My Rescuer

Dear Jesus - Please keep my eyes on You.  Cause me never to forget You are my only Rescuer...

Today this really hit home with me.  Sin, at its core, is slavery.  In our world - slavery does exist.  One of the most common forms of slavery today is addiction.  If we could help ourselves, we would - right?  
An addiction is slavery.  Terrible reality.

• rage, anger, hate, control (directed towards self or others)
• work (for employer, around the house, in the garden/outside, for Jesus, etc.)
• self-righteousness
• verbal abuse to self or others
• physical abuse to self or others
• food, alcohol, drugs (illicit or legal), tobacco, caffeine, sugar, chocolate
• sports
• TV, Internet, media
• porn, sex (others, self)
• music, entertainment
• affection, esteem of others, praise
• this wretched list could go on - but let's just stop.  we get the idea...

Here's the thing - Jesus is on a rescue mission.  He sees the wretchedness of the slavery of addiction - in all its varied forms - and is the Great Rescuer and Avenger.  Close your eyes with me.  Listen to the great rounded tones of tenderest love: 

Exodus 20:1-3 (NASB)
Then God spoke all these words, saying,
² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
³ “You shall have no other gods before Me.

Egypt is a symbol for sin and for slavery in the Bible.  We see this clearly in the verse above .  The phrase 'brought you out of' includes descriptors such as: to go bring out, break out, bring out or up, carry out, escape, spring out.  Thank You Jesus!  'Cause there are times I need carried out - broken out of my prison of sin addiction.  Love it.

Take a moment.  Rewrite this verse to apply to your situation:

An example:
I AM the Lord your God, who carried you out from the clutches of control and rage, out of the house of that slavery.

Now - give it a go.  (Believe me, I have a whole lot of this to do myself!)

I AM the Lord your God, who ___________of ________________, out of the house of ___________ slavery.

And now - the beautiful summary verse - spoken in oh so tender tones:
³ “You shall have no other gods before Me.

I see it now.  Nothing and no one else can rescue me.  You are the only God.  Your law sets up a caution such that no slave master will ever get between us again.  I may stumble, fall - but I am Yours!  You are my Master and I am the sheep in Your pasture.  And it is ALL GOOD....

What does this freedom look like?  I serve either one of two masters.  Today I choose Jesus.  Doesn't mean I will do a great job being His servant - in fact in my own strength I will fail.  But I'm still choosing Him.  That means I am allowed to consider myself on the Lord's side.  My allegiance doesn't change when I fall.  He picks me up.  He sets my feet on solid ground.  He forgives the iniquity of my sin.  He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul.  As this happens, the fear in my heart begins to melt away.  The process is beautiful.  The freedom is sweet!

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves. 1 Peter 2:16

For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord's freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ's slave.  1 Corinthians 7:22

When I fall - I despise my addiction, my sin.  I beg Jesus to rescue me.  And He does.  In the way that best works for me.  I do all in my power to surround myself with more of Him.   The most Bible-based music I can bear, all the Bible-loving sermons I can find, fill my phone with the Bible - spoken and read), all the straight-up Bible literature I can find.  I dive into the WORD.  Whatever pitiful effort I can make - be it only a plea for power outside myself.  Patience will have its perfect work.  I must be patient.  With myself.  With the process.  And cling to Jesus - the beginning and the end of my faith.

Luke 16:13 creates an amazing picture of my life as the servant of Jesus:
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Jesus - I choose You again today, in this moment.  Therefore You tell me in Luke that I can despise sin.  You promise me when I serve You I will despise each time I fall and ______.  Thank You for Your promise that You began a good work in me and You will be faithful to complete it.  What an amazing Rescuer You are!