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Galatians 5:1

Reflect

It feels fitting to finish this devotion series with God’s word bringing freedom! So much of life tries to tie us down and contain us to our immediate experiences. We often find ourselves riding the waves of the day, managing expectations, coasting emotions and navigating our own reactions to the myriad of different moments we encounter through the day.

Throughout this series we’ve looked at how God’s word breathes life, sustains, empowers, guides and encourages us in each and every season. But all of these things naturally point us toward the overall blessing we receive through Jesus … freedom.

Jesus came to bring us life, and life in all it’s fullness (John 10:10). He came to bring freedom and liberty from the sin that so easily entangles (Hebrews 12:1), and he came to restore our relationship to our heavenly Father and give us eternal life (John 3:16). This is freedom!

Our foundation verse today is from Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

It’s so easy for us to sometimes find ourselves contained and ‘burdened’ by the responsibilities of life. We all know family life can be challenging at times but Jesus himself said that he didn’t come to take us out of the world (where troubles inevitably come) but to empower us within it.

These verses show us God’s intention for us to continually live a life of freedom, and the only way we do that is through our relationship with Jesus.

We want to teach our children that Jesus brings freedom for them too. One of my favourite passages of scripture is from The Message Bible in Romans 5:1-2. This is where we will conclude our ‘Words of life’ devotion series, and I can’t think of any better words to encourage you into the freedom that Christ has obtained for you than these:

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

What incredible words to meditate upon!

Let’s take what we’ve learned throughout this devotion series and be more intentional in using our words to speak life. If we are finding life challenging right now, our circumstances won’t necessarily change overnight, but the way we perceive them and interact with them can! We have been empowered, through scripture, to breathe life into our lives in this season.

God’s word is alive and active. It provides us with the tools we need to live in freedom. Its truth sustains us and helps us to trust God in each and every season. It brings hope and courage, especially when we need strength to keep walking. It gives us wisdom and direction, illuminating the path before us.

Let’s end this summer series by thanking God that his words bring life and freedom to our lives!

Remember

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Galatians 5:1

Family idea

Talk together about the things that you’ve always wanted to try out. Maybe it’s climbing a big tree, or swimming in the sea. It could be learning to make dinner, or singing a song you love in front of people. Whatever it is, share it together as a family and then talk about the verses from Romans 5. God has given us freedom to explore and be creative, to have wide open spaces to discover more about ourselves and him. Then make some plans for doing some of these activities!