For 400 years the Israelites were enslaved by Egyptian taskmasters who oppressed them and ‘made their lives bitter’ (Exodus 1:14 NIV). Many of us can relate to their feelings of helplessness when we think about areas in our own lives where we struggle with habits. Whether it’s food, alcohol, money, procrastination or something else, we’ve probably all felt a little powerless and hopeless while trying to find freedom. And that can lead to us choosing to give up and just give in to being enslaved. Broken and crushed, the Israelites cried out to the Lord and He responded, ‘I have…seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out…and I am concerned about their suffering’ (Exodus 3:7 NIV). God extended compassion toward them: ‘So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into…a land flowing with milk and honey’ (v. 8 NIV). God came down to bring them up – and He can do the same for us today. The idea of God coming down in order to bring us up gives us hope. We don’t have to try and work for freedom alone. God intervenes. Our habits and sins are not too much for Him. When we admit we’ve gone wrong and ask Him to help us find freedom, He doesn’t turn away from us. Instead, He steps down into the situation and helps us to loosen the chains that have been around us. The Bible says: ‘The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’ (2 Corinthians 3:17 NCV). So when the Spirit of the Lord steps down into our situations, there is freedom.

What Now?

What do you need freedom from? Invite God into the situation today.