Psalm 107:14, “He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.” (NIV).

Have you ever felt you were bound by chains that you could not break?  Ever dreamed you were locked up like Houdini and couldn’t get loose?  Prayed for someone who was bound and longed to see them set free?

Some chains are heavier than others.  I’ve seen small chains that can be broken with a screwdriver!  Others would take a hacksaw or something bigger.  But one word from the Master can break ANY chain!

God broke the chains for Joseph and set him free from prison (Genesis 41).

God set His people free from Pharaoh (Exodus 12:51).

He freed Daniel from the lion’s den (Daniel 6).

He delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace (Daniel 3).

Peter was delivered from his prison chains by an angel! (Acts 12:7).

God sent an earthquake to set Paul and Silas free (Acts 16).

Our chains are seldom made of iron or metal of any kind, but are made over time by decisions we have made. Most often, we don’t even know that chains are forming.  Soon, they are so heavy that they keep us from following God.  They hinder our coming close to Him.  Romans 8:21 says that we are in “…bondage to decay…”.  Ugh … remember the last time you saw something in decay?  Smelly.  Maggots.  Rotten.  NOT a pleasant sight!

So how do we get free?  I would love to say that an angel will come and deliver us as happened to Peter, but that will probably not be the case.

Peter’s chains were not chains of selfish or evil choices.  Daniel needed deliverance, not from bad choices but because he was true to God!

The Word of God says, “The Lord sets prisoners free” (Psalm 146:7) and “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”!  Yeah!

If your chains are made because of willful, sinful choices, then first you must confess, repent, and ask God’s forgiveness.  Paul says in II Timothy 2:26, that “they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will”. 

The prodigal son was one who came to his “senses”.  We must recognize and admit that we’ve made mistakes, wrong choices, and sinful decisions.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), and the chains are broken!  We’ve been set free!

He set me free, yes, He set me free.

He broke the chains of prison for me

I’m glory-bound my Jesus to see

Oh, He set me free, yes, He set me free!

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood, His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace