Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Keeper of My Heart: High Places
Keeper of My Heart: High Places: You may ask what is a high place. A high place in the bible was a place that persons went to worship, sacrifice, or pray and petition G...
High Places
You may ask what is a high place. A high place in the bible was a place that persons went to worship, sacrifice, or pray and petition God. This was the only way in which people would communicate with God. They would come to these places as Holy places. Places where they could petition God for there every need.
I began a bible study with Lysa Terkerust called Trustworthy. In the final day of last weeks study she asked a question that really hit me hard. I didn't realize it as I was studying, but afterwards as I was praying that God would reveal to me where my high places were. He revealed that I had been looking to people and not to God. That I was trusting people to answer my questions and help me make decisions and not Him as I should be.
Wow!!! That hurt. I was questioning this distant feeling I had in regards to my relationship with God thinking I had done something that was separating me from Him, when in reality, I had stepped away. For whatever reason, I had distanced myself from the Lord and had begun to rely on myself and others, where I should be leaning into Him for guidance.
I began to cry soft tears of regret as the reality of my decision weighed down on me. Also I believe tears of relief in a way. I realized God is still there and was doing as I had asked in revealing my high places. I had built a wall between and I just need to tear down the wall I had erected to protect myself. It wasn't really protection, but separation and a painful one at that.
I began to look at who I had put in those places and why. The one reason was that I was going to this person and not going to God. I was not spending time in His word daily. I was allowing the stress of the outside world to push me away from the One who could bring me peace. I leaned into the one not intended to be my all in all and heaped all the responsibility on his shoulders. That was not fair to him, not that he wouldn't do anything for me, but more that it is not his Job.
I was relying on my husband to be everything, have his own relationship with God, be responsible for hearing my complaints, making my decisions, and answering to me when the choices I made, (despite what he may have suggested), that ended in a bad way. That meant he was burdened not only with his troubles, but mine as well.
This morning I realized that I was treating him as my high place and not turning to God, but than I was upset with God for not answering my prayers when I was not taking them to Him. I put my husband and my aunt Mary in high places. Now this does not mean that I shouldn't go to them and ask them to pray with me, but that I needed to keep God as my high place. He and only He should hold that place in my life.
I needed to repent from this and turn fully to God and lean into Him alone. This does not mean I cannot share my burdens with my husband ever, or that at times that God may not answer me through shared prayer with my husband or my aunt. It just means that I need to look to God first. To spend time in His word and seek my answers through my prayer life with Him. Than and only than can I know that the answers, rather they are yes or no, are the path God would have me take.
Lysa wrote something so profound that I just must share. She said to repent and humble ourselves before the Lord and in doing so, that humility ties a beautiful knot between our heart and God's. A knot that can never come untied. I love this, because it gives us a blessed assurance that He will always be there for us in our times of need.
This also frees my husband and I up to have the loving relationship that God intended and not burden the other with our needs that only God can fulfill. I must work hard at keeping my high place God alone and not running to where I think I might get the answer I want. I need to rest in the fact that God wants only good for me, and that means at times, the answer will be no, not now, wait, or yes. It matters not what the answer is as long as I trust the One who is answering.
So today, I feel lighter than I have in a long time. Relief that is soul deep. I have a friend, a confidant, a helper in times of trouble. I have a HIGH PLACE IN GOD!!!!
I began a bible study with Lysa Terkerust called Trustworthy. In the final day of last weeks study she asked a question that really hit me hard. I didn't realize it as I was studying, but afterwards as I was praying that God would reveal to me where my high places were. He revealed that I had been looking to people and not to God. That I was trusting people to answer my questions and help me make decisions and not Him as I should be.
Wow!!! That hurt. I was questioning this distant feeling I had in regards to my relationship with God thinking I had done something that was separating me from Him, when in reality, I had stepped away. For whatever reason, I had distanced myself from the Lord and had begun to rely on myself and others, where I should be leaning into Him for guidance.
I began to cry soft tears of regret as the reality of my decision weighed down on me. Also I believe tears of relief in a way. I realized God is still there and was doing as I had asked in revealing my high places. I had built a wall between and I just need to tear down the wall I had erected to protect myself. It wasn't really protection, but separation and a painful one at that.
I began to look at who I had put in those places and why. The one reason was that I was going to this person and not going to God. I was not spending time in His word daily. I was allowing the stress of the outside world to push me away from the One who could bring me peace. I leaned into the one not intended to be my all in all and heaped all the responsibility on his shoulders. That was not fair to him, not that he wouldn't do anything for me, but more that it is not his Job.
I was relying on my husband to be everything, have his own relationship with God, be responsible for hearing my complaints, making my decisions, and answering to me when the choices I made, (despite what he may have suggested), that ended in a bad way. That meant he was burdened not only with his troubles, but mine as well.
This morning I realized that I was treating him as my high place and not turning to God, but than I was upset with God for not answering my prayers when I was not taking them to Him. I put my husband and my aunt Mary in high places. Now this does not mean that I shouldn't go to them and ask them to pray with me, but that I needed to keep God as my high place. He and only He should hold that place in my life.
I needed to repent from this and turn fully to God and lean into Him alone. This does not mean I cannot share my burdens with my husband ever, or that at times that God may not answer me through shared prayer with my husband or my aunt. It just means that I need to look to God first. To spend time in His word and seek my answers through my prayer life with Him. Than and only than can I know that the answers, rather they are yes or no, are the path God would have me take.
Lysa wrote something so profound that I just must share. She said to repent and humble ourselves before the Lord and in doing so, that humility ties a beautiful knot between our heart and God's. A knot that can never come untied. I love this, because it gives us a blessed assurance that He will always be there for us in our times of need.
This also frees my husband and I up to have the loving relationship that God intended and not burden the other with our needs that only God can fulfill. I must work hard at keeping my high place God alone and not running to where I think I might get the answer I want. I need to rest in the fact that God wants only good for me, and that means at times, the answer will be no, not now, wait, or yes. It matters not what the answer is as long as I trust the One who is answering.
So today, I feel lighter than I have in a long time. Relief that is soul deep. I have a friend, a confidant, a helper in times of trouble. I have a HIGH PLACE IN GOD!!!!
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Tis the season.
It is Christmas eve. The day before the big day. The day when people are running around for those last minute gifts, starting on preparations for the holiday meal with family and friends, anticipating the joyful gatherings, and than there are those who aren't.
Each holiday season, there are people who are not in the spirit. They dread this time of year for numerous reasons. Maybe from a childhood memory of something not so great. Maybe because they have lost someone who meant so much to them, and maybe, just maybe, they don't like Christmas because its a holiday they have to work year in and year out.
Whatever the reason, there are those who wait with anticipation for this holiday to just be done. No more music, lights, trees, and merry Christmas. They just want to go back to the way life was before the holidays. They dread and maybe even hate this time of year. There are just as many reasons they dread it, as there are reasons people love it. No matter the reason, its their truth.
The first year after my daddy died, I dreaded the holidays, and with Christmas being the worst. My dad loved Christmas. He loved being together with family, enjoying the meal, but his favorite part was seeing all the kids open their gifts. It was what made him smile from ear to ear.
My dad was always a very generous man. He would help anyone in need. Even while he was going through chemo, he would spend those hours hooked up to the medicine, sharing Jesus with people. He would talk to them like nothing was even wrong. He would tell jokes, and help them to smile.
My dad hated to see people sad, and didn't like when family would fight with each other. Some of his last words to me were, "please don't let this family fall apart. Do what you can to hold all of you together." Poor daddy would be so saddened by what our family has become. He would just be heart broken to know that we no longer speak to each other and the thought of doing Christmas together, well that's an impossible one. Dad of course would disagree. He would say that God could make it happen. Just trust in Him.
He loved the Lord and knew that Christ's birth was the true reason for the season and he wanted others to know that kind of joy. He loved sharing Christ with others so that they to could have the joy and hope he had. My dad even shared his faith with others at the treatment center while he was going through chemo that last year of his life. He would ask, "Do you know where your going? Do you know Jesus." He never let go of his faith, and even at the end, he was so excited to see Jesus.
On the first Christmas after he passed, I knew that life was forever changed. Because of the conflict when daddy passed, I would not be with my side of the family this first year. There would be no one I could talk to about the deep loss we were all feeling. You know, only someone who has known a person as you have, could truly understand the loss you are feeling. Now I'm not saying my hubby didn't understand or wasn't there, it is just different than what you share as siblings when it comes to memories.
So with dread, and what felt like a dead heart, I trudged through the first Christmas with a, "fake it until you make it," smile plastered to my face. I said all the right things, and participated in all the Christmas merry making, all the while feeling dead inside and so false. I was happy my children and grandchildren where there and that they were enjoying the season, and I loved being around my other family, it was just difficult and unless you have been through this, you wouldn't understand what I am saying.
So the first one passed and I kept telling myself, next year will be better. It was a little better, but there was still that sadness. It crept in when I wasn't looking, and I would find myself sad again, crying in the shower, or while I was wrapping gifts. This has repeated itself each year, but with each year there is a little less pain. Don't get me wrong, it still has a sting and the longing you feel for the way things used to be, I don't think every really goes away, but like a long worn favorite pair of jeans, it fades slightly with each passing year.
