Flying High
I felt suffocated.
A series of doors had slammed shut in my face, and suddenly I found myself trapped in a dark place. The enemy forged chains of fear and doubt and shackled me in a prison of defeat.
Can you relate? Perhaps right now you feel walled in by chaotic circumstances.
Here’s what I’ve learned about escaping an entrapment: the harder I push against the stronghold in my own strength, the harder it is to breathe. I end up exhausted and right back where I started.
The key to freedom is surrender, not self-defense. Rather than huffing and puffing hot air, I need to stand still and look up to God. When I shift my perspective upward, I tap into His powerhouse strength.
You are destined for freedom, friend. As you trust God to shield you, He will transform your test into a triumph.
I must confess that while I know this is true, sometimes I stay bound up in anxiety because I’ve forgotten what it feels like to fly high with my God. I lose my nerve. I wallow in the mire because I’ve grown accustomed to the shallows.
Are you ready to fly free, rather than flounder in fear?
3 Keys to Flying High in God’s Freedom
- Obedience: Choose to walk right, even if you don’t see any results. Your deliverance is inevitable. Trust God’s timing and stay faithful to what you know is true. One day soon, you will look back and see His loving fingerprints all over your circumstances.
- “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His rule were before me, and His statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my guilt. So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight” (Psalm 18:20-24, ESV).
- Mercy: Don’t let dark days turn you into a bitter person who lacks empathy for others. We are all wounded birds trying to take flight. Helping others soar will strengthen your wings.
- “With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous” (vs 24-25).
- Humility: God pours out His grace on those who depend on Him. Rather than demand your own way, focus on praising the One who is your Rock of Salvation.
- “For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down” (vs 26).
- “For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down” (vs 26).
When you feel fenced in by life, cry out to your God. He will free you up to fly.
Breathing Exercise:
Read Psalm 18. Note every active and deliberate move God makes to rise up to your defense.
Listen to this song of surrender. Let God remind you that He is your Deliverer — even on those days when you feel like you can’t go on one more step.
Breathe a prayer of thanks to the God who is your strength and shield. He is forever coming to your rescue. You were destined for freedom. Get ready to fly.
++
++
Something to think about…
Thanks for leading us in breathing exercises here in this friendly space!
This is so true: “The key to freedom is surrender, not self-defense.” That’s hard to do, but it’s the Jesus way. Thanks, Lyli. I need to do a bit more surrendering today.
Lyli, thank you for this place where you encourage us all to always do what is right before the Lord, even when we do not see the results immediately. I always can be encouraged when I visit here! xo
“The key to freedom is surrender, not self-defense.” Amen to that!
Thank you for leading this link-up. A great post with great reminders. Blessings
Lyli, I especially loved this statement, “The key to freedom is surrender, not self-defense.” That’s a challenging lesson to learn, isn’t it? But when we do we can be like the Apostle Paul when he said, “I will rejoice in my weaknesses … so that the power of Christ can rest on me.” Thanks for a powerful reminder. Thanks, too, for hosting each week!