For freedom

Galatians 5:1 says, "For freedom Christ has set us free."

Does that make sense to you? For me it made too much sense. Obvious. Until I really began to sit with it for a while. Why is it so repetitive? Why does the Lord need to tell us that freedom was the reason we were set free... like we would forget? But we do forget.

I think it is easier to forget that we are free when we forget what we were freed from.Romans 8:2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Through Christ, we are brought out of sin and death. How beautiful.
Yet how do we live in this freedom? How should we live in this freedom? Galatians 5:13 says "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."
This freedom isn't something that we experience just once... as we live in freedom, we are to love freely and serve freely. unhindered by sin and death. We are able to live and love freely because (2 Corinthians 3:17 says), "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

And the Spirit lives in us. So not only do we live in freedom, but freedom lives in us. Wrap your mind around that if you can. Freedom resides in us because the Holy Spirit resides in us. That is powerful. But still we forget.At least I do... I forget the reason that Christ set us free.

The rest of Galatians 5:1 says, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." It was for freedom. He didn't set us free so that we could worry, so that we could hold back our joy and beauty, so that we could harbor anger or bitterness or doubt, so that we could fear. it was for freedom he set us free. So that we would be FREE.

Do not be burdened. Do not forget the freedom that Christ bought with his blood on the cross.You are free. live like it.

For freedom he set us free. And yes I am free indeed!

He rewrote my name, unshackled my shame, opened my eyes to see...

I am free.

They held up his hands

Camp 5

Have you ever looked around and known that the people who surround you are gifts from God?

People who encourage you, who laugh, who serve, who bring joy, who teach, who grow, who pray, who seek the Lord with you?

Those are the kinds of people that fill RVR. What a blessing.

I know that the Lord provides for our every need and that includes friendships, community, and help.

He shows us in Exodus 17:11-12:

"Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."

See how God uses people? Brings people into our lives to hold us up when we grow weary?I hope you've experienced that provision in your life and I hope that specific people have come to mind.
Perhaps you should tell them what a blessing they are to you.

Philippians 1:3-5 says, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now..."

Praise God for your partners in the gospel. Your brothers and sisters in Christ. Your family of believers.

God provides and He deserves all the praise and all the glory.

Just a weekend hike.