Back Into His Will

When we drift, we most likely will experience some sort of spiritual crisis. No matter where we may find ourselves in such a painful season as this, we must always remember God’s love for us never changes. His love is perfect and completely independent of our humanity.

As we turn back to Him, we may find there are consequences for stepping out of His will. However, as believers, we can take comfort that there is never an eternal penalty for our sin. The Lord is always mighty to cover us with His comfort, grace, and mercy. And, He alone is the sustainer of our soul and spirit.

When we repent and draw near to The Father, He offers forgiveness, restoration and spiritual renewal. And regardless of the circumstances, He can repurpose our pain. He will equip us to realign our lives with His will, all for His glory. We must have faith and trust Him...as we wait for Him to generously return us to joy of our salvation.

Lamentations 3:40

Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD.

Psalm 51:2

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Luke 15:20

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

Deuteronomy 4:29

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

Psalm 13:5

But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

Psalm 54:4

Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Unfailing Love

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)

Be Anxious for Nothing

Anxiety disguises itself. It may appear as a twitch or a pain. It causes headaches. It’s tightness in the chest or an uncontrollable shakiness in the legs. It is a fear that’s unnecessary and yet, like a puppy freed from its leash, anxiety is impossible to control once it takes over your mind.

We are commanded in scripture to trade worry for prayer. Start today. Every time an unwanted thought intrudes, block it with a prayer. Even speaking the name of Jesus in such moments has great power. Jesus does not want you to be weighed down and burdened by worry. He asks you to release your cares to Him and let Him take care of you.

Day by day, hour by hour, even moment by moment, learn to trust Him more. He will always come through, and in the end, you will see that the worry did not change things – but prayers did!

Lord,

No one knows the secret fears that I carry around in my heart. No one but You. May I lay down fear and pick up confidence instead. You are my confidence and peace.

In Jesus, Name, Amen!

Cure of 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)

Spiritual Warfare

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.

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God Will Never Reject 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.

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.

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.

God Chooses the Broken

God uses us because of our flaws and mistakes, not in spite of them. Our imperfections and struggles create humility, and increase our dependence upon Him. As we travel towards our final destination, we are engaged in a transformative process of being made whole, and holy unto Him. Until that day, we should rest assured that His grace sufficiently fills in the gap; be grateful and rejoice that His power is made perfect in our weaknesses. Our human frailties remind us of our unending need for our precious Savior! Jesus is the Balm for brokenness, and He adorns the afflicted with salvation! We could never in our own efforts cleanse sufficiently to come before Him; but, He is faithful to meet us where we are - and HE does the cleansing and sanctification...HE makes all things new. Once we get a good look at Him up close, fully surrendered to His will and receiving the regenerating power of The Holy Spirit, our natural desire is to witness as appointed servants for The Kingdom of God. Arise, and receive your anointing! Claim your promised, imperishable crown of beauty for ashes, that The LORD your God may be glorified!

1 Corinthians 1:27-29

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Mark 2:17

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

II Corinthians 12:9-10 

And He said to 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. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Timothy 1:15

This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.

Proverbs 22:4

The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD are wealth and honor and life.

Ephesians 3:8

Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Acts 26:16

But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

Psalm 149:4

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.

Isaiah 61:10

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:3

to console the mourners in Zion--to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

A 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. 

The Lord Is A Warrior!

God has a promise, purpose and plan for every sorrow surrendered to Him.

He redeems, restores and transforms every humbled and committed heart.

He appoints, anoints and equips every one of His precious children, according to their call.

He honors faith, trust and obedience with everlasting grace, peace, joy, mercy and strength.

He conquered the grave and is our Rock, Refuge, Savior and Deliverer. He is Lord over all, and His Name is Yahweh! And He is alive, eternal and always a warrior for those who call upon His Name! 

Psalm 24:8

Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

Exodus 14:14

The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.

Psalm 86:10

For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

Psalm 83:18

That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.

Exodus 15:6

Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

Psalm 18:46

The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation.

Job 19:25

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.

Deuteronomy 32:4

The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.

2 Samuel 22:31

As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 29:11

The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Jeremiah 31:25

"For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes."

1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Rejection & Trust Trusting God

Those who grew up in a home where the seed of rejection was planted have a difficult time trusting God. They transfer the negative characteristics of their caregivers onto God, believing that they will never measure up and are convinced that God would never approve of them. If their earthly father rejected them, or if their mother was untrustworthy, then God will reject them and is untrustworthy. That is a lie!

God wants to replace the lies that were planted and replant the Word of Truth into our soul.

Get to know God’s character and His immense love for you through His Word. Claim God’s promises for your life.

The heart of your Heavenly Father is for you to know the truth so that you will be set free.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called

children of God.”

1 John 3:1.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.

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Barriers to Forgiving Others

A huge barrier to forgiving others is the misconception about, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. Many people believe that by forgiving they will continue to live as doormats allowing sinful behavior when nothing has changed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Forgiveness focuses on the offense. It only involves one person and has nothing to do with what the other person chooses to do. Reconciliation focuses on the relationship. It requires two people engaged in the process.

Forgiveness is the choice to release the offender. Reconciliation is the choice to rejoin the offender. It’s being brought back into a relationship where there has been a wall of separation erected. Restoration is the process that makes that possible. Restoration of a relationship takes far more than forgiveness. It requires confession, repentance, and a strong commitment on both sides to work on the relationship and rebuild trust. And it often takes a much longer time.

For example, if a loved is engaged in drugs, alcohol, abuse or some other harmful behavior they may ask us to forgive them. Of course, God’s heart is always that we forgive but if they ask that we go back to the way it was the answer is a resounding NO! That’s not what we do at all. Love holds people accountable. Love protects. We do not have to allow harmful behavior that hurt us and our families. Thus, there may be extremely toxic, unhealthy people who may need to be removed from our lives.

An example of this would be a relative who sexually molested us as a child. We can forgive them as God has called us to but having a relationship with them may endanger ourselves and others. So forgiveness does not mean we have to have any kind of relationship with the offender ever again. Forgiveness is a choice. It's a willful act of obedience that blesses the heart of our Father in Heaven and sets us free.

Freedom

This Independence Day let us celebrate the birth of our Nation, remember our freedoms  and thank God for them.  But never forget that true freedom is only found in Christ Jesus.

Thank you Lord, for setting us free! Jesus you are our freedom! Glory to God!

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 33:12

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17

No Condemnation!

Satan loves to condemn. Every time you stumble, every time you fall, he is there to point an accusing finger at you. He wants to focus your thoughts on your own weaknesses and failures rather than on God’s strength.

In contrast, the Holy Spirit convicts us. He gently says, “Now, that wasn’t right.” But that isn’t condemning – that is convicting. He wants us to put our thoughts on Jesus, who is ready to hear our confession and wash us of our sin.

Jesus doesn’t condemn you – He’s interceding for you.

God is for you. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you. And the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you to give power to help you overcome your weaknesses. With this divine Trinity on your team, how can you possibly lose?

“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

Romans 8:34

“He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me.”

Isaiah 50:8

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

1 John 2:1

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