June 30, 2021 Encouraging Thursday by Pastor Becky

       Our Word of encouragement. Psalm 119:44-45 “May your unfailing love come to me Lord, your salvation, according to your promise, then I can answer anyone who that's me for I trust in Your Word. Never, may I take your word of truth from my mouth. Where I put my hope in your laws, I will always obey your law forever and ever I will walk about in freedom for I have sought out your precepts.” As we are approaching July 4th, Independence Day for our nation, the birth of our country, it may seem like we haven't had much freedom. These last few months, last year and a half or so, but we're coming out of that, but we still have freedom provided by the laws of our land. Now we are in Christ Jesus, we have freedom through Him, not necessarily freedom to do whatever we want to do. Because Paul talks to us about that, although, it might be permissible, it's not beneficial, it's not if it's not going to build you up in your spiritual walk, if it's not going to encourage you in that way, then it's not going to be beneficial to you, and you should let go of it. In the New Testament in Second Corinthians 3:17, Paul writes, “Now the Lord is the spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” We have our freedom in Christ Jesus, we put our hope in His laws, we put His Word of truth in us, in our hearts, and in our minds. And it comes out of our mouth.  We walk about in His freedom because of what He did, His work on the cross because of His Word. Because He has set us free, He has liberated us and set us free from bondage of sin. We walk around in that freedom because we also have sought out. We seek after His precepts. We seek after knowing more of Him. We go after wanting to be free from the enemy's influence. And how do we do that? By seeking God, by seeking His Word, by being in His Word, by digesting His Word into our life. And let it become food for our very soul and being. So I'll be walking around in freedom. Happy Birthday to our country. Happy July 4th.