2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Isaiah 45:11-48:11 ESV, Ephesians 4:1-16 ESV, Psalm 68:19-35 ESV, Proverbs 24:3-4 ESV
Daily Verse: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” (Ephesians 4:1 ESV)
DESMIOS (1198): “As a noun, means “a binding” and Eph. 4:1 “in the Lord.”[1]
Binding in the Lord.
Becoming a prisoner of the Lord will make your life exponentially better. Yes, suffering still occurs when you follow Jesus, no one gets a pass on pain. But bound to Christ, we have strength in the storm and know that blessing waits for us on the other side of it.
“Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” C.S. Lewis
Nothing binds us to Jesus more than the pain we endure in our lives. When an unhealthy relationship broke my heart during my single years, I had no problem getting on my knees and begging Jesus for help. However, I didn’t find myself seeking Christ as much during good times.
Tight bind.
Instead of only connecting with God during painful times, work continuously to keep the bind tight. During life’s highs, praise God for His mighty work. When the low times come, allow them to draw you into a more intimate relationship with God that tightens your bind to Him.
Prisoners for the Lord give their life entirely to Him. Forsaking all others, they obey God’s voice in their lives, even over their desires. When our hearts become so hidden in God’s, others must seek Him to find ours; you have successfully bonded your heart to His.
Our journey with Christ continues every day. Not until God calls us home will we bind entirely to Him. But every day, we can tighten the bond as we seek God.
Strap yourself to Jesus, and submit your life to Him. Let Christ direct your steps as you follow Him. When you become a prisoner to the Lord, everyone will know by the fruit your produce, love, joy, and peace come from a life lived with Jesus.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 64) Thomas Nelson
