Weekday Devotionals

Finding Freedom
The sermon this week was in Ephesians and Paul is writing to the people of Ephesus to let them know that through our loving God they can find grace and peace in their lives which leads to the freedom that everyone is longing for.  
 Ephesians 1:4-6, Paul writes-- For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
 2:8 For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is a gift
from God.  

This will be the greatest gift anyone can receive in their life, feeling the grace of God filling your heart and soul. Some people find this very thing easy to do while others struggle to understand how this is attainable. How is it that you have to surrender yourself, give up yourself to gain freedom? The very act of giving up control in situations that you may not be finding a way out of, may be the first sign that God is wanting you to lean on him more. When we “Give it to God” and take a step back, we become complete and the peace that follows is unending joy. Not that it makes our lives free of hardships but that we have God with us to help us clarify our decisions and the path to take.
I myself had to learn that the hard way. I was a single mom raising two kids by myself and I thought if I ever lost control everything around me would crumble. Little did I know I had control over nothing! I was wading through waist deep water most of the time and barely making it through each day, but only after I cried out to the Lord for help, did I realize I wasn’t really in control of anything.  I started to trust in God’s love for me and not that things were perfect (look at Paul’s life), but that I didn’t have to do this thing called life alone. I felt- as Pastor Pete said- one with the Lord and part of his family.  
Then comes the day I am flat on my back in the hospital with a leg missing after a horrible motorcycle accident- and I can’t do much of anything for myself. I, for the first time had absolutely no control over anything in my life. The difference between the first story and the latter is I had God fully and foremost in my life. I knew who had me in the palm of his hands and I felt his peace and love. I was His daughter and he was leading and helping me to whatever was coming next. I had found God’s promised peace and freedom for such a time as this.
 “Freedom” is almost a trigger word these days. There is so much talk about freedoms being taken
away for this or that, lifestyles, benefits, etc. But there is only one person who can give you true
freedom in your life and that is God. I pray your searching will lead you to the study, person or place that gives correct biblical information and you find your freedom that only God can give. God doesn’t care who you are, where you have come from or what you have done, God’s grace, forgiveness and love is for everyone. I for one am grateful for that!  
Peace-Prayers-Love
LuAnn Kleemeyer