“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” ( John 10:10).

Long before the Gospel of Christ was brought and shared here in Africa and neighboring regions one chief characteristic of people’s lives was fear. There was particular fear that life was controlled by vindictive gods which if you dared stepped on the wrong foot your were doomed. To guard themselves against upsetting these merciless gods people armed themselves with all sorts of amulets and fetishes as a tool of protection.

Fear dominated the lives of these people until the Gospel arrived. One most appealing aspect of the Gospel was its message of God setting us free to live abundant lives in Christ. The Gospel of Christ is liberating. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” ( Romans 8:1-2).

When someone becomes a believer in Christ one of the most immediate gains is freedom. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” ( Romans 8:36). You as a believer in Christ are no longer a victim of fear as happened to those who lived before and never heard the Gospel. As Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!” Further, Ephesians 3:12 reminds us, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, through faith in you we have been liberated from fear and all the powers of darkness, so help me live the abundant life of joy that is found in you, this I pray in Jesus’s name.