The next entry for my Blog is No Longer Slaves to Fear which was written by Jonathan David Helser, Brian Joel Case, and Mark Johnson. It was first released by Jonathan David and Melissa Helser in August 2015 in association with Bethel Music. A link to the Helsers singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.
No Longer Slaves
You unravel me, with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance, from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
From my mother’s womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I’ve been born again, into a family
Your blood flows through my veins
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I am surrounded
By the arms of the father
I am surrounded
By songs of deliverance
We’ve been liberated
From our bondage
We’re the sons and the daughters
Let us sing our freedom
You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am the child of God
You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
You drowned my fears in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am the child of God (yes I am)
I am a Child of God
I am a Child of God (yes, I am)
I am a Child of God (full of faith yes)
I am a Child of God
I am a Child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
Most of us are pretty focused on what is going on in our everyday lives. We are concerned about money, jobs, how our children are going to turn out, school issues, retirement planning, neighborhood problems, what we are hearing on the news, and just basic survival. These are all things that are very important, but so many times we become overwhelmed with these worries, fears, and what-ifs; we are bound by the issues of life. Essentially, we have become slaves to our worries as we obsess over each one; many of these are issues that are completely out of our control. As we become slaves to our fears, we lose our focus on God. When we finally realize what is happening and call out to God, we feel peace, love, and a complete escape from all of the challenges confronting us. If we focus on God first, it helps us to better address all of the other aspects of our life; since we realize once again that we are never alone. It doesn’t mean our problems go away, but focusing on God gives us a greater sense of inner peace as we deal with the issues at hand. We are also reminded yet again that we are his child, a child of God. As we commune with God during our brief escape and open our hearts, we find that sweet and calming spirit that dwells within us. Psalm 32:7 states: “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Our worries are replaced with the peace that God provides as he holds us in his arms as he delivers us from our bondage to fears just as he delivered the Israelites from their bondage of slavery.
God made us his child before we were even born and has always loved us and always will. In fact, Isaiah 44:24 tells us “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb, I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.” He has called out to us our entire life, and patiently waited for us to listen to his voice. When we finally hear him and reach the point of accepting his son Jesus as our personal savior, we become part of his eternal family with a home in heaven. As the old church hymn said,” we are joint heirs with Jesus”; take time to let that sink in. His love and his spirit are with us every day and during every circumstance of our lives. Think of the love you have for your children; it pales in comparison to the love God has for us. God is always there for us, just waiting to wrap his arms around us give us that loving embrace that we need, it is up to us to step into those loving arms. As we fall into the arms of our heavenly father, we are overcome with tranquility that blots out the noise of the world. Our heart is filled with joy and praise; we are finally free from our shackles. It is a time for us to worship the Lord with our hearts and our voice. It is time to sing praises to the Lord at the top of our lungs, so that everyone can know what he means to us and how good it feels to be a child of God.
Most of us have probably read or heard about how God parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could walk on dry land out of Egypt, this miracle is found in Exodus 14. Do you realize that he still parts the waters for us today? Our Red Sea is the turbulent seas of life that we battle every day. When we call upon him in the middle of the storms of life, he takes our hand, pulls us out of the water so that we are no longer drowning, confined by our burdens. He calms our seas and replaces the turbulent waters that drown us with an all-encompassing love that is greater and far beyond our comprehension.
Yes, we are a child of God and with Jesus Christ, we are no longer a slave to fear. I think we should all stop what we are doing and sing praises to him for his unconditional love and the eternal promise has made for each of us.
Click to Hear Jonathan David and Melissa Helser Perform No Longer Slaves