Certainty in Uncertain Times

Sometimes life throws us a "curve ball" that can leave us dazed and confused. When those times come, we need to focus on the truth of who God is.  While we don't always understand His ways, we can rest in His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

The God of All Comfort

I used to clean an elderly couple’s home and in their one bathroom was a little sign that read, “Don’t regret growing older. It’s a privilege denied many.”  Though I read it every time I cleaned, I never thought much about it until this past year.  The tragic death of a close friend at the age of 37 and most recently the passing of an 8-year-old child at my daughters’ school after battling a brain tumor has brought home to me the fragility of life. 

Their deaths have also left me asking God, “Why?”  While I can find no value in their departure from this earth, I also know that there are many things that I will not understand on this side of heaven nor am I meant to.  

I’m reminded of this in Isaiah 55:8-9, which says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

In this time of confusion, I’ve decided to go back to what I KNOW for sure: God is good, He is a very present help in time of need, He heals the brokenhearted, He loves my friend and this child and is with them in heaven, and He cares more for their families than I ever could.

As I grieve, I will be speaking these truths to myself and I encourage others who may be mourning the loss of a friend or loved one to do the same.  Grieving is a process and we need to allow ourselves time to be comforted. 

Healing and comfort will come.  God is faithful and He will bring it to pass.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

Posted by Redeeming Love

Let Go and Let God

With a New Year upon us, many resolve to give something up to improve their physical health in the months ahead. While pounds may be shed and bodies become trimmer, there is a burden that many may still be carrying that doesn't have to do with weight.  It's called unforgiveness. While God calls us to forgive others, He also calls us to forgive ourselves. This New Year I encourage you to forgive yourself of any past or present sins and shed the guilt and shame that may be weighing you down. God's mercies are new every morning and we can walk in the fullness of His grace, mercy, and forgiveness daily. "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)   

Forgiving Yourself

You've blown it. You have really messed up this time. You have agreed with God that what you did was sin. You know that God heard your prayer asking forgiveness, and you really meant every word. You believe that Jesus died for you on the cross and that His sacrifice forgives all your sins. But you still feel guilt and condemnation. You know from the Bible that God has forgotten that sin. He has removed it from you as far as the east is from the west. But you still feel horrible! How do you get past that feeling? 

 

We make life hard by blaming ourselves for things we did in the past. But God says through Paul, "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). What does that freedom really mean? It means that you are not saved from hell to be imprisoned in self-punishment. God has set you free. You are no longer a slave to self-hatred and self-condemnation.
  
Forgiveness is not a feeling. You must choose to deny Satan the accuser and his plans to make you feel guilty and dirty because of sins in the past. When Satan tries to remind you of your past, do these things: 

Meditate on the truth of who God is and who you are in Him.

• Take into your heart and spirit scriptures about God's forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. Psalm 103 is a good place to start.

• Take an objective view of your past to learn from your failure. What did you learn about yourself and God through this experience?

• Allow God to expose the wound for His healing touch, and refuse the attempts of the accuser and destroyer to harass you anymore, because the King of glory stands as your Defender and Advocate.
   

Pray this prayer of commitment and begin enjoying the blessings of forgiveness and freedom: 

Heavenly Father, thank You that you have never rejected me, and You never will. You have received me unconditionally. I am accepted in Jesus. My acceptance does not depend on anything but Jesus, His love, mercy, grace, sacrifice, and righteousness. I am not ashamed before You.

I repent of my sins in Jesus' name. Thank You that I am completely forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. I will not allow the enemy to harass me about the past. I choose to forgive myself and receive the full freedom of Your forgiveness.

Thank You that my body can function in Your peace, healed and whole. I choose to let Jesus cover past failures and struggles and enjoy Your love, Your thoughts, and Your ways so that my mind is at rest. What amazing grace that You remember my sins and iniquities no more! Jesus took them on Himself. They are nailed to His cross.
 

Because of the amazing forgiveness of Jesus, I can forgive others in His name. I choose to forgive all those who have hurt me, harmed me, or spoken against me. I free them in my thoughts and no longer hold their sins against them. Bless them in Your mercy. I do this by Your indwelling power. 

Thank You that I am a brand new creation. All the old has passed away, and I stand clean in Your sight. I can settle this today with You. I choose to receive Your healing grace by the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit within me.

Thank You that You control me, not my emotions or what others say or do. I receive all Your blessings for my life and give You all praise, honor, and glory.  Amen.
 

