I was walking to my comfy leather chair with my first coffee of the day, when I heard frantic scratching.

What was this irritating distraction? It interfered with my effort to lift my spirits by reminding myself: “This is the day that the LORD hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24).

Our beloved cat, Goose, was scratching the play pen of our 10-month old granddaughter!

At first, he was using it like a scratching post. But when I yelled “Stop!” his scratching turned frantic! He couldn’t get his claws out of the play pen’s webbing!!

He was trapped. He had jumped into the play pen, but he couldn’t jump out.

We leave the play pen standing in our great room so it’s there whenever our granddaughter visits us. At those times, we expand the play pen into a 6-foot by 6-foot square. But at the moment it was partially scrunched together to give us more room to walk around it. There was not enough room for Goose to get a running start to jump over the sides.

When he was outside the play pen, there was plenty of room—plenty of freedom—in the great room to run and jump in. But now, he couldn’t get out even with my help.

As my coffee grew cold, I struggled to pull his claws out of the netting. But now he was scared. He wouldn’t (or couldn’t) pull his claws out. I tried picking him up, but he became even more determined to thwart my efforts to pull him out.

Eventually, I realized that I had to give him some time to calm down.

I sat in my comfy chair for a few minutes, sipping my coffee.

At last, he retracted his claws, freeing himself from the netting.

This time, I didn’t shout at him. I spoke soothingly to him. I didn’t try to lift him above the netting. Instead, I lifted the netting. After a few moments of looking nervously, he trusted me to keep holding the netting up. He scooted under it. He was free!

I thought of the Bible verse where the Apostle Paul assured the church at Corinth:

“God is faithful. He will not let you be tested or tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tested or tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

When God lifts the netting that traps you, run quickly toward freedom!

What are the “nets” that hinder and entangle us? What nets do our “claws” latch onto?

Where is the freedom we need to run quickly toward? Freedom from what?

These verses in Hebrews answer these questions:

“L]et us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2).

We are hindered by nets woven from the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things (Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15).

We are entangled by sins such as those described by the Apostle Paul to the church in Galatia:

sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, orgies, and the like. (Galatians 5:19-21).

In contrast, when Jesus frees us from such hindrances and entanglements, we run the race marked out for us by Jesus—the race to produce love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Sometimes God shouts these truths to us. Sometimes God speaks these truths to us soothingly.

God may shout and speak while we meditate. While we read the Bible. While we participate in worship. While we are in a small support group of believers.  While other people (including non-believers (Acts 2:14-15)) counsel us from friendship or from their professional training.

Sometimes, we ourselves find the courage and strength to retract our claws from the netting that hinders and entangles us.

Other times, God himself frees us with his Amazing Grace from whatever hinders and entangles us.

In whatever way God chooses to free you, accept the freedom from whatever has been hindering and entangling you.

And use your God-given freedom to run, run, run in the Way marked out for you by Jesus—the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What hinders or entangles you from living in the Way of Jesus? How? Why?

Do you want to find freedom from whatever hinders or entangles you from living in the Way of Jesus? Why? Why not?

How can you find freedom from whatever hinders or entangles you from living in the Way of Jesus? Why?

Do you want to find freedom from sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, orgies, and the like. Why? Why not? How? How not?

Do you want to produce love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Why? Why not? How? How not?

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For a similar story about our cat Bootsey, please read my blog “The Star of Christmas Is a ‘Can of Tuna Fish’”.

For a similar story about being trapped, hindered and entangled by doubts, please read my blog “Jesus Overcomes the Darkness of Doubts”.

For related ideas, please read my blogs “Building Houses on Rock: Mission Impossible?”, “Building Houses on Rock: Mercy and Forgiveness”. “Hardened Soil Along a Footpath”, “Shallow Soil in Rocky Places”, “Thorny Soil”, and “Good Soil Hears and Sees”.