Mother’s day pictures spamming my news feed.
Truth seduces us very easily into a kind of joy of possession: I have comprehended this and that, learned it, understood it. Knowledge is power. I am therefore more than the other man who does not know this and that. I have greater possibilities and also greater temptations. Anyone who deals with truth… succumbs all too easily to the psychology of the possessor.
But love is the opposite of the will to possess. It is self-giving. It boasteth not itself, but humbleth itself.
“…the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue and slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel, and God knew. - Exodus 2:23-25
“The Lord sets the prisoners free.” - Psalm 146:7
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:31-32
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” - John 8:34-36
“It is finished.” - John 19:30
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17
“For when you were slaves on sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” - Romans 6:20-21
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
“now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” - Romans 6:22
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” - Galatians 5:13
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” - 2 Timothy 2:8-10
“Remember my chains.” - Colossians 4:18
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” - 2 Timothy 4:6-8
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. - Jude 24-25
I spend a lot of my prayers asking for more. I wonder how faithful I’ve been with what has already been given to me, daily.
“By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
“Son of man, can these bones live?”
“O Lord God, you know.”
“Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live… And you shall know that I am the Lord.”