If you've ever watched horror movies, thrillers, or even true-crime documentaries, you know that the instinct of the captive is to run first and ask questions later. See an opening? Take it. Lost in the woods now? That's still better. Overestimated your endurance? At least you have a head start.
You always see someone hiding behind a tree, trying not to be noticed by the psychopath who is pursuing them. Diving into a ditch. Ducking into an abandoned whatever. (Not smart, by the way, but here we are.) There's one thing in the captive's mind:
I'm never going back there.
But what if "back there" is the only place you can ever truly find freedom?
Our instinct in life is to run. To get away. As far as we can as fast as we can. We'll make the rest of the plan later.
But no one ever found true freedom by running away. You spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, always afraid it's coming back to get you, always wondering what's lurking around the next corner. Overreacting to every little noise, every flicker of light, every change in routine. You can never truly be free by running.
But you can be free in Christ.
And when God sets you free, He goes "back there" to make sure it sticks. Micah puts it this way: God goes to the place of your captivity to buy you back (4:10). To redeem you. To set you free.
God goes to where your body is most broken and starts the healing there. God goes to where your relationships have failed and starts the healing there. God goes to where your life is falling apart, and that's where He starts putting it back together.
God goes right to where the psychopath who is trying to hold you captive dwells, looks that enemy straight in the face, shoves death back into his hands and declares, "This one's Mine."
Then He walks you away from that place, truly free.
It's the only way.
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