Dear reader,

How often have we read in the Newspapers that there has been a breakout in one of the prisons, or that people have escaped from some kind of dictatorship and oppression in their country.

We read that in 1989 about the Vietnam boat people who fled to Hong Kong.  Thousands upon thousands sailed in boats that were not sea worthy.  They even tied themselves to planks of wood, and it was said that many drowned.  For those who made it to Hong Kong 44,000 was going to be sent back.  Hong Kong did not class them as refugees.

We see that people throughout history will go to any length to get physical freedom, but what does the word freedom mean to you and me?

God’s children Israel were also in bondage and, like others throughout history, they wanted there freedom.

NOW IT HAPPENED IN THE PROCESS OF TIME THAT THE KING OF EGYPT DIED. THEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GROANED BECAUSE OF THE BONDAGE, AND THEY CRIED OUT; AND THEIR CRY CAME UP TO GOD BECAUSE 0F THE BONDAGE.
(EXODUS 2:23-25)

At this point I want to say that God knew about their bondage and what was imprisoning them before they cried out to Him.  He knows what has imprisoned us too!

SO GOD HEARD THEIR GROANING, AND GOD REMEMBERED HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM, WITH ISAAC, AND WITH JACOB. (VERSE 24)

God also hears the groaning of our souls, and bodies, under the weight of sin. He also remembers His covenant made between Himself and us, by the shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary.

AND GOD LOOKED UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND GOD ACKNOWLEDGED THEM. (VERSE 25)

When we cry out from under the taskmaster of sin, God will also look upon us and acknowledge us.  Here we see three steps towards our liberty.

1)  verse 23 says we are to cry out to God.

2)  verse 24 says God will hear us.

3)  verse 25 says God will acknowledge us, i.e. set us free.

Now that is good news.  The prison doors are opened.  Then why are we not walking in liberty?  Why are we still bound in sin, plagued in poverty, sickness, envy, hatred, bitterness, idolatry, and so on?

I believe the answer is found in ROMANS 12:2 AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD.

God had the same problem with Israel walking in liberty as He does with us, and it is called bondage mentality.  Let me try to explain.  We read that God acknowledged Israel and set them free and Moses led them out of Egypt with all their Gold.  Now that can’t be bad.  But what happens now? Israel comes to some water called the Red Sea between Succoth and Marah, and with the Egyptians at their backs they became afraid. They wanted to go back to Egypt into bondage because they could not trust God with their future.

“IS THIS NOT THE WORD THAT WE TOLD YOU IN EGYPT, SAYING, “LET US ALONE THAT WE MAY SERVE THE EGYPTIANS? FOR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR US TO SERVE THE EGYPTIANS THAN THAT WE SHOULD DIE IN THE WILDERNESS. (EXODUS 14:12)

Now the journey from Egypt to their promised land should have only taken a few days, yet because of this bondage mentality Israel was not ready to encounter the Philistines and to take hold of the promise of God, so He had to march them around the Sinai Desert for forty years living on nothing but manna.

AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ATE MANNA FORTY YEARS, UNTIL THEY CAME TO AN INHABITED LAND; THEY ATE MANNA UNTIL THEY CAME TO THE BORDER OF THE LAND OF CANAAN. (EXODUS 16:35)

You see, Israel was set free by God, but because of their bondage mentality, they stayed in a prison of their own making, and that generation could not claim the promise that God had for them.  When we repent to God of our past in the name of Jesus Christ He will open up the prison doors to our life and set us free. But all too often, because of this bondage mentality, most of us continue to stay in the prison of our own making, never claiming the full promise of God for our lives. If you would like all of God’s promises to be fulfilled in your life then please join with us in this prayer:-

Father God, I come to You in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ. I repent of my sins, and I place the guilt of them beneath the blood of Jesus.  I ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may hold fast to all Your promises for my life in Jesus name.  Amen