"You scare me, Leanna," one of my coworkers told me. I had just returned from rambling through the Old City of Jerusalem alone. I'd visited with local people along the way. My interactions had ended with an impromptu picnic shared with a Palestinian Muslim stranger at the foot of the Eastern Gate.
It had been a fun day. I'd wandered at my own pace, stopped when I was tired, walked where I wanted to go. For only one moment of the entire day had I felt the least bit threatened. I walked away from the perceived threat and was fine. I was never frightened or uncertain or lost. Instead, it had been a holy communion with my Lord in the city that occupies so much of His heart.
I wouldn't call myself completely fearless, but I'm not often afraid.
Over the weekend, I worked on an upcoming presentation about prayer and journaling. I pulled all my old journals and scanned through them. One in particular, from more than twenty years ago, caught my eye. I'd journaled about my struggle with fear and listed all the things about which I was afraid. "Free my from my fear," I'd written in my prayer.
And He did.
I don't remember a moment when I was abruptly delivered. Somehow, one step of faith at a time, God gradually delivered me from all my fears and moved me to a firm place of trust and obedience.
He set me free and my fear is gone.
I'm not saying I'll never be afraid again, but fear's hold on me has been broken. I'm free to follow anywhere God leads now.
The fear-freeing happened so gradually and so completely that I no longer remember being afraid. My writings leave no doubt, though. I was afraid, but now I'm not.
For the disciple of Christ, the bondage of sin is optional. We have a choice. Continue to allow sin a stronghold or allow God to break our chains. It's up to us.
No matter what sin besets us, we have an option for freedom. We can take it to the Lord and ask Him to set us free. It may not happen instantly, but freedom is His desire for us. His word promises freedom and we serve a God who always keeps His promises.
Today, let's cry out to the Lord about our sin and invite Him to do what only He can do. Answer our cry and break our chains.
"I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4 esv
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