This year I face the holiday once again. It is not as bad this year, but still there. I miss my dad and my family so very much, but you see, some families never recover from the loss of a loved one. Some split up and never talk again. They all go their separate ways. Its like as if when the patriarch or matriarch passes, there isn't that same glue to hold the family together. The once giant, joyous gatherings are a thing of the past.
Life from that point on is changed. People loose touch, family doesn't talk, and life grows farther apart. The sadness from the loss begins to grow until the chasm between family seems unbridgeable. But it isn't. That distance is not the be all end all. Its just distance. Just like the distance you have when traveling for vacation. Its long, and it will take time to get there, but you do it because you know you will enjoy it.
Its that same with family. You are traveling a distance, bridging the gap, making amends, and finding the joy of the season again. That chasm can be bridged, that broken can be mended, that family tie can be retied. This year, why not reach out again? Make a leap and try to mend the differences that split you up. Say your sorry if that's what it takes. Extend the olive branch. Reach out to that long lost family member.
Think about what that loved one would want, or what they would say about how things are now. What would they want you to do? Would they want the anger, the hurt, the grudges, or would they want the peace, the love and the closeness. Go ahead, what do you have to loose? Try to mend that relationship. Its a season of miracles, a season of giving, and a season of receiving. After all, "Tis the Season."
Each holiday season, there are people who are not in the spirit. They dread this time of year for numerous reasons. Maybe from a childhood memory of something not so great. Maybe because they have lost someone who meant so much to them, and maybe, just maybe, they don't like Christmas because its a holiday they have to work year in and year out.
Whatever the reason, there are those who wait with anticipation for this holiday to just be done. No more music, lights, trees, and merry Christmas. They just want to go back to the way life was before the holidays. They dread and maybe even hate this time of year. There are just as many reasons they dread it, as there are reasons people love it. No matter the reason, its their truth.
The first year after my daddy died, I dreaded the holidays, and with Christmas being the worst. My dad loved Christmas. He loved being together with family, enjoying the meal, but his favorite part was seeing all the kids open their gifts. It was what made him smile from ear to ear.
My dad was always a very generous man. He would help anyone in need. Even while he was going through chemo, he would spend those hours hooked up to the medicine, sharing Jesus with people. He would talk to them like nothing was even wrong. He would tell jokes, and help them to smile.
My dad hated to see people sad, and didn't like when family would fight with each other. Some of his last words to me were, "please don't let this family fall apart. Do what you can to hold all of you together." Poor daddy would be so saddened by what our family has become. He would just be heart broken to know that we no longer speak to each other and the thought of doing Christmas together, well that's an impossible one. Dad of course would disagree. He would say that God could make it happen. Just trust in Him.
He loved the Lord and knew that Christ's birth was the true reason for the season and he wanted others to know that kind of joy. He loved sharing Christ with others so that they to could have the joy and hope he had. My dad even shared his faith with others at the treatment center while he was going through chemo that last year of his life. He would ask, "Do you know where your going? Do you know Jesus." He never let go of his faith, and even at the end, he was so excited to see Jesus.
On the first Christmas after he passed, I knew that life was forever changed. Because of the conflict when daddy passed, I would not be with my side of the family this first year. There would be no one I could talk to about the deep loss we were all feeling. You know, only someone who has known a person as you have, could truly understand the loss you are feeling. Now I'm not saying my hubby didn't understand or wasn't there, it is just different than what you share as siblings when it comes to memories.
So with dread, and what felt like a dead heart, I trudged through the first Christmas with a, "fake it until you make it," smile plastered to my face. I said all the right things, and participated in all the Christmas merry making, all the while feeling dead inside and so false. I was happy my children and grandchildren where there and that they were enjoying the season, and I loved being around my other family, it was just difficult and unless you have been through this, you wouldn't understand what I am saying.
So the first one passed and I kept telling myself, next year will be better. It was a little better, but there was still that sadness. It crept in when I wasn't looking, and I would find myself sad again, crying in the shower, or while I was wrapping gifts. This has repeated itself each year, but with each year there is a little less pain. Don't get me wrong, it still has a sting and the longing you feel for the way things used to be, I don't think every really goes away, but like a long worn favorite pair of jeans, it fades slightly with each passing year.
This year I face the holiday once again. It is not as bad this year, but still there. I miss my dad and my family so very much, but you see, some families never recover from the loss of a loved one. Some split up and never talk again. They all go their separate ways. Its like as if when the patriarch or matriarch passes, there isn't that same glue to hold the family together. The once giant, joyous gatherings are a thing of the past.
