Never Again...

    The cage was old and rickety, but it still served its purpose. An odor of death seemed to penetrate every ounce of air that was in the vicinity. A thick darkness surrounded the cage. Within the cage lay a small, almost lifeless, girl. She was starved and dirty, and if one were to look into her eyes, a hint of despair and hopelessness could be seen there.

    Outside the cage sat a cruel old man, guarding the doorway so none could get in or out. He held in his hands a weapon that none could distinguish in our modern world. His eyes lurched to and fro, looking for anyone who would assay to set the girl free.

   Suddenly, out of the distance, the girl could hear a cry. At first it was faint, but soon it became louder and clear. The voice was crying for joy, “I’m free! My cage is broken! I don’t have to be trapped in there anymore!”

   The girl was stirred from her resting place. She sat up and looked around. Her eyes were blinded by the darkness, but she could hear the voice, almost as though it were talking to her. “You can be free, too…” It whispered. Was it her imagination?

   “Don’t listen to that,” The old man grunted in anger. “If you do, I’ll kill you.”

For a brief second, the voice was silent, but then it came back. “You can be free too. Just ask Him. His name is Jesus.”

   Who is Jesus? She wondered. Almost as though the voice heard her, it explained, “He is the Son of God. He has paid for your sin and can set you free. Ask Him.”

   What could she lose? “Jesus, set me free!” She cried in a weak, but determined voice.

  “NO!” The old man cried. In that instant, a man dressed like a King appeared out of nowhere. He held a light that seemed to frighten the old man. “You can’t do this!” The old man shouted.

  “Ah, but I already have.” The other said. He then proceeded to take the weapon out of the old man’s hands and smashed it onto the ground. “You cannot have her anymore. I have already set her free. Now leave!” At that, the old man got up and ran. At that instant, the girl could see the lock on the cage door crumble. The man pulled the door open and helped her off the ground. 

   “You are free, my daughter. Never again do you have to be trapped in this cage. There is no more lock on this door. Remember that. Never again.” 

"...The trap is broken, and we are free!" -Psalm 124:7 NLT

  If you have received Christ as Savior, you are free as well. The cage is broken, it no longer works. But often times, that old man will come back, lure you back into his cage, and then he will tell you, "You can't get out. There is no way out of this sin." 

  Have you ever dealt with that lie? Maybe it came in the form of, "I can't stop _____." Or maybe recently you broke the habit of a particular sin, and the lie lingers in the back of your mind, "One day I'll be doing it again. I can't stay free forever!" 

  But, Christian, if Christ has broken the lock, it is truly broken! You can get back into that cage all you want, but you will NEVER be trapped in it. You have only to push on the door and it will swing wide open! 

  If Christ has set you free, you are free indeed! (John 8:36) When He said, "Never again," that is what He meant. 

   "But," you may be thinking, "I feel trapped. I feel like I'm in bondage." Satan has lied to you. With every temptation, there is a way of escape. JESUS is that way of escape! 

  "Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for He shall puck my feet out of the net." -Psalm 25:15

  Believe Him, dear Christian. He freed you once. Turn your eyes to Him. He is your only hope. He is your Salvation, not just for eternity, but for every day!