Chain Breaker Freedom Ministry

No one STARTS in the middle. Life requires a FIRST step. What is your first step today? And just so you know, if that step is merely looking at the stairs, right now, that is OK. Do not focus on anything except that first step. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭15‬-‭20‬ ‭RSV‬‬

Romans 7:15-20 (RSV) - I do not understand my own actions. | YouVersion I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it, but

Prophet of Destruction, Poet of Hope (Isaiah)

Amid the dust of an ancient land,
A voice arose, with gentle hands—
Isaiah, the prophet of ruin's decree,
The poet of hope’s unfading tree.
He thundered warnings through Jerusalem's gate,
Foretelling destruction no one could abate.
"Cities will crumble, nations will groan—
Turn to God, O people, you are not alone.
Through visions dire—the world unmade,
He wept for justice long delayed.
Yet in the ashes, he sowed a song:
“From roots of ruin, new life grows strong.”
A poet’s tongue in a prophet’s mouth,
He spoke of deserts blooming despite the drought.
Swords to plowshares, wolves at peace,
Burdens lifted, tears release.
He saw the Holy in suffering’s night,
A wounded servant, a dawning light.
Judgment thundered, but so did grace
A promised future for every race.
Isaiah, prophet of endings and of dawn,
Your words endure when the world seems gone.
Destruction’s herald, hope’s pure refrain—
In every sorrow, Isaiah whispered gain.

Did you know that the Medes in the Bible is modern Indonesia-Iran? The Chaldeans is modern day southern Iraq?
In Isaiah these countries were used to bring judgment on the disobedient nation.

Forgiveness
(Hebrews 12:15)

Imagine planting a beautiful garden full of flowers. One day, you find a w**d in the center of your garden. As a gardener, you know if you do not pull it out the root will overtake the plants surrounding it and kill them.
The “root of bitterness” works the same way—if we allow bitterness to remain in our hearts, it can overtake the joy in our lives.
Hanging onto bitterness does not improve the situation. We need to be able to catch bitterness early on so we can uproot it before it hurts us and others.
This is where forgiveness comes in. Forgiving others does not mean that what they did to us was okay, the people who suffer most from unforgiveness is ourselves.
Why forgive? (Matthew 6:14-15)
Jesus chose to forgive us when we did not deserve it. If we want to reflect the life of Jesus every day, we should be willing to forgive others when they do not deserve it.
How to forgive
Forgiveness is a process and a daily choice.
We partner with God by asking Him to help us forgive others as He forgave us. Because we are human, it is easy to fall back into bitterness, so we will have to come to God regularly and ask for His help. If we commit to thinking it and saying it, God will honor our commitment and help us truly forgive.
Forgiveness is not…
Forgiveness is not a lack of boundaries.
Forgiveness is not friendship
Forgiveness is not weakness.
Forgiveness is not easy, but it’s a necessary part of healing a broken heart.
Pray:
Ask God to help you work towards forgiveness.

Seek Your Worth in Christ

Laban had two daughters, the older was Leah, the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel. (Genesis 29:16-18)
Think about what it would be like to constantly try to gain acceptance from someone else. You try as hard as you can to measure up and be good enough—but no matter what you do, you just cannot meet the expectations.
This is what it was like for Leah.
Because it was normal during the time Leah lived, both she and her sister Rachel were married to Jacob. Jacob loved Rachel more—and Leah was very aware of it.
God saw that Leah was unloved, so He blessed her with many children (which, in her culture, elevated her).
But instead of focusing on the fact that the Lord saw her value and blessed her, Leah continued to place her worth in what her husband thought of her. We see this reflected in the way she named her sons ie. (Reuben- “The Lord seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now (Genesis 29:32). With each child, Leah hoped Jacob would finally love her.
Sometimes, it is easy to allow things like a significant other, children, job, or social status to define our worth. But finding our true value in what other people think of us is not possible—we will never feel satisfied.
The only way we can find true satisfaction is when we let God’sn view of us define our worth.
We see Leah discover this when she names her final child—she finally saw how much the Lord valued her, and she praised Him for it (Genesis 29:35).
If we continue to place our value in the acceptance or love of others, we will never find the joy the Lord wants for us.
Only He can truly fill our hearts and bring us the validation we need.
Instead of focusing on things around us that are out of our control, let us choose to focus on God—because only He can help us find the sense of worth we need.
Pray:
• Ask God to help you see how much He truly values you.
• Tell Him what you want to surrender.
• Praise Him for the good things.

Let God Define You
Colossians 3:2-4

Take a moment to think about everything that is important to you. How does God fit into that picture?

Whenever we elevate anything above God, we’re committing idolatry. Not all heartbreak comes from idolatry, but idolatry can lead to heartbreak.

That’s why it's important to be aware that nothing can replace God’s place in our hearts. If we idolize something, we risk redefining who God called us to be.

We were created by God, for God. And because we were created for God, who we truly are can only be found when we seek Him. Idolizing something and making it the most important aspect of our lives can change how we define ourselves.

When we try to define who we are with something that is not God, it’s ultimately going to fail us. It’s like trying to patch a sinking boat with chewing gum—it might work for a very short period of time, but we’re not going to stay afloat unless we patch the hole with something sturdy.

In the same way, if we place our identities into something (or someone) we love, we might feel fulfilled for a short time, but it ultimately can’t satisfy us the way Christ will.

Defining ourselves by something other than Christ doesn’t mean we don’t love Jesus. But, our love for Jesus should come before our love for anything else. If our priorities are out of line, He will look for opportunities to remind us of who we truly are. And sometimes, He uses heartbreak to show us this.

When something we idolize lets us down or is taken from us, it can tear apart our sense of identity—leaving us to pick up the pieces. But, if you allow Him, God can build you a new and stronger identity. He can take the broken pieces of your life and turn it into something that honors Him and brings Him glory.

Pray:

Ask God to reveal any idols in your life.
Ask for Him to redefine your identity in Him.
Ask for God to show you how He sees you.

Remember Who is in Control

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians coming after them! The Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. Exodus 14:10

Imagine what it would feel like to be an Israelite slave in Egypt. For years, you spend most of your days doing hard labor in the blistering heat and you repeatedly watch your people get mistreated by the Egyptians.

Then—suddenly—you hear the Pharaoh has agreed to let you leave. As you and the rest of the Israelites begin your journey out of Egypt, the Pharaoh changes his mind. You hear he’s sending hundreds of chariots to retrieve you—and there’s a big body of water blocking your route to freedom.

Think of the panic you might feel when your leader, Moses, tells you to be still.

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

If you look at the end of the story, you’ll realize that if the Israelites had not done what Moses told them, they probably would have made the situation much worse—a lot of people could have been taken back into slavery or even died. But Moses understood that it was best to trust in God and not in his own knowledge or power.

Being still requires letting go of all control of a situation and trusting God to handle it. When we try to take control of a painful situation, our attempts to manipulate and force change are most likely going to cause more problems.

If the Israelites hadn’t let go of the situation, they wouldn’t have given God the opportunity to guide them through the Red Sea. It may feel uncomfortable to let go, and it may not make sense at the moment, but God knows better than we do.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8 ESV

When we experience a painful situation, we might not understand why, but we can still trust that God knows what He’s doing. Although we may not have an opportunity to see all of His good purposes on this side of eternity, we know that all things work together according to His will.

Pray:

Tell God you’re releasing all control of your situation.
Ask for His will to preside over every aspect of your life