Armed and Ready

Galatians 5:1 (MSG)  Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.


Freedom is a gift, it is worth fighting for, dying for and mostly it is worth living for.  Do we feel free, or recognize the freedoms we have as Christ followers?  Before reaching out and grasping a personal relationship with Jesus, I was not free.  Shame and guilt had a tight hold on me.  I was a prisoner to my past that was equally afraid of tomorrow. 

Soldiers know what freedom is; they strive to maintain our freedom with every moment of training and active duty. They are committed to keep us free from aggressors who want to imprison our minds and bodies. The freedom Jesus want to provide is the freedom from Spiritual death; eternal death. Wars our military are preparing to protect us from now days could soon be about our religious freedoms.

We may wonder why we have days when we feel chained to our lives; bound to the mundane madness of living without feeling alive. I know this to be true, when the enemy prowls we need to be ready.  When the enemy is so cunning we can't recognize him, we need to be wrapped in the Armor of God.

Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

This Armor will keep us safe, will protect us from death and will bring us safely home.

Galatians 5

The Story - Chapter 3 - Genesis 47-48

Life is an amazing journey. The roads we choose to take as we pass through life are much like country roads. As we come to the crest of a hill there is a vantage point which enables us to see beautiful landscapes. We are able to view winding ways bordered by magnificent trees, and if we cup our palm over our eyebrow to shade the sun, we can observe sceneries not available from level ground. A vision of this sort requires we travel steep terrain. It is this peak which will provide a different perspective, a broader look at what lies ahead.

Genesis 48:3-4 (NIV) Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, 'I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.'

Take time today to examine the path you are traveling. Is this leg of the journey filled with detours and bumpy roads? Are you being jolted by every stone and rock on you route? Joseph’s journey took him from favored son to simple slave. The turn in the landscape then raised him to respected regent only to be cast down to pitiable prisoner. Joseph’s nearness to God empowered him to be raised right back up to the man in charge.

God knows the big picture, and while He isn’t pulling the strings and taking us from place to place, He is journeying with us. God did not force Joseph to make the decision he made, but He blessed those decisions. Joseph could have chosen to take care of himself, he could have used his position to provide for his own well-being, but he did not.

Genesis 49:25 (NIV) “because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.”

When we take the path of least resistance we will miss out on the view at the top of the hill. When we stay on level ground we will never get a glimpse of the incredible scenes that are just beyond the horizon. The steep climb will tax our grit; will leave us breathless, but so will the vision waiting at the top. Come, take a look.

Read Genesis 47-48 here

Listen to Genesis 47-48 here