Scripture
…If you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. 1 Corinthians 7:22

Observation
We are free only when we are captivated with the Lord. I like the word “captivated” because it says we are not captives against our will but because we desire Jesus. When I rightly understand who Jesus is and what he offers to me then I want only what I can find within his love. I become a willing prisoner.

In this captivation I find real freedom. Freefalling can feel like freedom but the hard ground argues otherwise. Freedom is when I let Jesus take me over. The choice to follow him is a guided adventure. Following the Lord is never dull.

I remember from my childhood a hymn that rang out,

Make me a captive Lord, and then I shall be free,
Force me to render up my sword, and I shall conquer be.
I sink in life’s alarms, when by myself I stand,
Imprison me within your arms and strong shall be my stand.

Those words were written by a blind man whose fiance broke their engagement after he lost his sight. His sister, who devoted herself to her sightless pastor/brother, learning Greek and Hebrew to help him prepare for his sermons, fell in love and was married. George Matheson was alone. He could not attend her wedding, so great was his anguish. In what he described as a mental collapse too great for words, he wrote that night another hymn,

O love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary self in Thee,
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow may deeper, fuller be.

Application
The greatest liberty I have is to pray, “Jesus, take me over.” He will pull me to the shore of his choosing. We will end up where God wants us to be. The secret is to be captivated by Jesus.

Prayer
Father, let Jesus take me over. Let the confines of my situation remind me of his embrace. Amen.