
God is a breaker of chains. I have a testimony to share from my life recently and a journey that I invite you to embark on with me if you feel led by the Lord. This past Friday into Saturday I fell into a pit of despair and depression that was so deep that I felt no light could get past it but oh, how wrong I was. I know the Word of God and I stand by God’s Almighty authority that His Word is faultless and true, but at times I have my struggles the Lord knows. The Word of God tells us in psalm 139:11-12,
“If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me, And the night will be the only light around me,” Even the darkness is not dark to You and conceals nothing from You, But the night shines as bright as the day; Darkness and light are alike to You.”
The Lord led me to pray to Him by the power of His Holy Spirit, to make a declaration to have enough with the lies of the enemy, and to stand on the authority of the Word of God which tells me that He came to give me life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). I cried out to God to give me His living water so that I might live and not perish any longer. The Lord shined His light into my life and a healing in my heart began, one that I had tasted but had never experienced in its entirety before, like the Samaritan woman at the well.
“Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you-I am he.” (John 4:4-26)
I went to sleep soon after the prayer was spoken and at 2am I was woken up by the Holy Spirits whisper to my soul. I heard “40 days” and “March 1st”. I inquired as to what that meant and decided I would head off to sleep but then images began to flood into my head. I saw myself doing a video on Facebook and taking pictures of myself and of my wedding ceremony. I heard a call from God inviting me to get out of my comfort zone and the shackles of shame I had allowed to take hold of me. I tasted the freedom that the Lord promises and so graciously provides but tried to go back to sleep thinking how ridiculous this idea was, laughing at the thought like Sarah laughed when the Lord told her that she was going to have a child in her old age (Genesis 18:12). I realized my error, confessed and repented to the Lord, recognized the blessing of answered prayer, and accepted His calling on my life.
Anyone who knows me can tell you why this was such a miraculous event. I don’t take pictures of myself, I have so many times refused to do a video even to give a testimony of the goodness of our Lord, and because of my overwhelming shame of myself I even refused my own husband the blessing of a wedding day photo. The Lord was freeing me as He so graciously does. I was terrified and excited. I went to the “Life Mission” church app and was going to watch their latest sermon entitled “The Battle” but when the pastor began to ask the hard questions about the battles that we face I knew that I wasn’t ready to receive the word. On Sunday morning however the Lord made me to be ready to listen and to receive. I was blessed with confident hope and trust in the Lord that in Him I could be victorious, and in turn help those who are suffering and in need of the only truth in Christ that will set the captive free.
“The [captive] exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his food be lacking.” (Isaiah 51:14)
So as all of you know today is the first day in March, which I was at the onset unpleasantly surprised by since I thought I had much more time in Christ to prepare. Now I know experientially as I have seen before, that God’s time is always right on time and perfect. Today I posted my first live video ever in life on Facebook for all to see, speaking of my testimony, the 40 day calling and inviting others along with me, to Salvation in Christ, and onward to His promise of freedom.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
So I am telling you all of this to say that God in Christ wants you to be free and to find joy in His gift of Salvation. Perhaps you too are struggling too with shame, despair, fear, or depression. Perhaps you are shackled in by sin in your life, the shame of regret, or are finding a lack of peace from the worry and the stress of life. God wants to meet you where you are and the perfect thing about it is that if you allow Him in He will go above and beyond everything you could ever hope or imagine. I invite you to let Him in and if you don’t believe in Him, give Him a chance. If He can give me victory and invite me of all people to lay down my own selfish intentions, He can and He will free you from your cuffs so you can lay your shackles down. Trust in Him and you will never regret it. My own journey deeper in God has just begun. Won’t you call on the name of the Lord with me? What have you got to lose but your enslavement?
You can watch the video itself on my facebook page and I am inviting everyone to put #cuffsoff and share your testimony for the day. Please leave a comment on this post or send me friend request on Facebook: Crystal Spence. I would love to hear from you, to pray with you, to fellowship with and support you, and to see people set free through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Let us pray:
Lord we thank You that You are inviting us to be free in You. Thank You for Your Word which proves the truth that You have come to set the captives free. Please help me to trust You in this process and the plan that You have laid out for my life before time began. I admit that I am a sinner and I repent of my sins. I believe that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins, so that I can be reconciled in blissful and blessed relationship to God the Father. I believe that on the 3rd day Jesus Christ rose from the dead in fulfillment of the Scriptures all so that I might be saved and live my life through Him. I offer You my life in sweet surrender. I am all in. I give You my life, my heart, and my spirit to be conformed into the image of Your Son. Set me free Lord. I have been weighed down by the shackles and cuffs of lies that I have bought into. You are the Word, the Truth, and the life and I am trusting in You for a breakthrough. Heal my heart Lord. Lift me up and see me through all to Your honor and glory. Watch over me and open my heart to see my shackles so that through You I might lay them down these 40 days if it is Your will that I partake, and into Your life everlasting. Save me. Recommit me to Your love. I honor You and I worship You and I bless Your Holy name. Thank You for Your love, the graceful gift of Salvation, and for freedom. Yes! For freedom. I believe and receive that the truth has set me free. Hallelujah! In Jesus name. Amen.