Issue 1361 – Chains – February 3, 2024
I love to visit living museums, where volunteers and staff reenact the past. Places like Fort Langley, Fort Edmonton, Yale Ghost Town, Kilby Historical Site and the Ukrainian Village Cultural Center, to name a few. They make history come alive for me.
I find them informative and fun. My favourite places in those museums are where they work with the animals and the blacksmith’s shop. I like the animals because I enjoy critters, and the blacksmith because I have always been fascinated with the smithy’s art.
I remember one shop in particular. The room was dark and smoky. The heat from the forge was oppressive, yet the smith didn’t seem to notice.
He pulled the hot metal out of the file, laid it on the anvil and began pounding and bending it into shape. He heated it again and repeated the process. Over and over again, with an occasional dunking of the piece into a nearby bucket of water. Finally, that piece was ready, and he moved on to the next small part.
He was building a heavy chain, Forging it slowly, link by heavy link, until it got to just the right size.
In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens had it right when he described old Jacob Marley carrying his chains. They were forged link by link through the choices of his lifetime.
We often forge our own chains and bondage from the choices we make in life. The weights grow gradually heavier and heavier until they are more than we can bear, more than we can carry, so they drag along behind us, wrapping around other people in our lives.
Our chains tangle with their chains, and we’re soon wholly bound.
Fortunately, God understood our dilemma and provided us with a means of freedom. We can’t break those hand-forged chains ourselves, but he has cut them for us.
When we’re feeling oppressed, we need to turn to Him.
[Jesus said] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
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.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “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 8:31-36
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. Luke 4:18
Until next time, may you come to understand the freedom that is yours in Christ. May your chains be broken and your burdens lifted.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the Glory of God alone)
__________________________________________
Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, please comment if you wish.
Are you aware we have an email version? It has the same content but in a different format. Subscribe today https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1
_______________________________
All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2024 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English
Standard Version (ESV).
___________________________________________
#chains #burdens #blacksmith #LivingMuseums #Matthew11 #John8 #Luke4 #trending #Salvation #politicallyCorrect #dailyBible #verseoftheday #grace #god #HolySpirit #theology #blessing #BibleReading # #biblestudy #bible #bibleVerse #jesus #christian #god #faith #jesuschrist #godisgood #scripture#love #prayer #church #truth