Lord's Day Devotion - Merdeka!

 

More than one country in the world has shouted, "Independence!" and/or "Freedom!"  That's what "Merdeka!" embodies.  This is what was shouted the day Peninsular Malaysia, then known as 'Melaya,' got its independance from Britain way back in 1957.  Now they were free to govern their own country.

What a feeling of euphoria that must have been.  Many of us will know that on a more personal scale.  We all want freedom from soneone or something at least some time in our lives.

Once free from a 'yoke of slavery' of any kind, we are careful not to be bound again.  We have to stand firm and guard against it.

Freedom from our sins' death penalty and burden is one such.  We have this freedom in Christ.  He set us free the moment we accepted Him as Lord and Savior of our lives.

But sometimes the old ways of thinking will creep over us again.  We need to be alert against it and not submit to them again.

There's a beautiful verse in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 1.  It reads, 

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (ESV).

When we relate this to pride and living a life imitating Christ's humility and what that humility looks like, it will help us from being bound again.

Think about low self-esteem, for instance.  Ever suffer from it?  It can be very demeaning and restrictive to our personal growth.  We feel insignificant and invisible.  And there's that 'little voice' in our heads condeming us, telling us we are no good, we are 'less than' others.  It is something that wraps around our chests and threatens to never let us go.

Low self-esteem is a huge hindrance to humility.  Did you realize it is as bad as being proud and arrogant?  This idea helped me to realize this.  I do not say this to condemn anyone further then they may condemn themselves.  Rather, I hope and pray its a conduit to freeing themself.

When we think we are 'less than,' saying that our opinion of ourself is better than God's opinion of us, we have to stop this.  We must see ourselves as God does.

God loves us.  He loved us enough to send His one and only Son to die for us so we can be set free (see John 3:16).   He can set us free when we ask Him to.  It is through Jesus who died for our sins.  He took our punishment for us.

God now calls us His own.  We belong to Him and He values us.  He claims us as His child and we belong to Him (John 1:12-13).  We are in His family, bought at a costly price.

Furthermore, as the following meme portrays,  He see us as His masterpiece, chosen, worthy, royalty (afterall Jesus is a King and we are His children), treasured, forgiven and more.  His response to our acceptance of Jesus is overwhelming.  He rejoices in heaven with His angels.  Think on that.

He gives us His Holy Spirit and welcomes us with wide-opened arms outstretched to us.  This we have because of our faith in Jesus.  We are so very valuable to Him.  His presence then goes with us wherever we are (see Matthew 28:20).  We no longer need to be prejudiced against ourself.

May we each have our very own day of "Merdeka!"

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me, dying for me and now living for me.  You gave me freedom even from my low self-esteem.  Help me to stand firm in this knowledge and freedom. I don't want to burden or hinder myself from true humility.  I want to walk in humility and in the fear of the Lord, as I live my days in the freedom You earned for me on the cross.  As we partake of the broken bread and drink from the cup of wine this Lord's day, we remember Your costly grace and mercy on our behalf.  We are everything in You.  Thank You.

                                                ~ ERC  December 2025 ~

Based on Galatians 5:1 ESV.

Sing, Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone), along with Michael W. Smith, and Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It, along with Itasca CBC.