Listen to Devotion

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

The stories of prisoners of war who survived are fascinating. The accounts of the brutal and inhumane treatment by the enemy are horrific. The extreme emotions felt by the prisoners are breathtaking: the terror of being completely controlled by the enemy, the hopelessness of recognizing that escape is impossible, and the desperation of knowing that if not rescued or released, death is soon right around the corner.

Fortunately, stories of survivors don’t end there. They include rescue or release, and the emotions that go along with it. The relief, joy, and gratitude that are described by these former prisoners make their stories enjoyable.

The apostle Paul shared his prisoner-of-war story. It’s a story that is fascinating not just because it has a happy ending, but also because it is a story that each believer in Jesus shares.

We are all prisoners held by our sinful flesh. We know that the sins we commit deserve eternal death, and yet we keep sinning. That’s all that our sinful flesh can do. If our story ended there, we would be filled with fear, hopelessness, and eternal despair.

The story does not end there. We have a Savior who rescued us. Jesus freed us from the bonds of sin. Jesus took the condemnation to hell we deserved and set us free. “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Our prisoner of war story is certainly a heart-warming one. Our freedom has been guaranteed by Jesus. Praise to our Savior because of the freedom he has won for us!

Thank you, Jesus, for freeing me from my slavery to sin. Help me use my freedom to serve you and the people you bring into my life today. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.