Life from that point on is changed. People loose touch, family doesn't talk, and life grows farther apart. The sadness from the loss begins to grow until the chasm between family seems unbridgeable. But it isn't. That distance is not the be all end all. Its just distance. Just like the distance you have when traveling for vacation. Its long, and it will take time to get there, but you do it because you know you will enjoy it.
Its that same with family. You are traveling a distance, bridging the gap, making amends, and finding the joy of the season again. That chasm can be bridged, that broken can be mended, that family tie can be retied. This year, why not reach out again? Make a leap and try to mend the differences that split you up. Say your sorry if that's what it takes. Extend the olive branch. Reach out to that long lost family member.
Think about what that loved one would want, or what they would say about how things are now. What would they want you to do? Would they want the anger, the hurt, the grudges, or would they want the peace, the love and the closeness. Go ahead, what do you have to loose? Try to mend that relationship. Its a season of miracles, a season of giving, and a season of receiving. After all, "Tis the Season."
Sunday, December 22, 2019
A strong woman!!!
I always write about inspirational things. Things to help lift others up. To inspire them to hold onto hope. To know that there are better days coming. But what happens when you don't feel that? When no matter what others tell you, you tell yourself, you feel hopeless, worn out, and just plain tired?
I know I have a choice. I decide how I want my actions or feelings to be. I can give in, give up, or keep going. I can stay where I am at in that feeling, or I can choose to move past it. It really is up to me.
Well I'm going to tell you today that whatever you are feeling, its okay to feel that. We have been told to suppress certain feelings, emotions, or thoughts. Told that its all going to be okay, and things will get better, but guess what? Sometimes they don't. Sometimes we have to go through something for a long while. It lasts much longer than we expected, wanted, or needed. Or so we think.
Mine right now is struggling with loss this year. I lost my dear, sweet Aunt Sharon in the beginning of this year. Lost a part of myself in April when I had to have surgery. Lost my mobility when my knee decided to go bad this summer. Lost a dear friend in October. Loss of what I thought would be my, Rest of my life job." The deepest loss came in November. The loss of our beautiful, faithful, lovable fur baby Zuni.
Now don't you think that I deserve to cry? To sit down and say I can't do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore. Well I did let me tell you. I cried, I ranted, I was angry, sad, confused and darn right rebellious. I was mad at everything and everyone. My poor husband took the brunt of all of this, but what's new? He usually does.
I called my mom up last week and cried all the way home from work with her. I was super upset about a lot of things. I told her I do not think I can continue doing what I am doing. You know what she told me???? She said, " listen here sister. We come from a long line of strong women. Women who went through hardships you and I will never experience. Hardships like the great depression, the loss of parents, dropping out of school to work to help support their siblings, and raising children, grandchildren, and helping others all on their own."
She went on to say, " I never saw my mom cry about what she had to do, or the things she lost, or the things she never got to do. She just got up everyday and did what needed to be done." She said, "grandma had to help raise her siblings which meant she didn't get to be a child. My sisters helped raise me so they had to grow up fast. You helped me with raising your sister and brother so that I could work three jobs to support you guys and give you the things you wanted and needed."
She told me how she knows that there were tears. They just weren't done publicly and no one really knew about it. She reminded me of the divorces, single parenting, health issues, and the list goes on, that these women in my life had endured. My tears began to slow, and I realized that she was right.
My grandmother, my mom's mom, put herself through nursing school while raising her children alone. She had to quit school when she was younger in order to work and help her father to raise her siblings because her mother had died of dust pneumonia when she was little. She worked 2 jobs and went to school to become a nurse. Once a nurse, she worked nights because she made more. She also took care of my sister and I and my cousins at different times.
My aunt Sandy raised her son, moved away to California, battled cancer and survived, moved across country to marry the man she loved, and works with hospice as a volunteer, as well as being an amazing Sentsy consultant.
My aunt Sharon married my uncle Bob, moved wherever his military career took him, including some countries we would never think of living in now, and raised all of her children and adopted another to raise, as well as all of the other wonderful things she did.
My aunt Phyllis was a strong women who raised her children, worked hard, and was a very strong and independent woman.
My mom raised us when she could, worked hard, gave us more than most kids had because we had horses, we were in 4H, rodeo, and had a nice home. She taught me how to keep a clean house, be compassionate towards those less fortunate than us, and to always be kind.
My aunt Jeannie taught me how to be a good mother, wife, and daughter. She helped build and run a business with my uncle Doug, started her own business in daycare, raised 5 beautiful, strong, amazing, independent, accomplished women as well as taking me on as a 6th daughter.
