He Binds Up the Broken:

Let this promise for the lost, wounded, hurting, sick and wandering fill you with hope. God fulfills His promise to those who cry out to Him. He pursues with His steadfast and unwavering love. .
Understanding how He longs to mend, heal, and restore you will fill your heart with joy.

No matter what has happened in your life, what you’ve done or how far you have wandered, our Good Shepherd will find you, restore you, and bring you home.

Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green pastures; He leads be beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Psalm 100:3
Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their

Draw Near To God

Let us call upon The Lord with a sincere heart and steadfast faith...seek Him earnestly and delight ourselves in Him.

Let us trust in His promises and take refuge in our Rock, Stronghold and Shield...find safety, strength and fruitful seasons in Him.

Let us draw near to our Deliverer in truth and transparency, finding that He is never far away...that our cries are readily received by His Heavenly ears.

And may we come away with a new song in our heart...rejoicing and praising Him forevermore!

Psalm 34:17
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 18:6
In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:31
For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God,

Deuteronomy 4:7
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?

Jeremiah 23:23
"Am I a God who is near," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off?"

Acts 14:17
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

Psalm 73:28
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song, I shall thank Him.

Great Is Your Faithfulness

How merciful God is. He could look at our behavior and condemn us. He could read our mind and reject us. He could exact a thousand different punishments for all that we have done, but instead He has chosen to see us through the eyes of His unfailing love.

It is so hard to imagine what that really means. It is so foreign to the way we operate. We hold grudges, seek revenge, or at least try to get even. But not God. He does not give up on us. He sees us desperately in need of His grace.  And even when we are unlovely, thoroughly lost because of our willful disobedience, He shows us the way back.

What makes this so tragic is that we don’t really believe it. We still think we need to wear the mask of our false self. You know, the self that thinks it earns God’s approval. the self that tries to please God through vain attempts at righteousness.

Today throw the mask away. You don’t need it. God sees you through His unfailing love, and He loves what He sees.  As we go forth, commit to accepting His love and let Him direct your path.

Lamentations 3:22-24
The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies, we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" (NSAB)

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (NIV)

Psalm 25:7-8
“Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O LORD. The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.” (NLT)

Promised by The Father

Speak these promises of Truth over your life if, for even just a moment, you feel hopeless, unwanted, unworthy, worn down, or uncertain. Remember to Whom you belong, and cling to The Father’s Truth concerning who you truly are:

You are God’s treasured possession; the praise of His glory!

You are adopted by The Father as one with The Son!

You are promised the imperishable crown of eternal life!

You are a citizen of Heaven!

You have received an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade!

Your purpose has been anointed, ordained, and secured!

You are sealed and blessed with the covenant of Grace and Eternity!

You are rescued, ransomed, redeemed, renewed, sanctified, and more fully transformed into The Lord’s image with each passing moment!

You are chosen, holy, special - a royal priesthood - called out of the dark and into the marvelous Light of the Living God! And on the day He appears, you also will appear with Him in glory!

Hallelujah!

Malachi 3:17
"They will be Mine," says the LORD of Hosts, "on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.

Ephesians 1:5
He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Ephesians 1:14
who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession, to the praise of His glory.

Romans 8:14
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

John 1:12
But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God--

Romans 8:17
And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ--if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

1 Peter 1:4
and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

Galatians 3:26
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

1 John 3:1
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

Freedom from Anxiety

It’s amazing how one, simple verse, rings so true in many of our lives. Anxiety isn’t something that we’re meant to carry. If we’re burdened by it, it’s a red flag that there is a deeper issue going on in our hearts… an issue deeper than our situation.

We all have anxiety to some extent, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but the difference between each of us is how we have been taught to handle that anxiety.

Some of us act, and react, out of what our experiences have taught us to do, and the rest of us, out of what God tells us to do.

God is freedom. Jesus is freedom! He is THE designer of our hearts and he knows how to deliver each of them from anxiety. God’s way takes us higher, our way takes us lower.

