Breaking Free.
Kidnapped: to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom.
Tormented. Hurt. Afraid. Worried. So much chaos in her mind trying to figure out how to get out. She was aware of the fact she was being held hostage and that things were not right, but could not seem to fully break out and get free from the ropes and chains binding her up. Slowly but surely, progress was being made. One leg, one hand, one rope and chain at a time. Wrestling with thoughts of hopelessness, shame, guilt, and frustration. What was she doing wrong? Why couldn't she speed up the process and get out completely in order to escape to a place completely safe, calm, and restful?
All of a sudden, it happened. She was out. She was FREE. She ran as fast as she could to her safe place. She could release all the adrenaline, frustration, concern, and pain. She could finally rest, worry free. She knew she was okay and no matter what came her way, everything would be alright because she won. She escaped. She had gained victory.
The reality is, this describes many of our lives, whether we are in the process of trying to figure out how to break free or we have overcome and gained victory from the enemy's kidnapping.
I believe each of us experience "wilderness" periods in our lives. And this experience is going to look different for each of us. Sometimes, we land in a dry, desolate season because of our own decisions. Other times, we end up in those dry seasons because God is stripping us of things, and it feels difficult so we become frustrated, angry, and depressed. On the other hand, there are "wilderness" seasons that God leads us into and we know they will be challenging, but we know He is with us, so there is a greater amount of peace and hope throughout the challenges.
Regardless of what type of wilderness season you may find yourself in, God is in them all. There is GREAT purpose in it. He is with you, despite what you may feel or think.
In the wilderness, we are meant to find REST. We are meant to find hope. We are meant to find peace, power, and authority. We are meant to meet God in a deep, intimate, powerful way.
Here's the thing, Jesus Himself was led into the wilderness; we see this in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. We see that Jesus Himself was tempted by the enemy. He faced challenges, trials, and temptations without any food in his body... now each of us can attest that without food in our bodies, we are a different person, haha. Our emotions, strength, thoughts, and interactions with others are completely different. We are much more vulnerable. Again, this was the reality for Jesus. For 40 days He was wrestling his flesh and the attacks of the enemy. BUT what happened when Satan threw questions at Him? What was His response?"
It is written..." - the Word of God.
This is our weapon. This is our truth. This is our hope and our defense. This is the rock on which we stand. This is what makes us immovable and gives us the ability to withstand EVERY fiery dart of temptation that the enemy throws our way (Ephesians 6:10-17).
One more statement, "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit..." (Luke 4:14). Jesus was LED into the wilderness on purpose, but He came out in the POWER of the Spirit.
The wilderness is nothing to be afraid of; it is a place to embrace and seek the Lord more and more, in order to truly enter into His peace and rest with ALL of our heart. This is where we are to find that peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). This is a peace that the world has no ability to offer us. It is a peace that is truly only found in Him (John 14:27). The one that we experience when we can truly rest in the fact that we are not in control, but it is okay. We can REST in the character of God, trusting His character - His goodness, faithfulness, sovereignty, love, compassion, closeness, gentleness, and the list can continue on forever.
I think we can each agree that it's easy to try to "label" different seasons of our lives; it helps us feel like we have some sort of control and sense of understanding to the hardships we are facing. And yes, sometimes there will be very clear "this was a wilderness season." However, the challenge is to not get caught up in trying to figure out what season we are in, but rather to stay focused on God and on the fact that every moment, every day, and every season has different struggles, challenges, temptations, and opportunities for growth, AND ALL have purpose, meaning, and significance. We are to seek His Kingdom first, put on the armor of God, and receive the abundance of blessings: true hope, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, along with so many other gifts.
Friends, the description of the kidnapped girl was a description of me. I would say that since January 2014 until January 2020, I was on a long journey of discovering Jesus in a much deeper way than ever imagined. The first 3 years was the "anger, frustration, and questioning God's goodness wilderness" as I watched Him remove thing after thing from my life - my graduation plans, close friends, my church, prevention of my dreams; I can truly only describe it as a stripping. It was a rough and painful season where I felt alone and as though He wasn't with me. Whereas, on the flip side, I would describe the last 3 years as the wilderness season that God LED me into. It was a season of learning to surrender and walk in obedience despite the costs - leaving every thing I knew and had any sort of security in: my job, my friends, my church, my home; it was a season of learning to the core the statement "obedience is better and greater than sacrifice." Through this, the Lord Himself opened my eyes to the fact that the enemy's deceptions had me caught up in anxiety, doubt, fear, and control. He had kidnapped me from my Father and the safety, peace, and rest He promises me.
Here's the thing, unless you realize what it is that is keeping you bound up and kidnapped, you cannot break free. Even when you are aware that something isn't right and you're fighting to escape to safety, it is a process; it takes time. Whether you can see it or not, progress is being made little by little. We must not give up, though, and we must BELIEVE that ALL things serve a purpose, and maybe that challenge, trial, or situation is the very thing you need in order to see and become aware of how to get out of the "kidnapping."
Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
Although I truly believe I am in a new season and the "label" is SO UNCLEAR to me, I know the chains and ropes that were holding me back are no longer there and that God has truly shown me that I HAVE the power and authority inside of me to live and abide in HIS rest, hope, joy, and peace, despite the temptations and the schemes of the enemy. I have found and will continue to run to that SAFE place with Him. A place of rest and peace. But... this is a place I have to CHOOSE. God will not force anything on us, He will simply offer it to us and hopefully we will choose to receive it.
My prayer is that we will ALL enter into His gates DAILY and that we will choose to receive and experience His peace, rest, hope, and joy, no matter the "chaos" that goes on around us. May you seek the Lord diligently and let Him reveal Himself to you in deep, powerful ways. And I pray you will be open to whatever it is He asks of you and/or reveals to you, so that you may live a life of FREEDOM.
"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1.
Believe God's promises. Trust His character. Don't quit. Trust the process.
The kidnapping is no longer our destiny. The price (ransom) has been paid.
You are free.
Let HIM help you BREAK FREE.