My aunt Mary who poured into my life the love of God. My faith and strength are due to her loving guidance. She showed me how to be a lady, have respect, and to love myself.
My Grandma Harper, who was also a nurse. She taught me that love is for a lifetime, how to be a good mother, wife, and grandmother. How to love, be compassionate, be caring, and most importantly, how to forgive.
So to wrap this up, my mom in that conversation reminded me that these women all faced their own trials. Things that no one else will ever know. They faced adversity, cruelty, grief, hardship, and things that most people would have thrown the towel in for. They did it and did not complain. Their tears were hidden, most likely in their pillows, or in the shower, or like me, in the car as they drove.
Tears do not mean we are weak, they mean we are strong, compassionate, passionate, faithful, caring, loving, and very capable women. So today I want to encourage you if only a little bit. Those little things, big things, seemingly insurmountable things, are just that. Things. They will pass, we will endure, come out stronger on the other side and realize, we are a STRONG WOMAN!!! Be strong, be fierce, love, laugh, and be happy, sad, mad, or whatever you need to do you!
Monday, September 23, 2019
Overwhelmed to Overcomer
John 16:33. "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
Romans 8:37. " But in all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us."
1 John 4:4. "You are from God, Child, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you that he who is in the world."
Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Like everything that could go wrong, is going wrong? Like you can't do one thing right, and life is just to much?
Well I have. Just this past weekend I felt that way. I guess the entire week felt that way. This was because I had thought that what I was told was true, only to find out I was wrong. This was such a disappointment to me, like being slapped in the face.
I was expecting something to happen to me that would be a culmination of all I have worked so hard for in the last 2 months. When I was told that what I did was not enough, was not what they wanted or expected, I felt like such a failure. I let the devil sneak in and whisper all the lies I have heard all my life.
He, the devil, likes to lie to us and drag us backwards. He likes to remind us of all our failures, shortcomings, or just to make us feel un-worthy and overwhelmed. He does not want us to believe what God has promised us in the verse's above.
Our minds can confuse us and make us think that we are not good enough, that we are somehow deserving of suffering, punishment, or just wrongdoing. We must lean into God, pray, turn these thoughts over to Him. God is always willing to listen to our prayers and to intercede if needed.
When we change our stinking thinking, God can work in our lives and change or tears to joy, our sorrow to gladness, and our failures to triumph. We have a choice. We can let the battle field of the mind become the victory of the Lord. We can put on the armor of God, and we can march against the negative thoughts that invade and overwhelm.
The armor of God will keep us safe. It keeps us from the flaming arrows that are launched at us daily. We must stand in the righteousness that protects us against anything the devil may throw our way. We are warriors and we are protected by the army of the Lord. We do not stand alone, but with an army surrounding us and protecting us from the evil of the devil if we will only call out to God and leave it all to God.
We will find that we will go from being totally overwhelmed by the things of this world, to being overcomers of the lies, the past, the disappointments that may come from whatever life brings. We are more than our minds might want us to believe, we are the greatness the Lord designed us to be. We are His daughters and sons and we are here for a reason. Be open to whatever God calls you to and walk boldly into it.
Romans 8:37. " But in all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us."
1 John 4:4. "You are from God, Child, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you that he who is in the world."
Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Like everything that could go wrong, is going wrong? Like you can't do one thing right, and life is just to much?
Well I have. Just this past weekend I felt that way. I guess the entire week felt that way. This was because I had thought that what I was told was true, only to find out I was wrong. This was such a disappointment to me, like being slapped in the face.
I was expecting something to happen to me that would be a culmination of all I have worked so hard for in the last 2 months. When I was told that what I did was not enough, was not what they wanted or expected, I felt like such a failure. I let the devil sneak in and whisper all the lies I have heard all my life.
He, the devil, likes to lie to us and drag us backwards. He likes to remind us of all our failures, shortcomings, or just to make us feel un-worthy and overwhelmed. He does not want us to believe what God has promised us in the verse's above.
Our minds can confuse us and make us think that we are not good enough, that we are somehow deserving of suffering, punishment, or just wrongdoing. We must lean into God, pray, turn these thoughts over to Him. God is always willing to listen to our prayers and to intercede if needed.
When we change our stinking thinking, God can work in our lives and change or tears to joy, our sorrow to gladness, and our failures to triumph. We have a choice. We can let the battle field of the mind become the victory of the Lord. We can put on the armor of God, and we can march against the negative thoughts that invade and overwhelm.
