Free Indeed

                                                                  Romans 8:1
                                         There is therefore now no condemnation
                                              to those who are in Christ Jesus,
                                         who do not walk according to the flesh,
                                                     but according to the Spirit.

Attending the wedding of the daughter of a well known Christian speaker and author, I was amazed at the love of Christ that radiated from the face of his wife. There was no mistake she understands the love her heavenly Father has for her, and that her love and devotion for Him is the same. Her face absolutely glowed with the love of the Lord. I want that glow! I want others to look at me and see the love of Christ.

I have thought much about this since that day, pondering how she could radiate the love of God just by her countenance. I think I know her secret. I believe it is because she lives the life Christ died on the cross to give us all. She lives free in Him!  No longer does she live under condemnation or guilt. No longer does she live with anxiety nor fear. She lives her life completely absorbed in the love of her Father. She understands how much He loves her, how she can trust Him for all her tomorrows, that He will never leave her nor forsake her, and that He is all she needs.

       "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."     __John 8:36

Coming to this place in our lives requires complete trust in our Father. When He tells us to;
         Cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us                         __1 Peter 5:7

We cast all our cares on Him. We don't help Him carry them, worry about how He will take care of them, nor continue to take our cares back. We give all our cares to our Father and in exchange walk in the love we know He has for us.

As children of the living Christ we can live our lives with our head held high, skip in our step, and assurance in our heart that our Father holds us in the palm of His hand. And when we do, we, too, will glow with the love of the Lord.

        See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
        Your walls are continually before Me.                                            __ Isaiah 49:16

         But You, O LORD, are a shield to me,
         My glory and the One who lifts up my head.                                 __Psalm 3:3
  

Light in the Darkness

                                                          Philippians 2:14-15
                                   Do all things without complaining and disputing;
                                   that you may become blameless children of God
                                        without fault in the midst of a crooked and
                                           perverse generation, among whom you
                                                   shine as lights in the world
                                                     
                                 
                                    "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine!
                                     This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine,
                                          Let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine! "

How well I remember singing this song with all my little friends in Sunday school class. We would hold up our pointer finger pretending it was our light that would never go out. We were going to sing for Jesus forever! Little did we know, without Jesus in our lives, we would have nothing to shine.

                  Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, "I am the light of the world.
                  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
                                                                                                       __John 8:12

Jesus became the light of the world to make a way for us in the darkness. Without Christ in our lives we are lost, like sheep without a shepherd. We live our lives without hope or promise for the future.

Before I came to Christ, life didn't seem to have any purpose. It seemed like all we did was the same thing over and over every day with no real meaning, and then we eventually died. It all seemed so senseless. Then I heard a pastor speak, and I felt like He was speaking just to me. He said, "You can't know your purpose until you know the One who made you." His words got my attention! He then went on to introduce the audience to Jesus Christ. At that point I knew Jesus as the Son of God, the One we prayed to and sang about in church, but I didn't know we could know Him personally, that He would come and live within us through the Holy Spirit. I accepted Jesus that day as my Personal Savior. I confessed I was a sinner, asked for His forgiveness, and then invited Him into my heart as my Lord and Savior. By faith I was saved and my life has never been the same. I have purpose where I once had confusion, light where I once walked in darkness, and hope for all my tomorrows.

         If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God
         has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes
         unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  
                                                                                                     __Romans 10:9-10