Manna For The Journey - Day 16

Don't you just love movies like Gladiator or Braveheart, movies like the Patriot? There's something about the battle, the bloodshed, the price of freedom. Countless wars have been waged in the name of freedom. The power to determine action without restraint. Being able to pursue our will. Interesting when you consider the irony that to have freedom in Jesus, we have to surrender. We must raise our white flag and give up. We must lay down our selfish will for a chance at living in His. He is our author, our creator. He hard wired our hearts and precisely placed our desires, our gifts, our abilities, our quirks in our personalities. And yet, many times we choose to stand like William Wallace to the death for our own way , to be able to choose action without restraint. I'm right there with you. My flesh has called me into places and situations more times than I'd care to admit. I was living it up, I thought I had freedom. I followed this path so long, didn't drop enough bread crumbs, I forgot how to get back home. I was defiant like the prodigal wanting my inheritance now, raging against my Father's way, demanding freedom. But my sweet Father waited. He sat out on the porch every day looking for me, believing because He loved me so well surely I'd find my way back home. You see, He knew me better than myself. He knew I only had enough fuel to fight for a little while. He knew he had birthed in me an identity that is unshakable, immovable, and no matter how far off the path there are always glimpses of it. We may be in the worst of situations, just covered in fleshly desire, battling for freedom and yet we still hear that still small voice calling us back home. So, after much wandering, we realize it's time to raise the white flag. And then a funny thing happens, we begin to battle ourselves. We war with the notion, could He really want me back? No, I've done too much. I lied, I cheated, I got strung out on my fix. He couldn't possibly...but something in our hearts convinces us enough to begin the journey back home. We lay our self down, we gather ourselves, we raise our white flag. As we're just around the corner, we see Him. He's running toward us, tears in His eyes, arms wide open. We have found freedom and we didn't have to battle, we only had to give up.

"My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways."

Proverbs 23:26