The armor of God will keep us safe. It keeps us from the flaming arrows that are launched at us daily. We must stand in the righteousness that protects us against anything the devil may throw our way. We are warriors and we are protected by the army of the Lord. We do not stand alone, but with an army surrounding us and protecting us from the evil of the devil if we will only call out to God and leave it all to God.
We will find that we will go from being totally overwhelmed by the things of this world, to being overcomers of the lies, the past, the disappointments that may come from whatever life brings. We are more than our minds might want us to believe, we are the greatness the Lord designed us to be. We are His daughters and sons and we are here for a reason. Be open to whatever God calls you to and walk boldly into it.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Revenge
REVENGE: To avenge oneself or another usually by retaliating in kind or degree.
We have all thought about it. You know, the pay back, retaliating, get even, revenge. Someone has done something or we perceive that they have done something to hurt us or a loved one. We spend hours, sometimes days, plotting out how we could pay them back. Sometimes we act on it, other times we just think about it in our minds.
It never feels good when someone hurts us or someone we love. It puts a pit in our stomach, makes our blood pressure rise, and we get angry. We hate that they have done something to us, and we think of all the ways we could, would, or should respond. Most of the time, we think of the words or deeds we could do to get them back. But is that what we really should do?
You have heard the old saying, turn the other cheek. Where did that come from? Who thought of it? and why would I ever get insulted or hurt and just turn the other cheek so that they could do it again? I would have to be crazy!!! Or, I would be doing what God called us to.
Matthew 5:38-40 says,38"You have heard that it was said, an Eye for an Eye and a tooth for a tooth, 39 but I tell you, do not resist an evil person If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn and offer them the left also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well."
I'll be honest with you, this is not the first thing I think of when I am hurt, but it is what God has called us to. How do we do this? How do we not want revenge when we have been hurt? Well, that is what we learn in the Bible. It tells us to not seek revenge, to offer the other cheek so to speak. This does not mean that if someone strikes you that you should just let them. We have laws against that.
I think what is being said in this verse is to let it go. Don't seek revenge, don't retaliate, Don't pay kind for kind. God wants us to be at peace with one another and to love others as we love ourselves. I know, I know. How do you love someone if they lie to you, hurt you, or hurt a loved one? Well, we love the way Christ first loved us.
All throughout the Bible there are verses in reference to the way Christ loved instead of revenged. With the pharisees He did it quite a few times. One of my favorites verses that speak to forgiving others as God forgave us is Isaiah 1:18. 18 "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they shall be like virgin wool." Wow. My sins are forgiven, no matter how ugly they may be.
There are many verses that speak to forgivness such as, Matthew 6:14-15, Luke 17:3-4, Ephesians 4:31-32, 1John 1:9, Acts 3:19. and the list goes on. You can of course look them up in your concordance or you can google them. So many that speak to that forgiveness. God will take care of the situation, if we just give it over to Him and allow Him to work. Romans 12:19 speaks to revenge saying, "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is Mine to avenge, I will repay," says the Lord.
Now don't get all excited saying, woohoo, go get 'em God. We are not to feel that God is going to rain down fire and brimstone on those who hurt us. This is an unforgiveness still speaking in our hearts. We are to forgive that person who hurt us, and to walk in forgiveness towards them. If we wish ill on them, we have not truly forgiven. If we rejoice in their folly, we again are not walking in forgiveness.
Forgiveness takes a very Strong and trusting person. One who is stronger than those who retaliate in kind for a wrong or perceived wrong. We let go of that need for revenge and free ourselves from the burden that revenge becomes. We allow God to do what He must with that person and situation, and we are free to carry on with our lives. We leave the bitterness and the anger, and in return have peace and love.
My friend, I know this isn't easy because the truth is, sometimes someone hurts you so deeply, that the it feels like you were almost cut to the core, but that's just the lie that the devil wants you to believe. There is no sin or hurt that can't be forgiven. Allow yourself the freedom that forgiveness brings. Let the healing begin, let go of revenge, and let love win!!!!
Heavenly Father,
Let the forgivness begin with me. Help me to let go of the hurt inflicted by others so that I can live my best life. I thank You for Your word and the healing that it brings. Thank You for teaching me that letting go is much better than holding on to hurt. I pray that You would help me to forgive those who have hurt me, but more importantly Lord, help those I may have hurt to find forgivness, not for my sake, but for theirs. I ask all this in Your Heavenly Name. AMEN!!!
We have all thought about it. You know, the pay back, retaliating, get even, revenge. Someone has done something or we perceive that they have done something to hurt us or a loved one. We spend hours, sometimes days, plotting out how we could pay them back. Sometimes we act on it, other times we just think about it in our minds.
