HEAVENSREEF

 

Don’t we as humans hold on tight to what we don’t want to lose?  I see people today holding so tight to everything and who can blame them when our society is going sideways!  Chaos creates fear and fear causes people to hold on tight to those they love and things they love.  The media climate and our government is instilling fear into all people as much as they can.

Let’s imagine for a moment how the disciples felt seeing their LORD being crucified.  They must have felt helpless, hopeless, fearful and totally discouraged.  Imagine their fear of not knowing what was coming next.  All they could do was hang on to one another.  As a mother, I often try to put myself in Mary’s shoes, standing at the foot of HIS Cross.  How was she able to watch her SON die such a horrible death?  She knew who HE was.  Did she hold tight to HIS precious feet nailed to that awful tree?

With each agonizing breath HE took I imagine Mary letting go a little more……she had to.  And when JESUS looked down upon her from the Cross this happened……

JOHN 19:26  “WHEN JESUS SAW HIS MOTHER AND THE DISCIPLE WHOM HE LOVED STANDING NEARBY, HE SAID TO HIS MOTHER, “WOMAN BEHOLD YOUR SON.”

And JESUS said this next…….

JOHN 19:27  “THEN HE SAID TO THE DISCIPLE, BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER.”

Even in HIS death……..JESUS provided a way, a loving and cared for way for HIS mother to live forward. The next verse says this: 

JOHN 19: 27  “AND FROM THAT HOUR THE DISCIPLE TOOK HER TO HIS OWN HOME.”

JESUS knew HIS mother’s pain, but most of all HE knew HER heart was broken.  But she had to let her SON go, because GOD’S ultimate plan of redemption needed to be fulfilled. 

JESUS DOES UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS FOR US TO LET GO AND SUBMIT TO HIM!

 

Sometimes all we can do is hold on tight to those around us, when we seem to have nothing else in the middle of loss, disaster and death.  I’ve done it!  In the middle of the hardest things in my life I have grabbed my dog and buried my face in her sweet fur just to hold on to a living breathing thing.  I have held on tight to my son, my husband and my friends.  We understand with one another what that holding tight means……and we don’t ever want to let go sometimes.  But the LORD tells us we must…….let……..go of everything in order to be free in HIM.

“ISAIAH 58: 6  “IS NOT THIS THE FAST THAT I CHOOSE: TO LOOSE THE BONDS OF WICKEDNESS, TO UNDO THE STRAPS OF THE YOKE, TO LET THE OPPRESSED GO FREE, AND TO BREAK EVERY YOKE?”

You see friends, when we hold onto the people and stuff of this wicked world tightly, we remain in bondage.  We are not free and neither are our minds or our hearts.  The world will continue to push it’s lies and evil upon us and we have to choose WHO we will listen to.  Let’s let go of this rotting world and hold on tight to the ONLY REDEEMER we know who will set us free.  HE will set us free of our sins and guilt.

Let’s choose to let go daily, over and over and submit ourselves to the CROSS, to the ONLY SAVIOR who saves, wins, works and lives.  IN HIM there is freedom…….

GALATIANS 5: 1 “FOR FREEDOM CHRIST HAS SET US FREE; STAND FIRM THEREFORE, AND DO NOT SUBMIT AGAIN TO A YOKE OF SLAVERY.”

Let’s not be slaves to this world, let it go and all that it offers.  Loosening our grip keeps us from being permanently stained by the sins of this culture. We might have to say no to some things or people, but that is good because we need to turn to and choose the better thing…….freedom in CHRIST!  Choose the righteous path today, the good path, because it is only there where we find true freedom, freedom from our sins, and freedom from guilt.  Let go of this world now, loosen that grip and hold on tighter to the ONE who never fails, who always provides and protects.  And that one is the ONE who died for your sins:  JESUS CHRIST!

Let JESUS be your priority today and watch how your priorities will change, how you will desire your time with HIM more, over anything else you hold dear.  LET HIM occupy all of your heart, not just some of it.  Let us strive today to let things of this world go……loosen that tight grip on everything and everyone around you.  JESUS loves you and wants to be the desire of your heart because HE knows this:  the world is temporary and the KINGDOM is forever!

JOHN 3: 16  “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”