The God Who Sets Free

A Testimony of the God Who Breaks Chains, Lifts Heads, and Restores Breath

There are chapters of my life I don’t talk about often — not because I’m ashamed, but because they were so heavy that even remembering them feels like lifting old stones. But those chapters are also where I met God most intimately. Not the God of distant theology… Not the God of Sunday-only faith… But the God who steps into prisons, deserts, graves, storms, and shame — and sets people free.

This is my testimony. And it’s stitched together with the testimonies of those who walked before me in Scripture, because their stories became the language of my own deliverance.

When I Felt Like Israel Under Pharaoh — God Became My Deliverer

There was a season where I felt crushed under the weight of life. Responsibilities. Expectations. Silent battles. Invisible chains.

I felt like Israel in Exodus — working, striving, surviving, but not living.

But Scripture says:

Exodus 2:23–25

“The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out… and God heard… God remembered… God looked… and God knew.”

That verse undid me. Because I realized: God hears groans. God remembers His promises. God sees suffering. God knows.

And just like He raised Moses, He began raising deliverance in my life — not always dramatically, but faithfully. He loosened the grip of what oppressed me. He parted waters I thought would drown me. He led me out with a mighty hand, even when I didn’t recognize the path.

When I Felt Like Hannah — God Met Me in My Tears

There were prayers I prayed with words… and prayers I prayed with weeping. Prayers that felt unanswered. Prayers that felt ignored. Prayers that felt like they were hitting the ceiling.

But Hannah’s story became my comfort.

1 Samuel 1:15

“I was pouring out my soul before the Lord.”

That’s what I was doing too — pouring out my soul. And the same God who remembered Hannah remembered me. He turned my mourning into hope. He turned my silence into testimony. He turned my waiting into worship.

When I Felt Like David in the Cave — God Became My Refuge

There were moments when I felt hunted by life — not by people, but by fear, anxiety, and the shadows of my past. I felt like David hiding in the cave of Adullam, overwhelmed and unsure.

But Scripture says:

Psalm 34:4

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”

God didn’t just deliver me from circumstances — He delivered me from fear itself. He became my hiding place. My shield. My steady ground when everything else felt unstable.

When I Felt Like the Woman at the Well — God Told Me the Truth About Myself

There were parts of my story I didn’t want to face. Parts I thought disqualified me. Parts I thought made me unlovable.

But Jesus met me the way He met the Samaritan woman — not with shame, but with truth that heals.

John 4:29

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did…”

He told me the truth about my wounds. The truth about my worth. The truth about my identity. And in His voice, I found freedom from the lies that held me captive.

When I Felt Like Peter Sinking — God Reached for Me

There were days when faith felt fragile. Days when I started sinking under the waves of life. Days when I doubted, questioned, and feared.

But Scripture says:

Matthew 14:31

“Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.”

Immediately. Not eventually. Not after a lecture. Not after proving myself.

He reached for me in my panic. He steadied me in my weakness. He lifted me when I couldn’t lift myself.

When I Felt Like Lazarus — God Called Me Out of What Was Killing Me

There were things in my life that felt dead — joy, confidence, purpose, hope. I felt wrapped in grave clothes of disappointment.

But Jesus stood at the entrance of my darkness and called me the way He called Lazarus.

John 11:43–44

“Lazarus, come out!” … “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

He didn’t just revive me — He released me. He called me out of the grave I settled in. He commanded the things that held me to let me go.

And they did.

My Declaration Today

I am free — not because I fought my way out, but because God came for me.

Psalm 18:16

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.”

That is my story. A God who reaches down. A God who draws out. A God who breaks chains. A God who restores breath.

John 8:36

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

I am living proof.

For the One Reading This

If you feel bound — by fear, shame, sin, trauma, memories, or battles you can’t name — hear this:

God specializes in impossible freedom. He is not intimidated by your chains. He is not tired of your prayers. He is not late to your story.

He is the God who sets free. And He is already moving toward you.

Your Egypt has an exit. Your cave has a sunrise. Your grave has a resurrection. Your chains have a breaking point.

And your story has a God who refuses to leave you bound.