“Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord” (Ps 124:7-8a; NKJV). “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:1-2).

As children of God we have been removed from the power of satan and conveyed into the kingdom of God (Col 1:13). We have escaped from the fowler’s snare or satans snares but satan still tries to ensnare us with sin (1 Pet 5:8). Matthew tells us that if we seek first God’s kingdom, all the blessings of God will be ours (Matt 6:33). 

How do we lay aside those sins that hold us back, how do we pant and thirst after God (Ps 42:1-2), seeking His kingdom? Well, John’s gospel tells us that God’s word (Jesus) is truth and the truth will make us free (John 8:32). Receiving the freedom and blessings we have in Christ is no more complicated than spending time in His word and believing the truth can work in our lives and bring freedom and blessings! "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection" (Phil 3:10). 

So, rest in the Lord, in His word and wait patiently for Him today (Ps 37:7), cast your cares on Him (1 Pet 5:7) and allow Him to work in your life. 

Psalm 103:2-3 talks about God’s benefits and reminds us that He heals all of our diseases. God had a healing covenant with His people in the Old Testament as long as they obeyed the law (Ex 15:26), but praise God in the New Testament we are told that we are healed by the stripes of Jesus (1 Pet 2:24).

Jesus body was flogged, broken, striped with wounds so we could be whole. In Acts 10:38 it talks about Jesus: “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him”. He is still our healer today; we are told in Hebrews that He never changes (Heb 13:8).

So He can heal but will He heal me you may ask? Well God is no respecter of person (Mark 12:14) and He reassured the doubting leper: “then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing (to heal you); be cleansed. Immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matt 8:3). Alleluia! Healing is yours, believe God for it today. Agree with God and receive by faith.

As we look around us today we often see people in fear and confusion as they watch TV and listen to the fear mongers in the media. But fear and confusion should have no place in the life of the Christian. “God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind”(2 Tim 1:7; NKJV). 

God says that perfect love drives fear from our lives (1 John 4:18). Fear is the opposite of faith; faith believes God, fear believes the reports of the devil. If our lives are driven by selfishness and evil motives then confusion easily results (James 3:16) but “God is not the author of confusion but of peace”(1 Cor 14:33). 

How do we walk in peace? In Isaiah chapter 26 and verse 3 it is written: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You”. Let's commit to walk in love, focus on God's word and believe it, not the noise in the world around us. Let's cut through the confusion in our world and be beacons of God's life, peace and truth. “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”(John 8:32)! 

True life and freedom are not to be found in rushing after everything the World says is important. God's greatest desire is to bless us, but His word says: “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (God's provisions and blessings) shall be added unto you”(Matt 6:33). We need to put God first and do things God's way! Wow, I don”t know about you, but I needed to hear that! If these words have helped you, please share them with a friend. 

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil 3:10; NKJV). 

Paul says that his goal in life is to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. Think what power (Greek Dunamis) was needed to raise Jesus from the dead (Eph 1:20)! 

We get our English word dynamite from the Greek word Dunamis! That same power dwells in us (Ro 8:11), brings life to our mortal bodies, empowers us to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:8) and in fact, makes us like Jesus (2 Cor 3:17-18)! Wow and double Wow! 

Eph 1:18 also indicates that Gods power (Greek Kratos) in us is the power of dominion or authority. As born again believers in Jesus we walk in the authority of Jesus over the devil, authority which Jesus took back from satan through His (Jesus) death and resurrection (Eph 1:21-22). 

What a victory we have in Jesus! But Paul does go on to say, in Phil 3:10, that we also must be willing to fellowship in Christ”s sufferings and death. We have to die to self and live for Christ, no matter how much persecution or difficulty this may bring; are we willing?

I am always struck by the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). There we see the stark contrast between the cold, cunning of the unforgiving Pharisees and Jesus’ consummate wisdom, compassion and forgiveness. However, Jesus did not overlook the woman’s sin but told her to sin no more!

 Isn't it wonderful to know that Jesus paid the price for our sins through His sacrifice on the cross (Rom 5:8). As Christians we are forgiven (Col 1:14), given new life (2 Cor 5:17) and righteousness in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21). As Christians we do still sin (1 John 1:8) as our spirit (spiritual heart or conscience) is made new but not our body or soul (1 Thess 5:23). However, we should not habitually or willfully sin (1 John 3:6) as God has made us new spiritual creations in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17).

 Our spirit is to govern our soul and body. When we gave our lives to Christ we were born again spiritually (John 3:1-6) and our spirits were made new (Ezek 11:19). When we do slip and sin, because we allow our souls to get the upper hand, we can repent and ask God’s forgiveness. God forgives “us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; NKJV).

 What an advantage we have over the woman caught in adultery; how God loves us, in that He has placed His Holy Spirit on the inside of us to enable us to change  and help us not to sin (John 14:16-17). All we have to do is cooperate and walk in obedience!