this statement was we have to look at two Greek works that this is derived from:
Duleiua: meaning servitude, dependence. It means to be in the position of a servant and to act accordingly. If we are serving we are subject to their authority and must take their direction. It also means to be reduced to bondage under someone and deprived of freedom. Metaphorically it means to be a slave to something - such as our pleasures.
Doulos: or the state of Doulos is defined as a slave or servant. It is one who is in a permanent relationship of servitude to another. The difference is that this persons will is altogether consumed in the will of the other. It means to bind.
To understand these things helps us look at our thoughts with more clarity. God tells us that we are His bond slave. A bond slave is a slave that has been given their freedom but chooses to stay with their master because his master treats him so well. Yet there is always the understanding that the slave is free to go at any time. This is a relationship based on love and respect - not guilt and punishment.
Is there something a habit, poor self control, bad memories keeping you from being all you know God created you to become? Maybe you have freely chose to stay in an environment where you did not have authority over yourself who allowed this type of respect - and now you do not feel the liberty to leave. You know all the pain that comes with leaving due to their authority and control over your life. What can you do other than panic and loose hope?
Today just write about the "masters in your life" some of them are figments of our imagination. Some of them are ghosts of our past whom we have never walked away from. Some of them are still very real. We are not going to move today. Today we are going to be still and know that ultimately we are bond slaves to the Mighty Lord God Almighty and He will always show up at just the right time to rescue and deliver us. He is faithful and true and He promised to show us the way out. But we have to be still and listen. His voice is not like the others, it is gentle, loving, kind, patient and ALWAYS encouraging us to keep going - keep believing and remember how much he loves us.
God I pray that you show us with unveiled faces where we allow ourselves to serve another master; where we have unintentionally put a God in your place. We know that the Lord is the Spirit and your spirit searches the depths of all things even you. Forgive us, restore us. We ask to see clearly and to allow all that you are to transform us, step by step into the same image; from glory to glory till we radiate as does the Lord. Let us permeate His glory into this place.
In Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Candace
Get outside today, kick some dirt around, dance like you believe your Heavenly, Radical Cowboy is coming any day on His magnificent white stallion to take you away - 'cause He is ya know!
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