Free

Free.

Just hearing the word may cause us to lean in,

to come closer,

to strain to hear the details.

Because we know "free" usually has a catch,

and we know for certain that freedom is not free:

it comes at a cost, a great price.

Givers of freedom pay an unfathomable price.

(Just ask our veterans. Just ask our God.)

The Giver of our freedom paid an unfathomable price.

Receivers of freedom choose daily

whether and how to live with this gift.

We decide daily: Will I live in the freedom I'm given? If so, how?

This subject of freedom must make us wonder...

What does the God of Goodness think

of this human-made marketplace-bazaar,

promising freedoms of every type and variety,

exploding with the fireworks of appealing choices,

mesmerizing but deadly?

Why does the all-knowing Giver not just give up on us...

knowing that we'll buy into the temporary light-show,

knowing that we'll be deafened to Truth,

and knowing that after the smoke clears,

that we've once again chosen to risk getting burned?

How (indeed) does the Holy One keep on freely giving without competing even more loudly for attention?

Leaning in,

coming closer,

it's worth straining to hear all that the Good One is giving,

the details of this special Family Membership. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Romans 8:16

1. Free will: It's ours to decide as to how much (if any) of our heart we choose to return to our Creator. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9

2. Free VIP access, anywhere, just for our acknowledgement. For through Christ we (all) have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

3. Free Unlimited Minutes, any time - never too early nor too late. Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20

3. Free power, just for the recognition that it's inside us! For His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

4. Free passes, just for the asking. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

5. Free reminders, just for the quieting down and listening. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:23

6. Free Remind-ers, just for observing His created. “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10

7. Free remembrances, just for the reading of His Word. I have stored up your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

8. Free refills. Is anyone thirsty? Come! All who will, come and drink. Drink freely of the Water of Life! Rev. 22:17

9. Free tasters. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.Psalm 34:8

And it would be natural to feel that acknowledging this membership

may feel like a trial membership

during the sign-up period of a lifetime of trials...

so here's the catch,

the rub,

the take-away,

the fine-print:

Take it all.

Take it for free, for the choosing.

Just remember:

Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8