                       Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 

Reprinted with permission from From Seek Him Meet Him weekly online devotional, © by Sylvia Gunter, The Father's Business, P. O. Box 380333, Birmingham, AL 35238, www.thefathersbusiness.com.  Email: info@thefathersbusiness.com

God's Greatest Gift

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, let's take a moment to reflect on God's greatest gift to us - His Son, Jesus Christ.  Though He came in the form of a baby, this prayer of St. Patrick reminds us that He is our all in all.  Merry Christmas!

Jesus - Our All in All

Christ for sickness, Christ for health,

Christ for poverty, Christ for wealth,

Christ for joy, Christ for sorrow,

Christ today, and Christ tomorrow;

Christ my life, and Christ my light,

Christ for morning, noon, and night;

Christ when all around gives way,

Christ my everlasting stay; 

Christ my rest, Christ my food,

Christ above my highest good;

Christ my well beloved, my Friend,

Christ my pleasure without end;

Christ my Savior, Christ my Lord,

Christ my Portion, Christ my God,

Christ my Shepherd, I His sheep,

Christ Himself my soul does keep.

Christ my Leader, Christ my Peace,

Christ has brought my soul's release;

Christ my Righteousness divine,

Christ for me, for He is mine;

Christ my Wisdom, Christ my meat,

Christ restores my wandering feet,

Christ my Advocate and my Priest,

Christ who never forgets the least;

Christ my Teacher, Christ my Guide,

Christ my Rock, in Christ I hide;

Christ the everlasting Bread,

Christ His precious blood has shed;

Christ has brought us near to God,

Christ the everlasting Word,

Christ my Master, Christ my Head,

Christ who for my sins has bled;

Christ my Glory, Christ my Crown,

Christ the Plant of great Renown,

Christ my Comforter on high,

Christ my Hope draws ever nigh.

Posted by Redeeming Love

Burdens to Blessings

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people." Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

You Can Never Be Undone

It can be a real mess out there. And the crazy thing is, there can be whole rising muck of stuff on the inside too.

And yet — we do it anyways: String up a tangle of lights. Set a musty angel atop the tree. Deck the front porch and the back streets and the whole tilted world in this twinkling robe, this tinseled robe. Watch how the whole world spins round in these lit colors.

But as much as the world decorates and prepares for Christmas, it's like the hem of our robe is dirty and dragging; there's always the ripped underside of things, the dreams and bits of us and unspoken hopes, all torn to pieces.

You can feel this — in a torn-up world, you feel a bit torn apart.

When you are brave, you give yourself the gift of facing and touching your own torn places. The places where we're torn to pieces can be thin places where we touch the peace of God.

Like Joseph, in the book of Genesis, who reaches out touches his own worn-thin place. He feels along the edges of the torn places, and he sees through, telling his brothers that verse we can hold onto like a gift today: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good."

What was intended to tear you apart, God intends it to set you apart.

Whatever has torn you, God makes a thin place to see glory. Whatever happens, whatever unfolds, whatever unravels, you can never be undone.

You can stand around a Christmas tree with a family tree like Joseph's, with cheaters and beaters and deceivers. Or his dad, Jacob, who ran away and ran around and ran folks down.

But out of a family line that looks like a mess, God brings the Messiah. What was intended to harm, God intended all of it for good, and no matter what intends to harm you, God's arms have you. You can never be undone.

No matter what intends to harm you ... God is never absent, never impotent, never distant.

You can never be undone.

In the middle of all our collective mess stands the most monstrous evil. The wood of the crèche that held baby Jesus lies torn apart behind the wood of the Cross. The cries of the innocent Babe under the stars of Bethlehem twist into the agonized cries of the innocent victim atop the injustice of Calvary.

The holy dark over the manger gives way to the heinous dark over the Messiah and the slamming hammer and the tearing vein and the piercing thorn — the created murdering the Creator.

The Cross stands as the epitome of evil.

And yet God takes the greatest evil ever known to humanity and turns it into the greatest Gift you have ever known.

"If the worst things work for good to a believer, what shall the best things?" writes puritan Thomas Watson. "Nothing hurts the godly ... all things ... shall cooperate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings."

If God can transfigure the greatest evil into the greatest Gift, then He intends to turn whatever you're experiencing now into a gift. You cannot be undone.

Somewhere, Advent can storm and howl and look messy.

And still, the world all robed for Christmas can spin bravely and beautifully on — holding on to a God who won't let you be undone.

Romans 8:28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." (ESV)

Reprinted with permission by Proverbs  31 Ministries

God, Our Father

When an earthly father does not provide the love, nurturing, care and support that a daughter needs, it can leave her with a marred image of who her heavenly Father is. However, those traits that may have been missing in an earthly father are all present and abundant in Father God. Be blessed as you read the below scriptures and allow them to renew your mind as to who He truly is.  

