Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus, our hope. Today, many in the world have no hope because they have no intimate relationship with Jesus. They may have accepted Him and asked Him to save them, but they never made Him the Master of their life.
We must become a slave to our Lord Jesus. The word “slave” may hit many of us the wrong way; however, it is nonetheless true. The Apostle Paul called himself a slave of the Lord Jesus and look at the benefits it brought him. Even though the world tried to kill him repeatedly and faced many perils, the Lord delivered him out of them all!
Persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. —II Timothy 3:11
We live in a more perilous time than Paul! We need to be submissive to the Lord now more than at any other time in history. Dwelling and abiding under the shadow of the Almighty protects us from the harsh effects of what goes on around us (Psalm 91). Dwelling and abiding mean living or having your way of life in the Word and directions of God.
Slavery to man is a horrible, unrighteous thing. The slavery of man to man has caused great atrocities around the world. However, even with the corrupted slavery of men, some masters were more kind than others, having compassion for the people in their charge. Yet, there is no greater, good, and loving master than Jesus. He keeps us from the wicked one and gives us hope.
In this world, many are enslaved to cruel masters of another sort: alcoholism and other addictions, poverty, sickness, fear, and lack of all types. These masters oppress you, cause you to lose hope, and leave you with no peace—only confusion, despair, and anxiety. Another master, Satan, is lord over all other evil masters who keep their servants in terrible bondage.
Many want to rebel against and escape their masters, only to find themselves enslaved to one worse than the last. Some want no master at all and believe that is freedom, in which case they enslave themselves to their flesh, making themselves their own god. There is only one Good Master or Lord, and He is Jesus. He has already paid the price to redeem anyone from a wicked master. If you only believe Him and call on His name, He will set you free.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” —Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus wants you to make Him your Lord and learn from Him. While many accept Him as Savior, they never accept Him as their Lord and Master. Jesus is so different from other lords. Look at the passage above. Jesus wants you to yoke yourself with Him. When two are yoked together, they share in pulling the same load. Also, the stronger one will help make up for the weaker one.
Jesus calls Himself gentle and lowly at heart, so He is not a harsh and wicked master. Jesus also says He wants you to take on His burden and that it is light. The burden Jesus wants you to carry is to love Him and follow his commandments. When you do so, He will provide you with protection, supply, and guidance in all things.
Like with any master, there will be commands, but Jesus’ commands are not hard. He is even yoked with you to help you carry them out. There is also an abundance of goodness and mercy when we make mistakes. Having a master like Jesus can give you an abundance of hope, even if you’re not totally free from your other masters. Hope is life. Without hope, death is at the door.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” —John 10:10
Jesus tells us it is the thief (Satan) who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. If given the opportunity, Satan will steal the Word of God from you. He will keep you from hearing or believing the Word through whatever means you allow him. This kills any chance of having a relationship with the Good Master, and then Satan destroys anything and everything in your life that he can.
If you have any lack in your life, it is because Satan has stolen some portion of the Word from you. The destroyer reaches a pinnacle in your life if he can convince you to give up. He can steal all your hope and tell you that suicide is the only answer. HE IS A LIAR! You can always have hope in Jesus! The Scripture says that He gives you abundant life! Without hope, the only thing left is death.
Jesus brings a warning to the Sardis church in Revelation chapter 3. This church took its eyes off of Jesus and became weak. He said, “I have not found your works perfect before God,” meaning they had given up and not completed their assignments. They lost hope! They were once known as alive, but now they were dead—separated from God. BUT GOD, in His ultimate mercy, told them how to repent. By remembering His gifts of goodness, including His Word, they could overcome!
You may be far from God right now. That could mean different things for different people. Our relationship with Him varies from person to person, but no matter who you are, you can and must get closer to Him—if not for your sake, for the sake of others. I know that is something I am pushing into this year. Yes, you have to push! The devil is trying to get in your way every chance he gets. The cares of life are many; however, we must push them out of our way to get to Jesus.
You were once owned by an evil master, no matter who you are. He still may have rule over some part of your life. If you are still enslaved, whether that bondage is great or small, I want to tell you that you have been bought with a price—you no longer have to do what an evil taskmaster says. Come allow Jesus not only to be your Savior, but your Master.
As always, thank you for what you do to help in this part of Jesus’ ministry. Financially, your giving helps me go. I could not do it without you, and I need more of you. Your prayers are also much desired for upcoming meetings. As you go about your month, please know that we are praying for you and declaring a closer relationship with God for you and all the benefits.
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