“When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.“
- Luke 13:12-13 ESV
I don’t understand everything my human talks about when he opens that old Bible. But I do know a thing or two about getting bent out of shape.
I’ve seen it happen.
A squirrel runs across the yard, and I lose my ever-loving dog mind. My ears perk up, my tail stiffens, and suddenly I’m twisted into knots over something I can’t catch anyway.
I’ve watched my human do it too.
A difficult phone call.
Bills to pay.
Hurtful words.
Worry about the future.
Regrets from the past.
Expectations that weren’t met.
Before long, shoulders droop, smiles fade, and hearts get weighed down.
It’s amazing how life can bend us.
In Luke 13, Jesus met a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years.
Eighteen years!
She couldn’t straighten herself up no matter how hard she tried.
Then Jesus saw her.
He called her forward.
He touched her.
And He said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”
Immediately, she stood up straight and glorified God.
Now, this old dog has noticed something.
We spend a lot of time trying to straighten ourselves out.
We chase self-help tricks, worry ourselves sick, replay old conversations, and carry burdens we were never meant to bear.
But some things only Jesus can fix.
Shame bends us.
Fear bends us.
Bitterness bends us.
Disappointment bends us.
Sin bends us.
And if we’re honest, sometimes religion without relationship bends us too.
The synagogue leader fussed because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Imagine being so bent out of shape over rules that you miss the joy of watching someone set free.
Jesus came to do more than improve our posture. He came to deliver us.
He still sees people others overlook.
He still calls the weary and burdened to Himself.
He still touches hearts.
He still says, “You are set free.”
So maybe today you’re carrying something heavy.
Maybe you’ve been bent beneath it for weeks, months, or years.
Friend, don’t settle for staying hunched over when Jesus offers freedom.
This old dog can’t explain all the mysteries of grace. But I’ve learned this lying beside my human’s chair while he reads Scripture:
The same Jesus who straightened that woman can straighten what sin, sorrow, and fear have twisted in us.
And when He does, the only proper response is the same as hers.
Stand tall.
Lift your eyes.
And glorify God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we’ve allowed many things to bend our hearts out of shape. Forgive us for carrying what You have invited us to surrender. Speak freedom over our fears, heal our wounded places, and help us walk upright in the joy of Your salvation. Thank You that You still deliver and set captives free. Amen.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
