“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”

Hosea 6:3

Have you ever stopped to think about the one thing that God can’t do? Wait a minute?! Did she just say that?! The God who makes the sun rise and the moon set? The God who changes the seasons and sends rain to refresh the earth? The God who makes the mountains crumble to the seas? That God? Is there anything that God cannot do?

Yes, I believe, there is. God cannot change the past. He cannot change the choices that we’ve made. But ya’ know what! He can redeem them! He not only will forgive our bad choices, but He’ll turn them into something good to be used for the future.

One of the greatest emotions I hear when I spend time at the jail is regret, remorse, and guilt. Many of the inmates sit day after day, imprisoned by their emotions and beating themselves up as they face the consequences for their choices.

And many of us are imprisoned too. We all have made bad choices and though some of our consequences are more severe than others, those consequences and the choices we made do not define who we are moving forward. They simply help us remember who we were, what we did, and hopefully, motivates us to learn from those mistakes.

But in order to move forward, we must realize where our mercy, forgiveness, and freedom comes from. It isn’t something we get from ourselves. It isn’t something created by others. It comes from God Himself.

David was one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. He was a shepherd, a giant-killer, a warrior, a poet, and a king. And of course, it was from his lineage that Jesus was born. But David was also a sinner! A repeated sinner. And His sins were great, but so was his God!

Psalm 51 begins with David crying out to God, “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins”. This Psalm is a great example of pressing on to know the Lord. David’s plea to God was heartfelt for he realized how deeply he needed the Lord. He realized the impact of his sin. He realized how faithful God is. And he was confident in the hope of salvation that was gifted by God. David knew that mercy comes from God alone. And he knew the power of confession, repentance, and dependence on God to make better and right choices in the future.

If you too are beating yourself up, or you just can’t move past your poor choices, this is a great place to start in seeking God’s trust. As you read all of Psalm 51, reflect on your stumbling blocks and then on the character of God. Ask God to help you move past your regret and help you determine what to do next. Ask Him to help you with your temptations (He will always give you a way out). But most of all, ask Him to “create in you a new heart and renew a right spirit in you”. Then expect His response! Freedom will surely come when we seek Him with broken spirits but hopeful hearts.

So no, God can’t take away your past, but he will turn your darkness into light. He will move you into new seasons of life. He will take those mountains of guilt and throw them into the sea. And best of all, He can and He will change your future! Will you press on to know Him? Will you trust Him with your heart? Will you let Him guide your future? Will you accept His forgiveness and freedom so you too can joyfully sing His praise?

Oh, that we might know and remember the Lord, for His mercy is great and His love is unfailing!

Psalm 51

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He (Adam) replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.””

Genesis 3:7-10 NLT

Life with a puppy is never dull! It seems like Luxie is always finding trouble! And our little girl knows right where to go to hide from us when she knows she has done something wrong.

We often find ourselves doing the same thing. It may not be hiding under the bed, or sewing fig leaves together, but we wander away and hide from God. Maybe it’s because we don’t want to admit the choices we made were wrong and we’re not ready to confront and confess it. Perhaps we feel that what we’ve done marks us off the forgiveness list and makes us feel undeserving or unworthy of God’s grace. Or possibly we just don’t know that God is waiting with open arms to clothe us with His love and to cover us with His blood.

Our guilt, our shame, and our eagerness to hide are only distractions to kill, steal and destroy us. Our assurance of forgiveness, our freedom of grace, and our relationship with God are gifts that the enemy loves to manipulate. It is he who exploits our sins and compels us to cover it up. He knows that in our nakedness we are vulnerable, and in our vulnerability, we are more likely to be influenced by his lies. So he takes our wrongdoings and runs with it!

But, if you don’t hear anything else my friends, hear this….there is nothing you have done so bad that Jesus will not forgive you for! Just as our intentions for Luxie are not to harm her, but to love her, to keep her safe, and teach her what’s best for her, so God’s intentions for you are the same. He wants to love you deeper, to keep you safe, and to train you to be the best you that you can be. Most of all, He wants you to experience the freedom of His Grace. He wants you to no longer be afraid – naked and exposed to the lies of the enemy – but to feel safe under the blanket of His love. He is the only one who can free us from the weight of our sins and bring us peace – now and forever.

We are human though so we will always make choices that don’t align with the righteousness of God. But when we try to hide what we’ve done, we are only hiding it from the One who can make things right.

