When the Cage Door Opens

Got time for a new idea in blogging?  I have a triplet of posts that I want you to read. 

The first one is a poem/prose from my blog site The Cage.

And then, from Morning Notes you’ll find this – The Cage – a post offering hope and encouragement.

And finally, from Internet Church – we find When the Cage Door Opens – offering hope from God’s word.  I liked this idea, thanks to Seth Godin’s book What to Do When It’s Your Turn.  The basic idea is Seth’s, but wrapped in my words, and inspiration from The Bible in Internet Church.

I hope you read all three.  I especially hope you share at least one of them with someone who might feel caught in some kind of trap and need to find an escape.  Enjoy.

Cages are traps.  Cages are snares.  Cages take away one’s freedom.  Oh, we long to be free if ever we are caught in a cage.

And so it goes.  The Bible has a lot to say on this subject.  In our limited space, I can only touch on the highlights. 

In the spiritual realm, there are cages just waiting for us to fall into.  Shall I name a few?

Lust

Lying

Stealing

Adultery

Falsifying the truth

Intentional deception

Oh, there are others.  I’m not focusing on the cages as much as I want to focus on getting free of the cages. 

The great news of the gospel is this … I haven’t found any limiting number of how many times God will offer us forgiveness when we become entrapped in the cages of sin and disobedience.  If it was, say twenty times and no more, surely we should have deciphered the code by now.  The best answer I can give is a two-part answer. 

In the New Testament, Jesus is asked about forgiveness.  His response is astounding.

70 times 7.  In pure mathematics that equals 490 – and Jesus wasn’t giving an exact number.

He was looking down through the ages, at all of us, and basically saying, “my grace is sufficient for you.  My forgiveness is enough for all you may do.  So come back, again and again and receive whatever measure of forgiveness you may need.”

He saw the cages in which you and I can become entangled and He wanted to make sure we understood there is enough grace … enough forgiveness to reach each of us, time and time again.

2 Corinthians 12:9 he says:  My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

If I were to take a liberty with this passage, I may say something like this:  “I have so much grace for you that I am going to open the door to this cage, this trap you are in, and I will set you free.  You will experience my power, even in the middle of your weakness.”

~Cages limit

~They cut off opportunities

~They imprison

~They bind us and imprison us

Jesus says, “I have come so that you may have life and have it more abundantly.”

That sounds like He holds the keys to any cage we face.

It takes boldness to come to Christ in the mess of our cages.  It takes humbleness. 

And on the other side of the cage door, we find an outstretched hand and in that hand we see keys that fit the lock to our cage.

And the door opens … and we are set free.

Now … take a step toward your Redeemer.

Internet Church Blog Site

Offering Words of

Hope Encouragement

Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Four Affirming Words from God

My Dear Child:

I have four strong and affirming words to give you today.  I want you to write these words down, and more importantly, I want you to write them on your heart and mind.

Here they are:

I AM WITH YOU!

It is that simple. 

Remember Joshua?  He had followed in the footsteps of Moses for a lot of years.  When Moses died, Joshua was my choice to be the next leader of the tribe of Israel.  When he got the word, he was terrified.  He shook in his sandals, so to speak.  Here’s what I said to him then, and I say to you today.

“Be not afraid nor dismayed.  I your God will be with you wherever you go.”

(Joshua 1:9)

Even before Moses died, I told him basically the same thing.

“The Lord will fight for you; you just need to be still and be quiet.”

(Exodus 14:14)

It’s the same message and I give it to you for today … I (God) am with you!

Many of you have troubles.  Your nations are divided.  Some of you face the peril of the sword.  Many are hungry for basic food sources.  You have trouble. 

Know this … 

~Even in the grip of hunger pains, I am with you.

~Whether you agree with or fear your current governmental leaders, I am with you.

~Even though you fear for the future of the world with threats of weapons that can reach your shores from afar, I am with you.

~When world economic markets soar and when they crash, I am with you.

I am your God and I will be with you ‘till the ends of the earth.”  

(Matthew 28:20)

That is my promise to you!

Internet Church Blog Site

Offering Words of

Hope Encouragement

Inspiration

One Word at a Time

God Only Has Eyes for You

( A letter from God)

My Dear Child:

I love resting my eyes on you … just you.  I remember well the day you were conceived.  I put within you the beginnings of all that you were to become.  As you grew in your mother’s womb, I was watching.  As your head and nostrils developed, I was there. 

Weeks before you actually burst forth into this world, you kicked, you twisted, you turned, as if to say “Let me out.  I’m ready to go.”

And you were almost ready … almost.  You just needed a bit more time in those developmental stages. 

And then you came to be.  Your first cries were magical and musical to your Mom’s ears.  You were finally ready to begin your journey. 

You grew, you suckled, you cried and laughed, and you grew some more. 

And now, look at you.  You are all grown up.  And I am so proud of you. 

I know how you think, I know what you like and don’t like.  I know the deepest darkest secrets of your heart, and I love you anyway.

I watched you last week as you looked in the mirror.  I read your mind.  You wondered, you pondered, you questioned, you fretted.

I want you to know this … I’ve never looked in your mirror and wished that I saw someone else.  You are mine.  You are my finest creation.  Believe that.

Remember this … it is found in my Holy scriptures, in Psalm 139 from the pen of David.

For you, God, created me, my inner being;  You put me together in my mother’s womb.

I give you praise because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are masterpieces, that I know. 

My frame was not hidden from your eyes when I was being formed. 

Your eyes saw my early beginnings as a glob of protoplasm, unformed and free-floating,

Even then you began to order my days.

Your thoughts toward me O God are precious, significant, on purpose.

When I think of you, I imagine all that you could be, if you will only believe in your great potential. 

In my book, in Isaiah 43 I had the writer say this …

Don’t fear; I have redeemed you; I call  you by name; you are mine. 

When you pass through troubling waters, I will be with you.  The rivers will not sweep you away.

When you walk through fire of all kinds, you will not be burned. 

I am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I have one thought to give to you today.

Internet Church Blog Site

Offering Words of

Hope Encouragement

Inspiration

One Word at a Time