It never feels good when someone hurts us or someone we love. It puts a pit in our stomach, makes our blood pressure rise, and we get angry. We hate that they have done something to us, and we think of all the ways we could, would, or should respond. Most of the time, we think of the words or deeds we could do to get them back. But is that what we really should do?
You have heard the old saying, turn the other cheek. Where did that come from? Who thought of it? and why would I ever get insulted or hurt and just turn the other cheek so that they could do it again? I would have to be crazy!!! Or, I would be doing what God called us to.
Matthew 5:38-40 says,38"You have heard that it was said, an Eye for an Eye and a tooth for a tooth, 39 but I tell you, do not resist an evil person If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn and offer them the left also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well."
I'll be honest with you, this is not the first thing I think of when I am hurt, but it is what God has called us to. How do we do this? How do we not want revenge when we have been hurt? Well, that is what we learn in the Bible. It tells us to not seek revenge, to offer the other cheek so to speak. This does not mean that if someone strikes you that you should just let them. We have laws against that.
I think what is being said in this verse is to let it go. Don't seek revenge, don't retaliate, Don't pay kind for kind. God wants us to be at peace with one another and to love others as we love ourselves. I know, I know. How do you love someone if they lie to you, hurt you, or hurt a loved one? Well, we love the way Christ first loved us.
All throughout the Bible there are verses in reference to the way Christ loved instead of revenged. With the pharisees He did it quite a few times. One of my favorites verses that speak to forgiving others as God forgave us is Isaiah 1:18. 18 "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they shall be like virgin wool." Wow. My sins are forgiven, no matter how ugly they may be.
There are many verses that speak to forgivness such as, Matthew 6:14-15, Luke 17:3-4, Ephesians 4:31-32, 1John 1:9, Acts 3:19. and the list goes on. You can of course look them up in your concordance or you can google them. So many that speak to that forgiveness. God will take care of the situation, if we just give it over to Him and allow Him to work. Romans 12:19 speaks to revenge saying, "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is Mine to avenge, I will repay," says the Lord.
Now don't get all excited saying, woohoo, go get 'em God. We are not to feel that God is going to rain down fire and brimstone on those who hurt us. This is an unforgiveness still speaking in our hearts. We are to forgive that person who hurt us, and to walk in forgiveness towards them. If we wish ill on them, we have not truly forgiven. If we rejoice in their folly, we again are not walking in forgiveness.
Forgiveness takes a very Strong and trusting person. One who is stronger than those who retaliate in kind for a wrong or perceived wrong. We let go of that need for revenge and free ourselves from the burden that revenge becomes. We allow God to do what He must with that person and situation, and we are free to carry on with our lives. We leave the bitterness and the anger, and in return have peace and love.
My friend, I know this isn't easy because the truth is, sometimes someone hurts you so deeply, that the it feels like you were almost cut to the core, but that's just the lie that the devil wants you to believe. There is no sin or hurt that can't be forgiven. Allow yourself the freedom that forgiveness brings. Let the healing begin, let go of revenge, and let love win!!!!
Heavenly Father,
Let the forgivness begin with me. Help me to let go of the hurt inflicted by others so that I can live my best life. I thank You for Your word and the healing that it brings. Thank You for teaching me that letting go is much better than holding on to hurt. I pray that You would help me to forgive those who have hurt me, but more importantly Lord, help those I may have hurt to find forgivness, not for my sake, but for theirs. I ask all this in Your Heavenly Name. AMEN!!!
Monday, June 24, 2019
Regret
Is there something in your life that you truly regret? Something that sneeks up from time to time and interrupts the journey your on? Puts a road block, a huge pothole, or even a detour sign in your daily life?
Its happened to me. I have regrets. Some big, some small. The ones I could deal with, I have, and the ones I could not, I've just had to let go of. I have asked for forgiveness from God, the people I may have hurt, and most importantly, from myself.
So I know that you might be saying to yourself, "forgive yourself?" Yes, forgive yourself. Its just as important, if not the most important part of moving past that mistakes you have made and finding healing from the damage it may have caused. It may have been as little as telling your boss you were sick when you really were not, or as big as taking something that did not belong to you or worse.
The thing we need to remember, no matter the sin, God will always forgive us when we repent and ask for forgiveness. We can't control whether others will forgive us, but thats between them and God. The one we find it hardest to forgive is ourselves. We forget that when we forgive ourselves, we allow a healing that only God can bring, to seep into every part of our lives. A healing that refreshes our souls and gives us the rest we need from the burden the unforgivness becomes.
Think about this. When we don't forgive ourselves, God cannot forgive us. I had never thought about this until I was studying forgivness and came across the verse in Mark 11:26. It reads, "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."
