Strength is for service, not status.Those of us who are strong and able have been charged to step in and assist those who falter—to lend a hand to those who pause, hesitate, waver, or weaken in their resolve.
(Romans 15:2 MSG)
It is my hope and prayer that all of God’s children will rise up and enter into the freedom and purposes He is placing before us. This collective growth into liberty will require those who are stronger, freer, or more established in truth to turn back and encourage those who are paused on the threshold.
Even though more and more people are discovering the freedom God has for them, some still stumble under the weight of religion. Jesus once said of the religious leaders of His day:
Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help.God’s law was supposed to be a banquet, not a burden. Food gives strength, but labor drains it. We are called to present God—what He is doing and all He offers—as a feast for everyone to partake in. This will at times require us to get rid of some of the religious baggage that has been loaded on God’s sons and daughters.
(Matt. 23:4 MSG)
Are we willing to use our freedom to lift the weight that religion has wrongly placed on others?
This starts with remembering who we are—strong, majestic, fearless, fierce, protective, at rest, and unworried. God repeatedly compared the strength of His royal children to lions and lionesses.
Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to arouse her?If you forget your fierce and fearless nature, then all who look to you for protection and guidance will be at risk. You are a golden bearer of light who has the power to dispel darkness wherever you go. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your strength through His Word. How can you use it to serve and lift the people in your life?
(Num. 24:9 NLT)
Source: Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere.
Excerpt permission granted by Messenger International, All rights reserved.
Excerpt permission granted by Messenger International, All rights reserved.
Passionate. Edgy. Relatable. Powerful. Funny. These words describe Lisa Bevere, international speaker, best-selling author, and co-host of The Messenger television program, which broadcasts in more than 200 countries.
