Free to Choose

Recently a Messianic Jewish friend hosted a Sukkot Celebration (also known as the Festival of Booths in the Old Testament). It is a time of remembering and celebrating God’s freedom and provision for the Israelites in the wilderness. 

It was a glorious celebration marked by joyous praise, bright colors, good food and friendship. As I listened to the beat of drums I was struck with awe and gratitude that I, too, worshipped The One True God who delivered Israel from slavery and because of Him I was free, too… free and overwhelmed. 

You see, as a single mom of four, it can be quite a task to keep all my ducks in a row. So, while others danced, I watched and worried…

Are my kids too loud? Are they allowed to do that during worship? What will other people think of their playfulness? 

The more I worried, the more the joy drained from my heart. I fussed. I shushed. I began to panic.

And then, I heard Holy Spirit tell me to step outside the tent. (Don’t you just love it when God puts you in timeout?).

I stepped out into a wide open space where I could feel the wind and I began to sway. Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart again, “The more freedom you are willing to experience, the more freedom your children will enjoy.” So I began to dance and twirl with big, beautiful, awkward movements. 

In those moments I made an exchange. I traded in fear and the need to control for the freedom to be joy-filled and carefree.

As I opened my eyes, I saw my little girls playing and my son dancing. I saw the host of the feast running with laughter as children scattered all around her in a game of tag — all of this during worship. When we choose to live out our freedom, it is worship to the One who freed us!

I used to think freedom was something I needed to work hard to maintain. Now I think freedom is an invitation to adventure deeper into the heart of God toward us.


Friends, like Israel we are free but each day we must make choices to walk in that freedom.  Walking in freedom takes trust and practice. 

You see, Israel was free the moment they walked out of Egypt, but they had to make choices that built upon their trust in God rather than live under the heavy slave master of fear. 

As we read in Exodus 16 (and throughout the book), God extended opportunities for Israel to go deeper and to explore his heart toward them. Each time they were hungry, they had a choice to trust God as a Provider or complain. When they needed water, they were free to choose the Well of Living Water or panic. 

Sometimes it seems easier to have the predictability of the hard task masters (fear, coping mechanisms, etc.) than to trust in Holy Spirit, who is described as wind (Jn 3:8)! C. S. Lewis put it best in his novel, Prince Caspian. Aslan, who represents Christ, informs Lucy that in His kingdom, “Things never happen the same way twice” (Lewis).

I used to get annoyed with reading Israel's 40 year saga in Exodus, like, “What are y'all doing? Can’t you see He didn’t bring you all the way out of Egypt to let you die in the wilderness?” 

Then I realized, I am like Israel. But I am learning to trust, and so are you! One reminder from heaven can settle our hearts and awaken us to freedom - we just have to choose! I don’t know about you but I would rather have the freedom Jesus offers than any counterfeit! Let’s choose to live out our freedom daily as an act of worship to the one who freed us.

Works Cited: Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples). Prince Caspian : The Return to Narnia. New York, N.Y. :Collier Books, 1970.

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."​ Isaiah 1:b (NIV)

About the Author

Howdy! My name is Lonette Baity. My favorite things are Sunday donuts and adventures with my four children, reading historical fiction, board games, and all things coffee. I especially enjoy warm South Carolina springtimes, before the bugs come out to bug me. I am passionate about creating safe spaces where women can rediscover their purpose, reconnect with their hearts and find God's healing in their own stories. I'd love to connect with you at www.LonetteBaity.com.