Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  1 Corinthians 16:13 

 

Yesterday I wrote about a woman Jesus healed after 18 years of chronic illness. Because He did it on the Sabbath, some religious leaders made a big deal out of it! Listen to Jesus: 'You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and give it water? Then should not this woman, whom Satan has kept bound for 18 long years, be set free?' (Luke 13:15-16). Notice two things: (1) Whether it’s a valuable ox or a lowly donkey, both need water. We get excited when somebody famous comes to know Jesus Christ, but act under whelmed when others come. Yet God makes no difference! This woman is never mentioned again in Scripture, yet Jesus thought she was worth saving. (2) The same people who kept their expensive ox in one stall and their cheap donkey in another wanted to 'keep her in her place.' But she refused to stay in their 'religious stall,' designed to keep her from wandering into areas where she could find for herself what they were incapable of giving her. Sound familiar? Here’s the score: when God delivers you, say, 'No' to those who want to contain or control you. Tell them, 'I’ve decided to live close to the living water. I won’t be put into a position where I have to rely solely on you to lead me to what you think I need, or don’t need.' Once Jesus has loosed you, refuse to return to captivity - even the religious kind!