How can I be freed ?

Tuesday 4 April 2023

In their distress they cried unto the Eternal, and he delivered them out of their distresses ; he brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death ; and he broke their bonds. Let them praise the Eternal for his goodness, and for his wonders to the sons of men ! Psalm 107. 13-15

How can I be freed ?

Sylvain, a common law prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment, says :

"For ten years I made plans to be able to escape from this dreadful place - ten years full of plans for revenge and hatred for society and humanity. Ten years during which I dreamed, night and day, of a life outside these gray walls.

One day, I turn on the radio and I come across a program about the Bible. This text is read and commented on : "Anyone who practices sin is a slave to sin... If therefore the Son (of God, Jesus Christ) sets you free, you will truly be free" (John 8. 34, 36). At that moment, touched deep in my heart, I remembered that my mother had taught me this. In fact, I was a captive of the power of sin within me, of my lusts and of Satan. It was as if God was telling me :

- You are indeed a prisoner, but your real prison is not at all these walls. In reality it is your soul that is imprisoned, and you are a slave to evil.

I knelt down, I wept, and I prayed to God :

- Forgive me ! Release me !

So, for the first time in my life, I became aware of the closeness of God. A deep peace came over me : I was free! I gave up on my escape plans. I now wanted to serve God, here in the prison."

Jesus came to earth "to proclaim good news to the poor...to proclaim deliverance to captives, and to the blind recovery of sight, to set the oppressed free" (Luke 4:18, 19).

Source (The Good Seed)