Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has
anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to those who are bound.”
Words of Devotion
As word spread throughout
the world, people by the millions began leaving their homelands to settle in
America. Nearly three million people arrived during the 1850s alone.
In 1853, observing a scene of newly arrived immigrants, the New York Daily Times described “a noisy crowd of strange faces and stranger costumes.” These people “bear the plain marks of the Old World.” They did not seem to “have the vaguest ideas” of the difficulties that might confront them. But all of them shared a common excitement: They had come to America, driven by hope and the desire for freedom.
As a symbol of this hope, the French government presented the Statue of Liberty to the American government in 1884. This majestic monument, located in New York Harbor, carries a plaque bearing these words: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
While this statue continues to remind people throughout the world of the ideal of freedom, the Bible reminds us that God’s Spirit is the key to real freedom: “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Freedom was a central theme in the ministry of Jesus. Even Isaiah’s ancient prophecy foretold how the Messiah would come to bring liberty, to release those who were prisoners of this world or bound by the burdens of sin and fear, by bad habits and anxiety, or by disease and poverty.
Don’t allow your life to be dominated by worries and burdens. Confess your sins. Be healed in Jesus’ name. Let him loose you from bondage. Ask Him to direct your life. Receive His peace and joy…and true freedom.
In 1853, observing a scene of newly arrived immigrants, the New York Daily Times described “a noisy crowd of strange faces and stranger costumes.” These people “bear the plain marks of the Old World.” They did not seem to “have the vaguest ideas” of the difficulties that might confront them. But all of them shared a common excitement: They had come to America, driven by hope and the desire for freedom.
As a symbol of this hope, the French government presented the Statue of Liberty to the American government in 1884. This majestic monument, located in New York Harbor, carries a plaque bearing these words: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
While this statue continues to remind people throughout the world of the ideal of freedom, the Bible reminds us that God’s Spirit is the key to real freedom: “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Freedom was a central theme in the ministry of Jesus. Even Isaiah’s ancient prophecy foretold how the Messiah would come to bring liberty, to release those who were prisoners of this world or bound by the burdens of sin and fear, by bad habits and anxiety, or by disease and poverty.
Don’t allow your life to be dominated by worries and burdens. Confess your sins. Be healed in Jesus’ name. Let him loose you from bondage. Ask Him to direct your life. Receive His peace and joy…and true freedom.
Inspirational Prayer: Father, thank You for the freedom I have
because of Jesus. Thank You for forgiving my sins. Thank You for taking away my
burdens. In His name Amen
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