Bible Reading: Psalm 124:1 – 8
“Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snares is broken, and we are escaped” – Psalms 124:6-7(KJV).
When you experience an escape from a brutal attack by a wicked assailant or a predator you will heave a sigh of great relief. You will celebrate your escape, you will testify to whomsoever you come in contact with of your miraculous escape. It will remain indelible in your memory. Some persons may even engrave it in a plague and keep it for posterity. Some will cause such escape to be celebrated through their generations. Escape from death is worth thanking God for. It is worth celebrating.
In the scripture of the day, the Psalmist presents a deep appreciation to God for delivering him as a prey from the jaw of his predator. These verses of Psalm 124 represent the state of humanity as related to our deliverance from captivity by the coming of Christ. Humanity was held in a heavy iron prison until Christ, the deliverer, came and proclaimed in Luke 4:18(KJV): “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” There is a parable in my place that says that only those who climb trees with their teeth knows which tree is bitter. Our escape from sin and its consequences is worth celebrating in Christ Jesus. Such celebration should be in praise and worship to him as witnessed in Revelation 5: 8-9. When you consider from where you were delivered, nothing else matters than praising the Lord. That Jesus came triumphantly after dealing a fatal blow on Satan and opened wide the iron cladded prison door and set us free from the prison of shame and reproach where we were awaiting death, is worth shouting at the topmost roof – I AM FREE AT LAST!!!
We have just celebrated Easter, but how many understand what they celebrated? That Jesus died and rose from the dead on the third day establishes our justification and affirms our translation. We died with him, rose with him and ascended with him to the heavens, and knowing we are currently sitting with him at the right hand of Majesty in heaven far above puts us in an advantage position of dominion and authority. We, who were once slaves under Satan’s wicked hold, have now been delivered and empowered to trample him under out feet. We have not only been set free but empowered to be in dominion over Satan and its forces of evil. This is worth rejoicing about. It is worth celebrating. Hear this: “And Hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” – Ephesians 2:6(KJV). In Ephesians 1: 20-21(KJV), the scripture described the exact place of our sitting. “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and, might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” My dear friend can you see that as a redeemed of the Lord you have been positioned in place of great authority. In Luke 10: 19(KJV) Jesus declared: “Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over every power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” What a glorious escape and empowerment. He not only delivered us but equipped us with power to handle the wicked foe. We have not only escaped from the dark domain but entrusted with so much power to deal with forces operating in the dark covers of the earth. We have been equipped with so much light to banish darkness wherever we appear.
Dear friend, now is the time to celebrate our liberty in Christ by demonstrating our manifestation of sonship in God. Jesus suffered shame, died and rose to enthrone the saints, so any operation below triumph is not acceptable. He has made us to be kings and priests to reign on earth (Revelation 5:10). He has given us power to trample under feet the forces of evil (Luke 10:19). We are operating in a predetermined victory, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” – 1 John 5:4(KJV).
Prayer: Father thank you for the escape of my soul from the hold of evil to the victory in Christ Jesus.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo