18“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,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
This scripture is one that I have been meditating on for more than a year now. This scripture has pushed me so that I have a similar conversation with God ever time I read it. God has pressed it on my heart and push me to answer this question "Do I believe He can set people free?" I want to answer this with a full hearted Yes!!! But if I am honest I do struggle with it. When you see so many lives that are hurting and in pain, it can be very difficult. When you have seen a loved one struggle with the same battle over and over, I find myself asking God if he can really truly set them free. So I asked God to show me and to renew my faith in his delivering power. And God did just that! Through out this pass year I have seen God come through and deliver those that were struggling with sin BE SET FREE! I have seen those that have gone through abusive that makes me sick to my stomach to even think about and BE SET FREE! I have seen ones that have struggled with addiction for many years and God has given them the courage to start on the journey and BE SET FREE!
So now that my faith has been renewed, and I could for sure say YES! God you came to set us free! But again I felt the pull of the Holy Spirit asking the same question. "Do you believe Jesus came to set people free?" I wondered why I could not get away from this question, till God opened my eyes. If I really believe he came to set the captive free, and to heal the oppressed then why was I not acting like it. WOW! That is a humbling question to answer. Through the strength of the Holy Spirit, I am not afraid to tell people about Jesus and invite them to church. I am not afraid to disciple those that God has brought into my life and show them how God can truly set them free. Then what was I missing?????
The Holy Spirit is amazing and gently showed me, I believed He came to set people free, but I only acted on it with those people I was comfortable with. But if I believe this with my whole being then why not show it to the neighbor that no one in town would be caught hugging?? Why not pray for the people I feel are beyond reach? Today I finally got it! (By No means am I saying that I have mastered it!) But God has opened my eyes and my heart! I need to love the unloveable, the hurting, the ones that feel God has abandoned them. Show them God's love at let God do the rest!
One day we will be in the Dominican Republic spreading God's love and power of deliverance, but until then I want every person in my reach to know God loves them. I want to throw away every preconceived notion I have of them and simple love them. How will that look? Thankfully I have the Holy Spirit to guided me and show me. Maybe it is as simple as a hug, a prayer, a ride to the store, and so many other ways.
So what does that mean for you? Do you really believe that God came to set people free? Do you believe it enough to be friend the smelliest kid at school? Do you believe it enough to love on the town drunk instead of looking at him with disgust? Do you believe it enough to love the most unforgiving person in your life? Do we believe it enough to say God I am yours use me with any person and any circumstance?
Dios Te Bendiga! Gloria a Dios!
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