If you’re feeling the burden of anxiety, or are even in depression from living with anxiety, there is hope. God is a “good word” and He can make you glad again… it’s just going to take your surrender.

Announce to God that this world hasn’t given you any relief, and that, you are ready to try it His way. Then, hold out your hands and allow him to take your fear and anxiousness upon Himself, exchanging your burdens, for His love.

God is “a good word.” Grab a Bible, and start to receive.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Does The Bible Say That God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle?

James 10:13 says that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle and that He will provide a way of escape. But nowhere in the Bible does it say that God will not give us more than we can handle. But many Christians erroneously believe that it's in the Word of God due to misquoting James 10:13. Often they get discouraged and feel condemned and defeated because they are not overcoming through struggles and trials.

The truth of the matter is that God knows that we cannot overcome trials and difficulties in our own strength. Jesus exhorts us, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. (Mathew 11:28)  He also warns us, "In this world, you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) It is evident through just these two scriptures alone that God knows that we cannot handle our darkest trials alone....but He can!  Therefore, the more correct statement is that God won't give us more than He can handle.

It is in the painful trials of our lives when we think we can’t go on another day that we can cry out to Him, fall at His feet in sweet surrender and humility and acknowledge our desperate need for Him that He fills us with His supernatural peace, strength, comfort and hope.

In the process, we encounter His very heart. He fills us with His love and grace causing us to bow down in praise and adoration giving God all the glory for meeting us in the depth of our pain and despair and carrying us through it giving us the victory in Jesus. We can’t do it alone.

And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Choose Truth!

Satan is a deceiver and his tactics haven’t changed since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden Eden. He continues to perfect his tactics and is still on the prowl wreaking death and destruction. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” He twists, adds to, and takes away from God’s word, causing you to doubt His perfect character and promises: “Has God really said that?” He’ll try to push thoughts that suggest God is unreasonable, or that He’s holding out on you. “We are not even to touch it!” God never said, “Don’t touch it!” He merely told them not to eat from that particular tree.

Satan will show us the doors to bondage as we go beyond what God asks of us, making up rules that seem harmless, but lead us to defeat and rebellion. The harsh reality is that when we accept the lie over the truth, it leads us to unimaginable levels of bondage. Satan tells us lies like, “You’re not good enough,” and we believe him over God’s truths—truths that speak life to us, such as, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Why do we allow this to happen? Because our gardens have been tainted. We must identify all the lies that we have been told that have defiled the garden of our hearts and replace them with the truth of who God says we are. This is the process of “renewing our minds” (Romans 12:2). Without choice there is no love. God’s love allows us to choose. We can choose the death that comes from believing lies or the abundant life that comes from believing truth. What are you going to choose?

Cure for the Troubled Heart

May we turn to The Lord when our hearts are heavy...for He alone is The Rock and the source of our joy, rest, peace, healing, and everlasting salvation.

The Father designed, created, and breathed life into us; only He knows our need and has the capacity to fix and fill us eternally. He is faith and hope perfected...and we can absolutely trust Him to shield and strengthen our heart. .
Run into the arms of the God of all comfort...invite Jesus into your troubled heart. He sustain you and fill you with incomprehensible, eternal peace. Selah!

Psalm 61:2
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. .
Nehemiah 8:10
Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I will thank Him with my song.

1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Philippians 4:7
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

God Will Never Leave You

Have you ever felt rejected, abandoned and unloved? Jesus will never leave you. He is incapable of suddenly deciding that He doesn't want you.

Nothing you can do will cause Him to reject you. Believe what God's word says about Him and about you. You are defined by the love and acceptance of the One who formed your inward parts - the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He thinks you are worth loving, cherishing and keeping.

Find your identity in Him. Apply His love to your wounded heart and let His word renew your mind and penetrate deep in your heart.

Deuteronomy 31:6, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or
terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; "He will never leave you nor forsake you."

Joshua 1:5
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Psalms 94:14
“For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance."

