Untangled

Nº 190 weekly devotions to refresh your soul by Dr. Dan Bolin - March 22, 2022

There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought. - Charles Kingsley

As Cay and I walked our trail one morning, I spied an odd tree. So, like Moses with the burning bush, I turned aside to see the unusual spectacle. The lower portion of the tree was twisted and scarred, but the trunk shot upward, straight and true. The evidence suggested that a vine had encircled the tree during its formative years, wrapping itself around the tender and vulnerable young trunk. However, at some point, the tree had been released from its captor’s grip and grew strong, taking off for new heights. Many of us have rough formative years. The vines of painful and destructive choices – sometimes ours and sometimes another’s – entangle us, stifling our growth. The good news is, the vines that capture us can be broken. Freedom is always an option. Paul reminds the Galatians and us, “For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) The vines that entangle us may leave painful scars, but they need not define or control us forever. Freedom in Christ provides a new life that reaches toward higher heights. Despite our histories, the best is yet to come.

Dan Bolin President Refueling in Flight Ministries, Inc