The first step on the road to freedom is that a person must desire to be free. This may sound like an unnecessary statement because we assume everyone must want to be free. After all, who in their right mind would want to remain in any sort of bondage if they had an opportunity to escape. Yet, when we actually look more closely at the human heart we frequently find just the opposite. Since freedom always demands radical change, many prefer their chains to the risks of freedom. This attitude can be found in believers and unbelievers alike. Only when the pain of change is less than the pain of remaining the same do many of us choose a new course.

Thankfully, God’s commitment to our freedom is far greater than our own. When He looks at us He sees the wonderful plans He has for our lives, and because of His love for us He refuses to leave us in slavery. He wants us to be free to possess those plans. Though He never reaches in to change a person’s will against their will, He does at times actively work to influence their choices, particularly when salvation and spiritual freedom are at stake. He will guide our circumstances, restrain demonic deception and grant spiritual revelation until we have the capacity to choose freedom. Whether we do or not is up to us, but He can be very persuasive. In today’s lesson we see Him working this “divine discontent” into the descendants of Jacob because it’s time for them to leave Egypt (Ge 15:13, 14). First we’ll observe how He convinced them to desire freedom, and then we’ll listen to Jesus as He explains how the Holy Spirit draws us to salvation.