Wednesday Word
Route 66: God’s Story, Our Journey
Crossing Over to Freedom
Scripture: Exodus 14:13-14
Reflection: This week America celebrates another Independence Day. Flags will wave. Fireworks will fill the sky. Families will gather around picnic tables. We’ll sing patriotic songs, and the freedoms we have today. And it’s ok to give thanks for those blessings. Freedom has never been free. But this week we should also be thankful for freedom that isn’t protected by armies or written into a constitution. One that no government can give or take away. The freedom that comes through Jesus Christ. In our Rte. 66 series this week we traveled to St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, a monument that celebrates America’s westward expansion. For generations it represented opportunity, adventure, and the chance to begin again. People crossed the Mississippi River believing a better future lay ahead. The Israelites stood at another gateway. Not beneath a stainless-steel arch, but at the edge of the Red Sea. Behind them was Pharaoh’s army nowhere to run, they were trapped. Or so they thought. Sometimes life feels exactly like that. Maybe you’ve received a difficult diagnosis, maybe your marriage feels strained. Maybe your finances have become overwhelming or you’re missing someone you love. Maybe even the battle is one that no one else can see like fear, anxiety, depression, shame or addiction. You smile when people ask how you’re doing. You come to church, go to work, even laugh with friends but inside you feel stuck. Well friends the greatest prison isn’t always made of steel bars. Sometimes it’s made of fear or lies. Sometimes it’s made of years of believing you’ll never change. Israel knew that feeling. For four hundred years slavery had become more than their circumstance. It had become their identity. Generation after generation was born into bondage. They didn’t just wear chains. They thought like slaves. When God finally delivered them, something interesting happened. The chains came off. But fear, doubt and complaining stayed. Their location changed but not their thinking. Isn’t that true for us? How often has God declared that we are His beloved children, while we continue believing we’re failures? We often carry chains that Jesus has already broken. The enemy loves to remind us of our past but Jesus reminds us of our future. Freedom begins when we stop believing the lies and start trusting the promises of God.
Consider this:
What story am I believing that’s keeping me stuck?
What old way of thinking are you still carrying?
What step of faith is God asking you to take this week?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for setting me free. Forgive me for the times I keep carrying chains You have already broken. Help me recognize the lies that have shaped my thinking and replace them with Your truth. Teach me to live as Your beloved child instead of as a prisoner of my past. May my life reflect the joy, peace, hope, and courage of someone who has been redeemed by Your grace. Lead me this week to trust You more deeply, love others more freely, and walk confidently in the new identity You have given me. In the name of Jesus, who still parts seas, still breaks chains, and still makes a way where there is no way. Amen.