Isaiah 42:16
“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I  will do; I will not forsake them."

Give it to God:

Resign yourself to the will of God and seek His counsel; walk not in fear or frustration.

Run to and rest in His eternal arms.

Lay all that burdens you at His feet and take His yoke instead.

He will fight for you; He will sustain you and uphold you with His righteous hand.

Surrender it all to Him...be still...and know that He is God.

Psalm 55:2
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Isaiah 28:12
...to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest," and, "This is the place of repose..."

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Our Great and Mighty God

What is greater...Your problems, or your God? A relationship that has parted ways, or the God who parted the Red Sea? The people cursing you and throwing stones at you, or the God who slayed a giant with a single pebble? The fiery trial you are in, or the God who, when called upon, scorched His enemies with blazing flames from Heaven?

His Word is full of revelations of His greatness, majesty, faithfulness, and omniscience. When we see even a glimpse of Him in His fullness, everything we face fades and appears oh so small. When we call on the King of kings, LORD of hosts, Alpha and the Omega, Creator of all things, Holiest of holies, and the One who has defied death, our perspective drastically changes.

Invite Him to exalt Himself in your life! Ask Him to rest His strength on your weaknesses; to display His glory and move you to awe! Get into His Word; pray for revelation of His character and essence. Love Him, praise Him, and seek to know Him intimately. Call upon Him...and experience the manifestation of His presence and power in your life!

Jeremiah 33:3
"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.

Psalm 33:9
For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood fast.

Nehemiah 9:6
You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the heavenly host worships You.

Psalm 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Praise be to you, Lord,
    the God of our father Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
    you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
    and praise your glorious name.

1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Restoration

Holy and Heavenly Father God,

You are El Roi, The God Who Sees every hurt, loss, and unmet need. Jesus, I praise You that You have always been with me, but it grieves my heart that you have also seen all the wrong ways I have been trying to fill the void in my heart. I have constantly tried to prove my worth by measuring myself against the faulty standards of others. But, Your Word and Truth is the righteous and holy standard by which I now desire to live! You are the Good Portion Who meets every need! Jesus, You alone determine my value!

Father, I come before You in complete surrender, and as one who is emotionally crippled and spiritually depleted. I cannot carry this burden or navigate through this alone. Every attempt I have made to direct my life has resulted in chaos, confusion, bitterness, and despair. By not inviting You in, I have only given the enemy power in my life. You, LORD, are seated on The Throne and You are in control! Father, I pray in the Name of Jesus, that You will bind up and cast out all things that have prevented me from living as the authentic being You formed long ago; that You will remove the shackles of loss, grief, anger, false beliefs, false standards, control, perfectionism, unmet needs, disillusionment, shame, and a hardened heart. I release this all to You, and I chose today to walk with You in freedom, forgiveness, mercy and truth!

LORD, I pray You will enable me to experience the cleansing power that You provide through our tears and remind me that You are never far away. My Father, I thank You for comforting me as I grieve and mourn the losses; for gently wiping away every tear; and for nurturing every sorrow, as only a Daddy can do.

Thank You, Jesus, for removing the stain of sin and shame on my life, and for applying Your Balm to my wounds. I pray You will always reveal to me when I am trying to “fix” things through my own efforts or dependent upon others for my happiness, that I may bring it all to Your Throne of Grace for exchange. I choose to release these chains to You and to be God-dependent. Remind me, LORD, that You decided my worth when You shed Your Precious Blood for me. 

Walk In Love

As humans in a fallen world, it is inevitable that we will all face some form of rejection, abandonment, temptation and persecution in our lives.

But, we can take heart that God took human form as Jesus Christ and was also rejected, abandoned and persecuted. He suffered in ways far beyond what any of us will ever face or can possibly comprehend. He completely knows and understands our pain and suffering. After all, the burden of sin...OF ALL MANKIND...rested on our unblemished Christ Jesus...alone.
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Yet, He loved and sacrificed...He showed mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion, regardless of the tumultuous circumstances He faced.

