It was Alice's eighteenth birthday. Several presents had been given her and she took delight in looking them over again one by one, so time slipped away and it was late when she went upstairs to prepare for the meeting. Though she was sorry to be late on her birthday, when she got sight of the town clock it was already ten minutes past eleven.
Very quietly she opened the door of the meeting room, and determined to wait till they should sing before she went in. A 'passage from Scripture was being read and as she stood within the door, closing it noiselessly, the first words she heard were, "Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
The Holy Spirit sent those words of the Savior right home to the heart of that young girl standing at the door. "Whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years,” she said to herself; "that is me. I am eighteen today, and I know that I am not serving God, and they say that if I am not, I must be serving Satan. If that's true, I am his slave.”
Little she heard that morning except these words. She saw that she had spent all her life—all those eighteen years, in which God had given her health and comfort and countless other blessings—in forgetfulness of Him. She remembered that He had often called her, and she had as often refused to listen. Yes, she saw it all now; she had been bound by Satan for eighteen years. She was bound still. How could she be "loosed"?
The meeting ended, and Alice returned home. Still those words filled her mind. She went to her room, but not now to spend her time at the mirror, or looking at her presents. Now she was on her knees before God. Earnestly she prayed: "Lord, I am bound—I'm all wrong—oh, show me what to do!”
Even as she prayed a ray of light from God's Word shone into her soul: "Ought not this woman to be loosed?" "That woman was loosed," she said to herself; "oh, that I might be!”
More and more God's blessed light shone into her repentant heart, showing her that though she was a captive to sin—bound by sin for eighteen years—yet One "mighty to save" had come "to preach deliverance to the captives... to set at liberty them that are bruised.”
When Jesus was on earth, He said to that poor woman, "Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity." He laid His hands on her and she was made straight, and glorified God.
How very simple and natural it all was, Alice thought; and why should He not do the same for her, and even more, now that He was in heaven? She would trust in Him. And though she had been bound by Satan for eighteen years, she too was loosed that very day.
Can you imagine her joy when she realized that she was really set free? And my reason for telling you this story of Alice is that I long for you also to know the gladness of being made free from the dominion of sin, and thus free to serve your Deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ. For as He Himself said, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Satan has all unsaved people bound in his chains, leading them on to an eternal hell of suffering and torment.
The Lord Jesus is the only one who can break those chains, and He is waiting to do so for all who will come to Him and own that they are sinners and accept Him as their Savior. He is the one who suffered on the cross the judgment of God for the sins of all who will come to Him, and accept His forgiveness for their many sins.