Zwazo

 We returned from Haiti to a little surprise in our cellar; a visitor. I have no idea how he or she got into our house, but there he was, discovered by one of my daughters, a little bird. He was just walking around, feeling rather lost and confused I'm sure. I have no idea how long he was in there, but our first reaction was to set him free. So, we opened the cellar door, and within a few minutes he found his way back into the great outdoors; back to freedom.


We were meant to fly, to be free; unrestrained and soaring through the skies like we were made for it. We were not meant to be held down or tied and snared. We were created to thrive in our purpose. Yet there are things, one thing especially, that entrap us, ensnare us, tie us down and keep us from flying free.

 Hebrews 12:1 calls it the "sin that so easily entangles." That's what sin does; it entangles, it ties down. To be blunt, sin kills. It's the reason Jesus hung on a cross, it's the reason there is death, sickness and murder in our world. Sin brings with it a heavy payment, an exacting and demanding weight that never sets free, and always weighs down. Sin keeps us from flying.

 This sin wages war against our very souls; our emotions and thoughts. It traps us like the poor bird that was trapped in my cellar. It promises pleasure, but delivers suffering. Like a sneaky fowler, it ensnares us to devour us. Yet we have a deliverer. 

 "For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler ..." - Psalm 91:3

 God is full of mercy and He is a faithful friend; an able deliverer. We tend to wander into traps. Our souls grow weary by our own devices and choices. Yet He restores our soul.

 And we should never forget that we are free. Our sins, past, present, and future, have all been forgiven by the completely sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. The prison door has been swung wide open. All we need to do is walk out. Out of the dark mustiness and into the light and wide open spaces of our purchased freedom.


The bird in our cellar knew it didn't belong there. Once the cellar door was opened, it knew where it needed to be. And so are we as children of God. Our freedom has been purchased at a great price, and we never truly rest until we rest in that freedom.

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