To put on the attitude of Christ is to respond in love to those who persecute and spitefully use us...to forgive and pray for them, in spite of the struggle.

A Godly response...one rooted in His Truth and Grace casts Light into the darkness...soothes the sting...removes the strongholds...binds up our wounds...and heals us with His Truth and Eternal Love.

Ephesians 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Luke 23:34
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.

Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

Acts 7:60
Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Out of The Dark

He has a purpose in everything...He is so Sovereign and His care reaches deep into darkness to call us out into His marvelous light!

From a new perspective we are given new eyes...instead of giving man power over the outcome of circumstances -give God praise for His sovereignty. Instead of the blame, we place on ourselves or others-can we look up and see Gods perfect plan in it all? He will allow in His sovereignty what He could stop with His power but would we learn the same lessons? Or have such great revelation of Him?

Of course, we make bad decisions, other people make decisions that hurt us, break promises, abandon us, reject us, betrayed us because we are all just broken BUT what if God allowed these things to pull us out of the darkness we did not even see we were in?

What if this was part of His perfect plan to sanctify you? Sometimes we can't see the things in the dark room around that are going to hurt us, make us fall, or even intruders because we get so comfortable in there and our eyes adjust, so in His sovereignty He lets us fall to be restored from glory to glory.

He faithfully rescues us from that darkness by shining His light on everything harmful and pulls us out...He didn't want to see us fall down but the fall brought a cry from our pain to the throne and He faithfully answered. A cry to be rescued from the darkness. Now the cries turn to praise and thanksgiving that we are in His arms alone, as He picks us up and becomes our fortified refuge! He is sanctifying us all to Himself and removing everything that could potentially hurt us...Don't blame others for their decision, don't condemn yourself for yours...instead PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF GOD for His decision to "CALL YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT".

Are You Fear Bases?

Fear is a normal strong emotional reaction to impending danger—whether real or imagined, rational or irrational, normal or abnormal. It was designed by God. However, living with a fear-based mentality or with a spirit of fear is not from God.

If you grew up in a home where fear reigned, and you didn’t experience love, safety, and security, you might have easily developed a fear-based mentality. This abnormal fear cripples and stunts any  personal growth or aspirations. It prevents a person from trying to leave a bad situation, even
an abusive one. It can also prevent us from seeking help for fear of what will be uprooted. Fear can also be the driving emotion behind anger. This is bondage, and we need to be set free.

God’s Word tells us that “perfect love cast out all fear” (1 John 4:18). It makes sense, then, that if we are love deficient we are fear based. The solution is to get God’s love into us. As easy as this may seem, for those who have been crippled in their ability to love and be loved because of the wounds of the past, it is extremely difficult. Only the truth of God’s love can penetrate the hardest of hearts. We can overcome fear through faith in a loving God.

Freedom from Denial

Many of God's people have gaping wounds inside their hearts. Denial allows them to either checkout, so they don't have to feel the pain, or default to performance and busyness to rise above it. .

The dictionary defines denial as “an unconscious defense mechanism characterized by a refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings.” In other words, we run to denial so we
don’t have to feel any pain. It is so heartbreaking to see the lengths people will go to to cover their pain. But God says in Jeremiah 6:14 (TLB), You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there! If we think we have, we have fooled ourselves into thinking that denial protects us from our pain. In truth, denial deepens our suffering because it worsens our wounds, causing them to grow, fester, and spread. It prolongs our pain and allows shame to take root. To cover it, the coping mechanisms kick in and continue to pile on, layer upon layer, and our problems get worse, not better. There is a saying: “We are only as sick as our secrets.” Truth-like surgery may hurt for a while, but it heals. .

Give your hurts to Jesus. Ask Him to bring to your mind any buried pain, surface any hidden hurt, and the exact circumstances that caused it. Ask  Jesus – your loving Savior and Healer to help your wounded heart heal. . “‘I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,’ says the LORD." —Jeremiah 30:17 .