Captivity

” I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity.”

Jeremiah 29:14

I love this verse in the Bible.  How comforting to know that God will bring us back from the captivity we find ourselves as well as from those who have held us captive.

Captivity according to Dictionary.com:

the state or period of being held, imprisoned, enslaved, or confined.

When I think about the word captivity, I can come up with several scenarios where the word captivity would apply.

Such as:

Being held as a prisioner

Being held as a slave

But I also think about the lives of many struggling Christians who are being help captive by the enemy. Maybe in small ways but also in huge ways. Think about those you know or maybe think about your own life. What do you struggle to be set free from? Addictions? Sexual Sin? Lying?

Rejection from someone/many? Fear? Anxiety? Agoraphobia? Gambling?

Personally, I can relate to being held captive to something not of my own doing, yet that is exactly where I found myself for over 20 years. Agoraphobia took over my life and became my best friend. I knew what to expect in relation to it, yet the outside world overwhelmed me. Thinking of traveling away from home would cause the panic and anxiety to run full force; way beyond my control. The fear and panic were easily feigned off when I would once again give into the enemies control to hold me captive once again.

This scenario went on and on. Over and over. Never changing much. I would so desperately want to be free from the chains holding me hostage, yet I could see no way out of the depths of fear.

Yet, when I was ready and the Lord was willing to hear my desperate cries, I was set free from all of the chains holding me hostage. Nothing will stop me now. Oh, I won’t lie. Often I can feel the enemy trying to gain his power back again, yet the battle is not over. The enemy will never win this battle.

” Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles. ” Psalm 2:3

The last time we took a family trip to San Antonio, as we were driving home I said, ” Well, little devil, once again you lost that battle.”. That is what I will continue to say, even in the face of fear and anxiety. I will continue to move forward in the call God has placed upon my life to help others struggling with fear, anxiety and agoraphobia, or those who have lost loved ones to suicide or murder, just as I have.

Tragedy, Oh My.

I hope you will read an older post from when I was first set free from fear.

Feeding on Ashes

God literally gave me the verse I discuss in the Feeding on Ashes post.

” God called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ” 1 Peter 2:9

Today, I want to offer you hope that healing can and will come. God has a wonderful plan for your life and that plan includes freedom from captivity and bondage. Don’t settle for anything less than God’s best.