DAY 10

Cutting off the things that tie us down

This post is based on thoughts shared from a 12 year old girl in Canada and a 13 year old girl from South Africa.

Lately in my personal devotions I have been learning about how God wants to set us free from the restraints of the world, so that we can come to Him and be safe in His arms. I had a picture impression a while ago, while I was praying, that was of a white sheet of plastic that was wrapped up in black electrical tape. Then in the picture a knife came along and cut the black tape off of the white plastic. I believe that this was saying that God will "cut" us free of the things that bind us if we call out to Him. Some of these things could be T.V., or fears, or food or things people have said or done to us that hurt us.  (Binding means the things that we worry about or have influence on us so that we can’t be happy or be who God meant us to be.)


 

There is a play that I was once in that was about a puppet that God had created. This puppet got so caught up in doing what she wanted and ignoring God that she eventually gave her "controls" (her life) to the devil. The devil starts to torment her and too late the puppet realizes what she has done. Just before the devil plans to kill her she cries out JESUS! Immediately Jesus rushes in, and kicks the devils' butt. Jesus then re-creates the puppet. At first she is very happy to be alive but then she remembers what she has done and starts crying.

Jesus comes once again to comfort her, and she gives her controls to Him, but she is still very sad, so Jesus comes and cuts her free from the controls that have bound her. The last scene shows the puppet and Jesus hugging, the puppet free at last in Jesus arms.
 

This scripture song based on Galatians 5:1 and is a picture of what I felt.                                                           

It was for freedom
That Christ has set us free,
No longer to be subject
To the yoke of slavery
Now we're rejoicing
In God's Victory
Our hearts, responding to His love

Chorus:
Jesus, We celebrate Your Victory,
Jesus we revel in Your Love
Jesus, we rejoice, You've set us free
Jesus, Your death has brought us life.
 
His Spirit in us
Releases us from fear
The way to Him is open
With boldness we draw near
And in His presence, our problems disappear
Our hearts, responding to His love.

The Lord gave me a scripture for myself also.  The Lord say’s:  It’s a  NEW day!!  A new season, there are new levels of following him that He wants to take me to.  It is so important in this new season to discern who real friends are and who are not.  There is also a lot of attacks from the enemy – it is not also very nice – my father is in fulltime ministry and radical.  Kids often say very mean things to me and so the Lord wants to take me to the place to forgive deeply out of my heart and let Him heal the wounds. I feel much lighter because of His light that takes away all the scary things.  God also gave a promise that He is the only one who will give genuine friends in this new season.  This is a way that is very lonely, but I know He is totally in control. I can’t compromise anymore

I think God would like to tell the people in Canada, and the world, that if we let Him cut off everything that is holding us back from following Him, and let Him make us a new creation, we would find true freedom and true rest in our hearts.

Activities:

Choose one of these activities:

1. Tie a heavy object around your leg with duct tape, like a weight or a tin of spaghetti for example. Ask the Lord to bring to mind the things that hold you down. It may be that you know already. On the tin or the tape write the names of these things; it could be bad thoughts, fear, or concerns about your weight, what ever it is for you.  Walk around for at least 15 minutes like that. As you do talk to God about these things.

Then take the scripture from Galatians and pray. “Jesus, you died for us and you were victorious over death and sin and sickness. We claim your victory over this heaviness that is binding me and ask you to set me free.  We come to you with boldness as your son or daughter and rejoice at what you have done for me.”

Then take scissors and cut off the heavy object and run! Shout as you do, “I believe and I claim the freedom that You have promised me!” 

2. Take 2 Popsicle sticks or similar pieces of wood and tie them together at right angles to make an X. These are like the controls that marionettes were bound to. On the ends tie strings and attach pieces of paper to the ends.  On them, write down the things that have hurt you or are weighing you down. Things that keep you from having joy. 

Take this “control” and give these things to Jesus telling Him that you no longer want to be controlled by these thoughts and feelings. Ask Him to help you walk in the freedom that He has bought for you. After you have done that, take a scissor and cut these things off the “Controls”. On the ends of the Popsicle sticks write one word on each end, “Christ is in control”.  Place the “controls” on the wall beside your bed as a reminder that you have given your controls to Jesus, and want Him to help you walk in freedom.

3. Read Mark 1: 21-45 What was it that the people were amazed at? (see verse 22) As we have talked about before, Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing, and because of His obedience that gave Him the authority to do anything that the Father wanted to do, because they were One in heart. Jesus has given us the same authority.  Isn’t that AWESOME!! (Matthew 28:18-20)

Prayerfully wrap someone up in toilet paper (or just a limb) to bind them all up. Have the person that is all wrapped up think of the thing that is ‘binding’ him.  Have the people that wrapped him/her up look at what Jesus said to people that were “bound” with sickness or fears in the verses we read. Take the words that Jesus said and use them as a declaration prayer to ‘break through’ the things that tie us down. After you have done that, have the wrapped up person, break free from the restraints that held him and rejoice!!!

Kids consecration team

Check out blog . www.kidsofthekingarise.blog.com