BBD 07.02.21 Set Free! (Classic)
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>
Classic from 2002
The Burning Bush Devotional
02 July 2021
Set Free!
If you
abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free. - John 8:31b-32.
Today
the United States celebrates its 226th birthday (244th in 2021),
which is a celebration of independence, of having freedom. It is a costly
freedom bought by the fighting of two wars, which were necessary to win it and
to keep it. My ancestors fought in both wars, and one died in the War of
Independence. The celebration some two hundred years later is marked with
fireworks and barbeques with over 161 million pounds of fireworks detonated
last year and 60 million or so people taking part in a barbeque. Since
September 11, we have become even more thankful for our freedom and vigilant in
maintaining it.
The
desire for nations and people to be free has its roots in the desire for
freedom from the tyranny of sin. We are born into the slavery of sin and become
so used to it that we sometimes are not aware of the chains, which bind us. But
that unawareness is often shattered when we encounter those who are free. In
the early 1800s, Lemuel Norton between sea voyages shared a bedroom one night
with Deacon Weed who prayed before going to bed, “Lord, I am going to bed with this impenitent sinner.” Soon afterwards Norton received Christ as his Savior and became a
preacher of the gospel. It is a shocking thing to those in the bondage of sin to
hear someone share the truth, of how they were set free through the power of
God (Revelation 12:11).
It can
be even more shocking for someone in the bonds of sin to expose themselves to
the Word of God allowing the truth to enter their hearts and minds. Ronnie
Byers was close to committing suicide when he finally picked up and read a
Bible opened to Psalm 103:12 which says, “As far as the
east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The truth grabbed hold of Ronnie’s heart, which resulted in his
repentance, salvation, and reconciliation with his wife. Ronnie eventually
became a preacher of the gospel, he once tried so very hard to ignore.
The
truth is not just for lost people. If we are His disciples, we will not just
occasionally pick up a Bible and read a few verses. Instead, we will abide in
His Word, and there we will find that the truth indeed has set us free and will
keep us free!
Copyright © 1998 - 2021. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998, the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
those first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
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Please pray for the coronavirus
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virus to be rapidly found and deployed. Pray for all those afflicted to be
healed and for our leaders to have supernatural wisdom and ability to lead us
through this pandemic.
Please pray for an end to the
rioting, looting, wanton destruction, and the racial hatred in the USA and that
it will be replaced with peace and love. May God help the USA! Many prayer
needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You
can also post your prayer requests there (Of
course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me. 03.18.18 I accepted the call to be the pastor of Fairview
Baptist Church in Elk City, Oklahoma. Please pray for me and for this church.).
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