Portrait of Your Heavenly Father

Your Father is perfectly faithful.

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Your Father is a generous provider.

Matthew 7:11 “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”

Your Father is loving and compassionate.

John 17:23 (Jesus speaking to His Father) "You have loved them even as you have loved me."

Psalm 103:13 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”

Your Father is forgiving and accepting.

Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Your Father is a patient teacher.

Isaiah 30:20-21 “Your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”

Your Father is an understanding counselor. 

Isaiah 9:6 “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Your Father is a wise communicator.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 3:17 “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

Your Father gives good gifts.

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Your Father is attentive to your needs.

Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Your Father is strong yet personal.

Isaiah 40:26 “He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

Matthew 10:30 “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

And so much more. He is more wonderful than our mind can comprehend. He is there, even if we feel that He has left or that He ought to leave, and even when we turn our backs on Him. Our Father is love, pure love, and He does not change.

Reprinted with permission from From Seek Him Meet Him weekly online devotional, © by Sylvia Gunter, The Father's Business, P. O. Box 380333, Birmingham, AL 35238, www.thefathersbusiness.com.  Email: info@thefathersbusiness.com

Look to the Light

“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11

Basking in the Son

Yesterday I took a walk along a beautiful tree-lined trail and enjoyed all the splendor of fall – the smell of crispy leaves filled the air, sunlight dappled the trees, and swirls of colorful leaves danced before my eyes.  As I strolled along and enjoyed all of the sights, sounds, and smells of the season, I came to a spot that took my breath away.  

The sun was hanging low in the sky and was casting its glorious light upon a tree laden with golden leaves.  I stopped in my tracks and stood where the sun met the trail and basked in its light.  As I took in the warmth and gazed at the light, I noticed that everything around me disappeared.  

The light was so strong and bright that it overshadowed the other people on the trail, the houses that surrounded me, and the trees whose company I had been enjoying. I could see nothing but the beautiful, life-giving light. 

It was then that the Lord reminded me that so it is when we fix our eyes on our Savior.  No matter what our circumstances, no matter what may be surrounding us vying for our attention or threatening to steal our peace, joy, and sense of well-being, when we fix our eyes upon Jesus Christ, it all falls away.  There is no darkness that His light cannot pierce and no obstacle that He cannot overshadow.

Yesterday was a beautiful reminder to me that when trouble comes my way, and indeed it will, I need to turn and bask in the light of the Son who has already overcome.

I could have stayed there for hours, but life and its responsibilities urged me on. However, as I walked away, the words of an old hymn rang through my mind...  

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

By Shannon M. Nass

     

A Divine Exchange

Life can throw many things at us, but thankfully, God has everything already covered.  He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and conquer everything that comes against us.  Our job is to receive all that He did for us through a divine exchange of our circumstances for His comfort, love, and victory.  

Comfort: God's Holy Exchange

All of us will be walking in more of the Luke 4:18-19 ministry of Jesus as we go on with God:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Luke 4:18-19 NKJV

    

Jesus began his ministry on earth quoting from Isaiah 61:1-3. "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD ... has sent me ... to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."

Jesus defined His call and His eternal relationship with us when he quoted this passage in His first public sermon. He brings good news to us, binds up our broken heart, and comforts our mourning in our grief. These days may not feel like His goodness or His faithfulness, but His Word promises that dark clouds are under God's feet (Ps 18:9). He never stops inviting us near him to love, guide, deliver, heal, and comfort us. All we love is in His hands. He hears our prayers and our tears when there are no words. He counts them as liquid intercession, which is precious to Him (Psalm 56:8a). He is our Mighty Warrior and contends with those forces that contend with us (Isaiah 42:13; Psalm 35:1).

Be blessed with a still heart, while God fights for you (Exodus 14:14; Psalm 46:10). Be blessed in His covenant of love that can never be taken from you (Romans 8:35,38-39; Psalm 18:19). Be blessed to know that everything is for His glory (2 Corinthians 4:15). He is being glorified in you.

God's promise is sure that he is able to guard what you have entrusted to Him (2 Timothy 1:12). Receive His covering of His sweet presence and peace that passes all understanding in all your cares. He never loses sight of whom He designed you uniquely to be and whom He designed those you love to be. His plans for you are written on the palm of the nail-pierced hands of His Son.

Be blessed to know Him as your Father of compassion
and God of all comfort, who comforts you in all your cares.
2 Cor 1:3-4

Reprinted with permission from From Seek Him Meet Him weekly online devotional, © by Sylvia Gunter, The Father's Business, P. O. Box 380333, Birmingham, AL 35238, www.thefathersbusiness.com.  Email: info@thefathersbusiness.com