https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R90JuSQd6bE
YouTube – Set Free (Official Lyric Video)
By – Hope Darst (4 min 5 sec)
[God speaking]“’Now these are the ordinances which you
are to set before them: If you buy a
Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out
as a free man without payment. If he
comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his
wife shall go out with him.
“’If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons
or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he
shall go out alone.
“’But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children’ I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.'" Exodus 21:1-6
We are all slaves to sin before we are saved to serve Jesus
Christ. In Bible times, God’s people had
bond-slaves (the Greek term is ‘doulos’). These individuals would belong to another
with no ownership rights of their own. Yet, they were treated with the highest dignity and were restored to
full freedom after serving six years.
However, when someone willingly chose to remain in service
after that time, their master would take them to the door or doorpost and pierce
their ear lobe with an awl. This would
symbolise the choice they made of a lifelong commitment to serving their
master.
If you look at the illustration above it shows pieces of paper with various sins written on them. They symbolise how our sins are nailed to the cross and pierced through by our choice to serve Jesus.
This is an irreversible decision. The ‘piercing’
cannot be undone and is a reminder that His steadfast love and sacrifice has
set us free indeed and for eternity.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you daily)
PS: Find my statement
of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of
Bible studies). You can also find the devotions online, just search for
‘WeakDay Devotion’.
There is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone. Not sure about Apple. For the books, go to Amazon
books. For prayer requests and
updates email me: darlene@weakdaydevotion.com
Please update your PRAYER REQUESTS
·
Pray for true,
Christ-centered revival in America.
·
Israel (Al-Aqsa
Mosque complications) – 150
days have passed of this horrible, unwanted war. Ramadan (a high holy time for Muslims
and typically dangerous for others in Israel) begins. Pray Israeli forces locate
and save all remaining hostages. Pray for the wisdom and safety of Israeli
soldiers, for those who have lost loved ones and for those moving through enemy
territory as they risk their lives to restore peace and purify the land of all terrorists. Pray also for the Palestinian people – many are
helpless captives of war.
·
Barbara –
the beloved widow (of my brother, Tim) thanks you for your prayers. She is back
at work and her ankle is better. As one of God’s faithful widows, pray God always
protects her, especially at night. That He guards the structure and integrity
of the house and places willing people in her path to help as she faces a life
without Tim.
·
Junko –
that she would have a calm heart as she applies herself to her studies. Help her through each day and that she gets
enough rest.
·
Yoshimi – has
started to attend church and read her Bible.
Pray she grows into a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that
she finds work she can enjoy and benefit from.
·
Jenny S–
in full-time ministry. Pray for her
hip-replacement surgery scheduled for 4th of April and that the procedure
goes well. Pray also for her aging father
fading away with dementia and her mother who in in hospital now, unable to
watch over her husband. Pray Father-God
continues to provide sufficient financial support and winsome wisdom for this
woman of God.
·
Lindsey - the youngest daughter
of my dearest friends, Annette and Lyle. Lindsey needs your prayers for healing,
strengthening, patience and pray for the wisdom of her health care providers.
·
Andrew M – head of Deaf Ministries Intnl., is travelling
internationally with the ministry for a final visit before returning to
Australia. Please pray for travelling mercies, robust health, and adequate rest
and, most of all, for abundant harvest of those who need creative ways to
‘hear’ the Gospel.
·
Jeff and
Rachael’s family – Peyton (granddaughter) graduated from college Dec
2023. Carter (grandson) is doing great
in his first year in college. Praise God
that both are exceptional students and love the Lord. Pray they are not distracted by worldly
things, that the Lord watches over and protects them, that they continue to do
well as their lives develop under God’s loving hand and that their love of God’s
Word increases daily.
·
Patti and John –
pray God continues to inspire them with His love and compassion and that He
will guard their health. Pray also for
travelling mercies as Patti is now the only one who drives. (Joshuah 1:6-9).
·
Sarah and Andrew – he left his job two years ago and she went to
work in a new role. Pray for this
precious Christian couple that they focus on family balance to the glory of the
Lord.
·
Nerida –
that her living situation is resolved with grace, and she finds a place to live
that is more peaceful and supportive.
·
Bettina –
has retired after a lifetime of service to her company. Pray each of her five married daughters, spouses
and 18 grandchildren support her as she enters this new phase of her life, and
they all continue to grow in their love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
·
Ian and Jenny–
continue to pray that his desire to grow his understanding and effectiveness
with personal evangelism is fulfilled and that their two grown children would turn
back to their relationship with Christ.
·
Elina –
needs God’s wisdom and the courage of her convictions and resolve to live a
life that is Christ-honouring for herself and her young son, Jimmy.
·
Megan (for
emotional healing) and Scott, her
husband (for patience and wisdom) and wisdom for his sister, Clare, as she seeks to support them through
troubled times.
·
Christine –
give her strength as she journeys to heart-healing, pray for her son traveling
in Europe and pray most of all that her husband gives his life to the Lord.
·
Robin –
continue to pray for her strength and healing as she continues her journey
after the loss her beloved mother (was 93 years old) and pray for the strength
of her daughter who is comforting her.
Pray
for those in full-time service
Pray the Lord upholds our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word and remain bold and courageous in the face of evil. Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.
Pray
Especially for Salvation for:
·
Fred and Barb –
brother of Patti, and his wife -- for salvation.
·
Bryan and Julie
(Patti’s daughter) Pray for the salvation of at least one of the family and
that the others will follow shortly thereafter.
They are parents of Callilah, Adrian, Micah, Kevin and Nate
-- lost, damaged and troubled children – all of whom we
have prayed for over the years.
·
Louisville family
of Jeff and Rachael – that a desire grows in their heart for a
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
·
R & B
– exploring the Truth for themselves. Please place true believers in their
paths to disciple them.
·
Becky
– recovering from spinal surgery. Pray
for her patience and her health carers to be wise and compassionate, that her
family rallies around her to care for her and, most of all, that she finds the
Lord in all this.
·
Sophie–
six-year-old daughter of a friend is chronically ill and frail. Please pray for her, her parents and health
carers to find ways to manage her symptoms and heal her and that this will lead
them all to God’s saving grace.
·
Paul –
please pray for him. He still has not
found a job or work after more than ten years.
Please pray the Lord provides needed work so he can begin to heal and
strengthen.
·
Peggy – a
dear friend and colleague of my sister-in-law who has been battling cancer in
her neck for years. Her new oncologist
has started a combination of chemo and radiation that seems to be working, but
she is miserable. Please pray for her as
she waits for her body to heal and strengthen and that she finds salvation.
·
Sue and Rob – opened their home to support Luke who is angry and lost. He has been there a long time now and refuses
to move out. Please pray the Lord saves
all three and that Luke realises he must take responsibility for his own
life. Pray for continued patience and
compassion of Sue and Rob.
·
Demi and John – one evening John went out their backdoor to run
an errand and was attacked by someone with a knife who stabbed him several
times (one pierced his heart). He has
recovered physically but pray for him and his wife as they pull their lives
together – that they might find the Lord in all the chaos left behind.
·
Jen N –
a Jewish woman I met during a project. Please pray for her that she will find a
new role and that she stays safe and healthy.
Please pray for her and her two boys (ages 16 and 17).
· Don Yockey - lost his fight with cancer. Please pray the Lord uses this time to open
the family’s hearts to His love and salvation.
Pray
for those with ongoing health concerns
Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile health. Pray God takes special care with them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on them.
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