Inspiration:
My child, come to Me with your shattered hopes and broken dreams. I know that life will inevitably bring heartbreaks. I understand that there will be times when your life seems like a stained-glass window shattered into jagged shards lying in disarray.
~In the Presence of Jesus by Paul Bane and Matt Litton
Scripture:
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
Challenge: Free Your Self from the Prison in Your Mind
There is a tragic story of Mohini, who was a three-week-old white Bengal tiger that President Eisenhower received as an official gift and sent off to the Washington Zoo to be cared for. The zoo placed the young tiger in a 12 ft-by-12 ft cage. The unbelievably beautiful creature would spend its waking hours continually pacing around for all the visitors to see in this tiny area.
The zoo built an elaborate ecosystem with lots of space to make a new home for Mohini. So, you may be able to guess the rest of the story. Unfortunately, it was too late for Mohini to enjoy once she cautiously entered her new abode – her mind had already been affected. She went to a back corner spot in her new expansive domain and began to pace in a tiny area of 12 ft-by-12 ft. The grass soon disappeared. Even though she had all the space she needed to roam, she remained in that small prison of her mind for the rest of her natural life.
You may wonder what this tiger has to do with you and me today.
Too often, this heart-wrenching story of Mohini the tiger is lived out in the invisible cages we build for ourselves in our own minds. If we aren’t careful, we can live our entire lives in self-imposed emotional prisons that provide us the illusion of being safe from the world but keep us trapped and miserable. The Jesus of the Bible came to “set the captives free.” He can release us from the holding cells made out of our hurt, pain, and anxiety. (Letting Go of Regret)
With the help of God’s love, you may walk out of the prison door into new freedom. Jesus invites us to leave our self-imposed cells when He heals and renews our minds. We only need to release our troubled pasts into his hands. Jesus says, “Follow me,” and when you choose to take those steps toward Him – there is only freedom ahead.
Co-writer Matt Litton
