It happened in an instant. Without any forewarning, a rock shifted and suddenly Aron’s arm was pinned by a sandstone boulder weighing nearly half a ton. “Help,” he cried, but his voice only reverberated off the canyon walls. He was trapped and he knew it!
Aron Ralston’s story about surviving five days in the Utah backcountry before finally severing his own arm to free himself from certain death became a national bestseller and a blockbuster film. Even though most of us will never face such a harrowing experience, we have all felt trapped, unsure of how to escape, desperately longing for freedom.
Maybe it was a bad job or the consequences of a poor decision. Perhaps the pain of unforgiveness in a close relationship pressed in on you like a massive boulder. No matter the circumstance, each of us has felt trapped at some point in our lives!
Jesus knows we get stuck, not by sandstone, but by sin in our lives. He has come to remove the rock of wrongdoing and enslavement to sin so that we can experience His life-giving freedom that overcomes the difficulties and hardships in life. He came so we can be truly free.
Jesus, thank you that I have freedom in You! Thank you for setting me free from sin so that I am genuinely free. Amen.
Take Action
Take 5-10 minutes to reflect on whether or not you feel “trapped” in some way. Invite Jesus to set you free from whatever it is and then thank Him for the freedom He gives. If you don’t feel trapped at the moment, go out of your way to encourage someone who does.