Have you ever wandered the aisles
of greeting card store, looking for the perfect card to express your
feelings? Long before there were greeting cards we were given the Psalms,
so that words might be found to express our hearts. Here is one such
passage:
There
were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, Prisoners in
misery and chains,
(11) Because they had
rebelled against the words of God And spurned the counsel of the Most
High.
(12) Therefore He humbled
their heart with labor; They stumbled and there was none to help.
(13) Then they cried out to
the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses.
(14) He brought them out of
darkness and the shadow of death And broke their bands apart.
(15) Let them give thanks
to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!
Psa
107:10-15 NASB
Chains
are still used to bind the prisoner, but for most of chains do not come in the
form of steel links.
· There are the chains others
fasten upon us. The wife who finds that her stable marriage of yesterday
has become the chain of adultery today; the parents wondering how their child
could have wandered into crime—these are heavy chains.
· There are the chains we
fasten upon ourselves. The search for the perfect body, the perfect
house, the perfect job—the chains of failure to be perfect.
· There are the chains of sin,
fastened upon us by God so that we might learn humility and repentance.
Chains
do not remove themselves. Such chains can only be removed by Christ:
· Who but the One who paid the
price for our sins can be our peace? We are ambassadors of
reconciliation, with good cause.
· Who but the One who knows the
deepest of agonies can reach into our hearts and bring us peace?
· Who but the One who is our
atonement can break the chains of sin?
In
this time and place you meet the Christ, sharing in His body and blood.
Commit your troubles to Him; commit your worries to Him; bring your sins to His
healing blood. Cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you—even to the
point of the Cross.