Devotion: You have been released

Devotion By Dianna Hobbs // Your Daily Cup of Inspiration

When Krispy Kreme doughnut lovers think about those yummy glazed sweet treats, their mouths water. When they reminisce about the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of Krispy Kreme, it makes them want to consume a freshly-made dozen.

Though they are delicious, when I think of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, my mind travels back to when I was a little girl. I happily tagged along with other members of our church as we went door to door selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

I lived in North Carolina at the time, and our ministry was part of Krispy Kreme’s fundraising program. Selling their doughnuts to friendly neighborhood patrons gave us the financial resources necessary to continue growing and sharing the Gospel.

As a youngster, I didn’t really understand the importance of what I was doing. I just knew it was fun, even when my tiny hands got all sticky from the leaky glaze that melted in the hot sun.

Now that I’m older, I admire my father’s willingness to put fundraising programs in place and launch many different ministries in order to bless those in need. His heart was so big, and he wanted to do whatever he could to help people—even if that meant our family sometimes went without.

Ministry requires sacrifice. That’s just as true today as it was in Bible days. In fact, the level of sacrifice the early church made in service to God’s Kingdom was far greater than what many of us will ever know, witness, or personally experience.

We see in Acts 5:17-42 that the apostles risked their very lives to do ministry. They were going around performing miracles, signs and wonders, and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They had been told by Jewish leaders not to preach in the name of Jesus. And by defying that order, the apostles left the religious establishment seething with jealousy and anger. That’s how these faithful men of God wound up in jail.

But according to verses 19-20, during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. This divine messenger told them, “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new life.”

I love reading about this supernatural jailbreak. It confirms that no one and nothing can stop you from fulfilling the divine mandate on your life. Whatever comes against you will fail. The purpose of the Lord will not be thwarted.

Verses 21-24 tell us that at daybreak, the apostles entered the temple courts and began teaching. The opposition was completely baffled when they found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors, but no one inside.

Friend, the same God who threw the enemies of the apostles into confusion, is going to confuse the enemy that has come against you. Satan has tried to lock you up, tie you down, hold you back, and deceive you into thinking you were trapped.

From the looks of things, his plan is airtight. You shouldn’t bounce back. You shouldn’t rise from this low place. You shouldn’t be healed. You shouldn’t financially recover. Your reputation should be ruined. The adversity should shut you down permanently.

But again, God is throwing the enemy’s camp into confusion. The Lord is breaking you out of those shackles. He’s removing locks and releasing you. You will no longer be standing behind those prison bars. God is setting you free for His glory. You have work to do for the Kingdom. You have an anointing on your life. It’s your season of release.

To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring one line from Acts 5:38 (spoken by a Pharisee named Gamaliel in defense of the apostles), right into your cup of inspiration, which says, “Let them go!”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, I want you to see those words as a divine mandate from God to the enemy. The Lord has commanded Satan to release you and let you go. You will never again be remanded to this prison of defeat and bondage.

This is your year of jubilee—which in Bible days, was the time that those held captive would regain their liberty (Leviticus 25:1-4, 8-10). By the power of God, right now, you are being loosed from every shackle that has come to bind you up and prevent you from stepping into your season of greater.

Now let’s pray.

God I thank You for my liberty. I declare over my life that I am no longer bound. Every yoke is destroyed off of my life. No shackle can hold me. By faith, I boldly walk into my Promised Land, and I rejoice in my newfound freedom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.