I woke up this Saturday morning to a fresh blanket of snow. By mid-afternoon much of it had melted. With warmer weather moving in, I decided to take a walk with my camera.
Just a short walk down a hill and I always come to this. A rock wall and an overlook of the Missouri River. A clear view of the Missouri River is hardly possible even past the rock wall. There are railroad tracks, trains sometimes and the hillside is covered with gigantic trees with gnarly limbs sprawling across the view. During the summer, all that can be seen is green from the massive amount of leaves growing on the limbs. In the winter, I get a partial view.
I’ve always been intrigued by the twisted branches of the trees at the overlook but today my heart longed for more. So after I left the wall, I went a few houses down to a neighbor’s house. For years she has extended an open invitation to enjoy her view. Today was the first time I took her up on it without kids. She caught me sneaking into the backyard but noticed my camera and allowed me space to concentrate on my art.
The walkway to her private overlook…
She has an old gate on the edge of the bluff. It seems to beckon to me each time I go there. It calls for me to take pictures of it. So today I did.
The gate seems to be a symbol to me. A picture of what we sometimes might THINK is the obstructed view of God’s glory, truth and loving relationship with us. A view that is tainted with sin and confusion.
Some days it feels like no matter how far I go out of my way…no matter how much I pray in the morning before the day starts… there still seems to be the obstruction of sin and my confused thinking. The brain and the flesh seems to get in the way of what the true me really longs for.
But is sin and my flesh really in the way? So often I think I’m trapped in my sin or in my bad thinking patterns. So I live like I’m a slave to it. When in reality I only need to walk around it.
I am free to do that. Yet I often live like I am held captive to it. There are no trees or walls or fences keeping me from my Father in Heaven. There aren’t even any keeping me from turning away from my sin or from changing my thoughts.
The truth is…
Jesus has taken away all obstacles. Any that seem to be there…are but Satan’s lies. If we are
in Christ, the Father loves us as He loves Jesus. If we are in Christ, all of our iniquities have been laid on him.
If we are in Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness. We are free to live according to what we most truly are and desire based on our new identity.
Here is a wonderful illustration of our freedom in Christ from a professor at Covenant Seminary, Dr. Phil Douglass.
Before D-day on June 6, 1944 all of France was under the dominion of the Nazis. In effect they were slaves. Then, by the end of August, 1944 France was liberated by the Allies and the Nazi forces were driven out. However, there were still Nazi commandoes roaming about the French countryside shooting at the free citizens and thereby causing confusion and making some of the French people think they were still under the dominion of the Nazis when in fact they were not. The French did have to defend themselves against these attacks but they did so as free people and not as those under slavery as before. The application is that we were enslaved to the “powers” before being in Christ but when we were placed into Christ we became free, although we still have to defend ourselves against the attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil. On May 8, 1945, the War was over and the Nazi commandoes rampaged no longer. This is tantamount to the way it will be in heaven when we are set free from the attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
I am so looking forward to THE day. The day that Christ returns. Until then, I am striving to remember that I am truly free even though I encounter attacks. These attacks don’t define who I most truly am in Christ. And nothing can separate me from the love of God.
Romans 8:38-39 -“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Do you struggle with living out or really believing that you have freedom in Christ? Perhaps this is the Christian life. Perhaps there is beauty in this struggle. Beauty in that you are not giving yourself over totally to sin and that you are aware and struggling with it and longing for more. Recognize the goodness in your new spiritual desires and keep stepping around the struggles toward the beautiful abundant free life in Christ.
Linking up with the following inspiring blogs this week:
Thank you so much for this important reminder, and sharing the beautiful pictures. I often forget to live in the freedom of Christ. Through Christ, love has already won. I hope you have a lovely day.
Hi Jolene-May we continue to remember. Thanks for stopping by and encouraging!
Great perspective. —I wanted to see your beautiful pictures, but only picture number two and three loaded. The rest only partially loaded. It could be my computer, but I thought you would want to know.
Thanks so much Robyn. I noticed the picture issue too. I transferred my WordPress site to a self-hosted site yesterday. I’m working out the kinks (hopefully)! I think it is better today than last night and I’ve got some questions out there for my tech help. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you can re-try viewing the picts!
Beautiful photos. Beautiful truth. We keep ourselves stuck behind an artificial boundary when the way is already clear. Going to let this soak into my spirit over the coming days. Thank you for linking at Small Wonder.
Hi Beth…I love that phrase you use–artificial boundary. Praise God the way is already clear! May we overflow with joy about this!
Glad to have read these encouraging words and to have met you at Jennifer’s link up.
Glad to meet you too! Thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful post in both word & photos, Amy. As I scrolled back up to look at the photos, this Scripture came to mind, “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:19). Blessings!
Oh thank you for sharing that verse….love it! Thanks for visiting and for encouraging, Joanne!
These pictures are beautiful, Amy. I’m glad you walked through with your camera. So often we are our own worst enemies, throwing obstacles in the way to trip ourselves up. If we could only really see the freedom that God has given us! Praying for greater clarity today in my own vision for the deliverance that God has already provided.
So true that we can be our own worst enemies! I too am grabbed my camera for the walk! Thanks for visiting. God bless you as you consider the deliverance that God has provided…
Oh my goodness, what a powerful visual of our minds being overtaken by the enemy. When we are liberated, we still face attack from those roaming enemy soldiers. We still have to defend ourselves, but we can do so as freed people. We can walk around that gate of sin. Love, love, love this. Thank you for your words today!
Thanks for visiting and encouraging. I am a visual person and am also greatly encouraged and helped by that illustration!
Amy,
I love the stark winter photos of the gate! So true that there are no wall or fences keeping us from approaching God. Visiting today from Holley’s link-up!
Thank you for visiting, Valerie! Praise God for no walls or fences!
Amy, I love to grab my camera and go walking! Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures! Thank you for reminding us that we are free in Christ. I love this thought: “Perhaps there is beauty in this struggle. Beauty in that you are not giving yourself over totally to sin and that you are aware and struggling with it and longing for more.” I’m visiting from the #DanceWithJesus linkup.
Hi Gayl–thanks for the visit! Walking with a camera always turns out to be a mind renewing experience for me. I love to hear that it is the same for others! May you experience the abundant life in Christ as you live out your true freedom…
2 Cor. 5 is one of those that we so desperately want to believe, and yet, it’s our area of greatest attack…when old habits creep back and we wonder if we’re really not “that new” anymore. We will all stumble…so I am convinced that “new” is our perspective, our understanding of what is holy. Once Holy Spirit lives in us, the entire way we view the world changes, even if we occasionally fall into old behaviors, we are able to identify them and surrender them much more quickly to our Father. Now that’s new!! Thanks Amy and have a wonderful weekend:)
So wonderful to hear that truth – that “new” is now our perspective. We must continue to trust in this reality! I believe…but I have to ask the Lord every day to help me to believe! Thanks for the visit!
Loving your photos and the message of your post! I am your neighbor at Fellowship Friday.
Hi Gina–thanks for visiting and for your encouragement! I’m so glad you liked the photos and message!
First: Great pics. Second: Greater message! Thanks so much, Amy. You do good work!
Hi Sharita–thank you for the encouragement! You are a ray of sunshine!
Such beautiful pictures! And such a lovely reminder that we are not held captive by sin anymore. We truly can just walk around it, Jesus gives us that power! You have a gift with words. I am so glad I found you linked up at the Weekend Brew.
-Miranda at http://rahabtoriches.com/
Hi Miranda…thank you…for your encouragement and for sharing your thoughts. Looking forward to visiting you too.
Love your photos and this post, it so resonated with me, especially this quote, “If we are in Christ, the Father loves us as He loves Jesus.” Resting in that promise today. Many blessings to you!
Hi Beth–It is snowing here and so I am forced to rest a bit and take in that promise about more too. Thanks for reminding. I need it every day. Thanks for visiting!
Lovely illustration of how He has opened the door to open access to His throne and to Himself! Linked up with you at Still Saturday — hope you’ll stop by for a visit!
God bless,
Laurie
Praise God the curtain has been torn in two! Thanks for visiting and…yes…I’ll surely visit!
BEING FINE
God is one and God is two,
is to fear and is to do.
Being branches of the vine
Jesus is, the thing is fine.
Thank you for sharing your poetry here and for visiting! I am spending time thinking about your words!
What a beautiful picture, Amy! And it communicates this truth so clearly. I love this, “I live like I’m a slave to it. When in reality I only need to walk around it.” Visiting today from #RaRaLinkup
Thank you and thanks for visiting!