Redeeming Love #3 -Rescued
Part 3 from Francine Rivers and the Redeeming Love devotional. These posts are lengthy but packed full of God's goodness.
Rescued- "We are often more comfortable in captivity than freedom, even when captivity is deadly. We cling to what we know because it is familiar, even though not comfortable."
Rivers illuminates this quote in a haunting way through the life of her main character, Angel, a young orphan forced into prostitution in her book. It's such a heart tug when we see people stuck and unwilling to choose the way out of a bad situation or a sin that is holding them captive.
Our church has established a Tuesday night church service called "Recovery Church" and it is thriving as it nurtures people in a safe environment where they come and learn how to be "set free" though Christ.
Turning Away From Rescue
"In Romans 7, the apostle Paul wrote with remarkable honesty about the gap between what we want to do and what we actually do."
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
A God Who Fights for Us
"When we describe God we often us adjectives such as kind, loving, good, or perhaps holy and powerful. All of these are accurate, but they don't present the whole picture. Scripture also portrays God as a warrior."
One of my very favorite verses is in Exodus 14:14. I've seen it play out as true more than once in my life. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.
During a recent snow/ice store the hills at Shiloh were extremely slick. The grandchildren were having a blast zooming down on sleds, tubes or what they called penguin style on their bellies. We have some hysterical videos. A danger lurked at the bottom of the slopes...900 feet of waterfront. The adults and older grandchildren scurried back and forth along the banks again and again attempting to catch sledders before they hit the icy waters.
Praise the Lord! We have a rescuer! God is the one who rescues us again and again.
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14
Anger and Mercy
In this chapter, Rivers addresses how her character Michael becomes angry at the evil he sees encapsulating Angel. She writes "God becomes angry when the people He loves and created are turning away from Him and harming themselves and one another...God doesn't stay angry..His ultimate delight is to show mercy, to forgive and to have compassion." Look up Proverbs 6:16-19 to read a list of things that provoke God's anger.
Being the child of an alcoholic, my heart tugs right now leading me to stop and pray for you because I know some of you readers are watching the destruction of substance abuse and other addictions like sex, pornography, and gambling hold those you love captive. See prayer at the end.
Searching for Freedom
"If you find yourself doing the same thing over and over and seeing no results, ask yourself how much you really want to change?..Accepting grace means we learn to trust our rescuer and we stop fighting for independence and instead embrace surrender to the One who loves us most."
Jesus asked a man, 'Do you want to get well?' John 5:6
Removing Stains
Remember the story of David and Bathsheba and how God used the prophet Nathan to confront David? Are we the kind of friend who points those enslaved to sin to Jesus? Rivers writes about this and states, "David's self-justification crumbled, and he was forced to come to terms with what he had done."(When confronted by Nathan.) In Psalm 51:17 David wrote: A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
"Doing enough good acts isn't what cleanses us. No matter how heavy our sins or how ugly our past, we're saved because of God's mercy and washed by the Holy Spirit."
Grabbing The Hand of Rescue
"It takes faith to grab on to someone else and trust that person to pull us out of the pit we're in. If we have to let go of something else to grab hold, it can seem even scarier...But the One we're asked to grab hold of will never falter. Look up Psalm 31:1-2
Fearing Judgement
"Our guilt over our own mistakes makes us lose perspective, and we feel sure that we're the only ones who haven't led perfect lives...God isn't concerned with only our behavior. He cares about what goes on in our hearts-our thoughts and attitudes, our jealousy and anger, our pride and fear....So why is it human tendency to criticize and judge? Perhaps it makes us feel better about ourselves, at least temporarily. When we are looking at someone else's flaws, our own don't seem so large. But this attitude is dangerous. Jesus warned against it in a vivid illustration from the Sermon on the Mount: Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And what worry about a speak in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? Matthew 7:1-3
"We share burdens in love. Our goal is rescue. not judgement...if you are dealing with temptation or sin...look for at least one person in your community of believers who responds to you with gentleness and humility, pointing you to God's truth and drawing you in rather than pushing you out. After all, if the church isn't for sinners, who is it for?"
Learning to Love
"The wounds in our past can affect us long after we've been rescued from that past. When we have been hurt by other people, we might see relationships as only potential pain...We begin to think of isolation and independence as ideal. But this is not what God considers best for us. As messy and painful as relationships can be, they also bring us life."
Two are better than one. Ecclesiastes 4:9
It is not good for the man to be alone. Genesis 2:18
If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. John 4:12
Romans 12:15 tells us we are to "rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep."
Listening to the Right Voice
Rivers takes her readers to the story in 1 Samuel of God sending the prophet Samuel to the home of Jesse to find the next king of Israel. God told Samuel "God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord sees the heart." It was the youngest son, little shepherd boy, God had chosen.
Rivers writes, "We often feel unfairly evaluated...We feel unseen, unknown. So it's a gift when we have someone in our lives who sees past the external and looks at our hearts. It's even more of a gift when that person reminds us who we really are on the inside. Listen to the voice of Jesus."
See how very much our father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!" 1 John 1:3
Nothing Can Separate Us
"When we push people away with our hurtful words and actions, sometimes they push back. Sometimes they give up on us. But when we try to push God away, He remains faithful...We can't judge God by what we know of humans. He doesn't work that way. His grace surprise us, even when we've walked with Him for years...God doesn't require us to clean up before we approach Him...He chose to die for us while we were still mired in our sin, with no way to get out. Romans 5:6-8
The Song "Resurrection Power" by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxH8Q8ue65o
Prayer from "Hope for the Broken Hearted"
"Lord, you are our deliverer. We can do anything through Christ who strengthens us…but, we must take the first step. We must realize we have a problem and a need… and we must ask for help. I ask Lord, that you will give each person the courage to face up to their problems and to have a strong desire to change.
I ask that you will remove all outside influences that hinder them from coming clean and who perpetuate their addictions. We ask in Jesus’ name, that you will bind the enemy and that you will put your angels about each person to protect them tonight from themselves and from the things that keep dragging them down. Lord, I know many self medicate so they won’t have to deal with the pain in their life. I pray that you will give them the courage and strength to face down their demons and hurts… and to clean out the wounds once and for all, so they can be free to be the person that you’ve called them to be…to be free from the sickness and pain that keeps them in bondage.
We ask for healing in families torn apart by addiction. We ask for protection for those family members that are in harm’s way because of their loved one’s addictions. Lord, everyone suffers in a family where there is addiction. Please pour out your grace, mercy and healing power on each person who has been affected by someone with an addiction.
May the chains be broken tonight, Lord." In Jesus' name. Amen