Now you might want to argue that God was only referring to forgivness in regards to others, but it states in the verse clearly that if you do not forgive, it does not say if you do not forgive others. This means forgivness includes onself. Profound right?
So how do I forgive myself? How do I find a way to let go of all the negative I feel about myself or something I think I may have done wrong? This is a very good question and one I will address.
My background always made be feel like the things I'd done were so bad, that even God couldn't forgive me. There was no way He could love a sinner like me, but that just isn't true. I have read the Bible and as we all know in John 3:16 it states that God sent His Son into this world for the sins of all mankind. This means for our forgiveness. It didn't say only small sins, but the ones that seem unforgivable.
Jesus on the cross even asked His Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him. Do you think yourself better than Christ? Do you think you know more than God? Well my friend, you don't and neither do I that is why we cannot withhold forgiveness from others or ourselves. When we do this, we tell God that we think we know better than He does. He forgave sins that we as humans could possibly never forgive, but in doing so taught us how to forgive.
That brings it back to forgiveness of self. We may some really big regrets. Some sins that just feel unpardonable. But remember, God already know about these sins and the regret we carry around with them. The baggage of these sins can weigh us down without us even realizing how heavy they are and how much they affect our lives.
I'm here to tell you to lay that burden down. Leave that baggage behind. Lay it all at the foot of the Cross and don't pick it up again. God eagerly waits to forgive you, now you just need to forgive yourself!!!
Heavenly Father,
You love us just as a good Father should. You want a better life for us. You know our every thought and deed. Reach down and help us to understand that true healing comes when we forgive, not only others, but ourselves as well Help us to realize we need to forgive ourselves in order to move on the best life you have for us. Father, help the healing to begin in each person who needs this today. We love You Lord and thank you for the healing that is coming our way.
AMEN!!!
Its happened to me. I have regrets. Some big, some small. The ones I could deal with, I have, and the ones I could not, I've just had to let go of. I have asked for forgiveness from God, the people I may have hurt, and most importantly, from myself.
So I know that you might be saying to yourself, "forgive yourself?" Yes, forgive yourself. Its just as important, if not the most important part of moving past that mistakes you have made and finding healing from the damage it may have caused. It may have been as little as telling your boss you were sick when you really were not, or as big as taking something that did not belong to you or worse.
The thing we need to remember, no matter the sin, God will always forgive us when we repent and ask for forgiveness. We can't control whether others will forgive us, but thats between them and God. The one we find it hardest to forgive is ourselves. We forget that when we forgive ourselves, we allow a healing that only God can bring, to seep into every part of our lives. A healing that refreshes our souls and gives us the rest we need from the burden the unforgivness becomes.
Think about this. When we don't forgive ourselves, God cannot forgive us. I had never thought about this until I was studying forgivness and came across the verse in Mark 11:26. It reads, "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."
Now you might want to argue that God was only referring to forgivness in regards to others, but it states in the verse clearly that if you do not forgive, it does not say if you do not forgive others. This means forgivness includes onself. Profound right?
So how do I forgive myself? How do I find a way to let go of all the negative I feel about myself or something I think I may have done wrong? This is a very good question and one I will address.
My background always made be feel like the things I'd done were so bad, that even God couldn't forgive me. There was no way He could love a sinner like me, but that just isn't true. I have read the Bible and as we all know in John 3:16 it states that God sent His Son into this world for the sins of all mankind. This means for our forgiveness. It didn't say only small sins, but the ones that seem unforgivable.
Jesus on the cross even asked His Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him. Do you think yourself better than Christ? Do you think you know more than God? Well my friend, you don't and neither do I that is why we cannot withhold forgiveness from others or ourselves. When we do this, we tell God that we think we know better than He does. He forgave sins that we as humans could possibly never forgive, but in doing so taught us how to forgive.
That brings it back to forgiveness of self. We may some really big regrets. Some sins that just feel unpardonable. But remember, God already know about these sins and the regret we carry around with them. The baggage of these sins can weigh us down without us even realizing how heavy they are and how much they affect our lives.
I'm here to tell you to lay that burden down. Leave that baggage behind. Lay it all at the foot of the Cross and don't pick it up again. God eagerly waits to forgive you, now you just need to forgive yourself!!!
Heavenly Father,
You love us just as a good Father should. You want a better life for us. You know our every thought and deed. Reach down and help us to understand that true healing comes when we forgive, not only others, but ourselves as well Help us to realize we need to forgive ourselves in order to move on the best life you have for us. Father, help the healing to begin in each person who needs this today. We love You Lord and thank you for the healing that is coming our way.
AMEN!!!
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