Are you hiding in disgrace, or are you living in His grace? He wants you to open your eyes and find Him. Not so he can shame or punish you, but so He can love you and share His favor with you. Are you ready to answer his call?

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done”.

Genesis 50:20

How many times have we been offended or hurt by others?

I for one have been many times. And so often, I let that fester. The offense, the hurt, going over and over in my mind what a victim I am, how I could get revenge and hurt them back, sometimes even wondering what I did wrong to have caused it, but most of all, I allow it hinder my heart from moving on. And all these things are normal I believe. But it’s when we let it sit there and rot our minds and hearts that it begins to do the work that it was intended for. Offensive and hurtful words are not meant to accomplish anything but to bring another person down. It can be an act of power, insecurity, selfishness, or jealousy from the other person. But only we can control how we allow what was said or done to affect us.

I’m not saying that everything slides off of our shoulders in an instant. Because it does not! And it will not! But we can take control of how long we let it run (or ruin) our lives. And we can take note of what we learn from how we deal with it, whether it’s in a good way or a bad way.

I went many years festering a particular hurt in my heart. The hurt of offense, of feeling left out, of feeling unworthy. But one day, God asked me to forgive. To let all of that go so that His plans could be accomplished. And once I was able to forgive – wholeheartedly forgive – the floodgate of grace was opened in my relationship with that person, in my relationship with God, and in my relationships with others

Not every hurt can be reconciled with the person who hurt you. But every hurt can be reconciled with God. He alone is the one who will bring you courage and peace to let go of all those things you are carrying around.

If you have hurts that are consuming your mind and heart today, spend some time with the Lord. Ask Him to help you see that person the way He sees them and ask Him how you can use what you’ve experienced for good. Whether it’s a peace in your own heart, a reconciled relationship, or being able to help someone else in the same situation, God will find a way to use it. Trust Him and make grace the space you fill your heart with so you can fulfill all that God wants to accomplish through you.

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever, he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us”

Psalm 103:8-12.

As Christians, we are held to a high standard by the world. We are watched and constantly being evaluated as to how we act and what we say. The world’s expectations of us often do not align, unfortunately, with the imperfect people that we are. That sets up an atmosphere for conflict and tension and leaves room for resentment and broken relationships. It often puts us in a position to be defensive, instead of forgiving.  

But we must realize that many in the world know not what they do. They have not yet accepted, nor understand, that even though we try to live out our faith to the best of our ability, we will fail at times. We are made perfect in Christ, but we are imperfect in the flesh.

As believers though, we do know! And God does expect different behavior from us. Because we have experienced His grace, we should be able to recognize our failures and look past the insensitivity of others to fully forgive what they have yet to understand. 

The best example we can be for those who do not know Christ, is to show them the mercy and grace that Christ Himself shows us. People can tell if there is unforgiveness in our hearts, especially when it is towards them.  And because Jesus shows us mercy, so should we be merciful to them. It should be easier for us to forgive because we know who gets the Glory! We should forgive so that when people see us, they see who Jesus is. 

We may never sit in the place of being wrongly accused as Jesus (Luke 23:34) and Stephen (Acts 7:60) did, but we may often be mistakenly perceived. And whether we feel that we are right or whether we feel that we are wrong, we should ask God to help us model His forgiveness. His name’s sake is worth the prudent gesture so that He can be made famous!

12 words

Enlighten them with love. Honor them with forgiveness. Teach them by example.

Lord God, we take for granted our knowledge of your grace sometimes and forget that not everyone is as enlightened as we are. Let me be an example of who you are, pointing the world back to the cross. And make me a beacon of light in a dark and lost world so that your gift is recognized, and your name is glorified. Amen.

Scripture Reflection:
Ephesians 5:15-17, 21
Philippians 4:9
I Corinthians 10:31-11:1

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

I John 4:4

Jesus warns us in John 10:10 that “the thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy”. Then He assures us that “His own purpose is to give you a rich and satisfying life.” Satan would like nothing better than to steal our joy, kill our relationships, and destroy the good that God intends when we restore fellowship that has been lost. 

The Spirit’s work in our lives results in peace, joy, and unity. But satan will do anything to keep us from experiencing those pleasures. Satan is a liar, who whispers in our ear that it is impossible to forgive. He taunts us with the pain of offense committed against us. He antagonizes us with the lies of betrayal and deceit. The devil wants nothing more than to keep us separated from those we do life with because when we are isolated, we are easy prey; “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). 

But no, in all these things we are more than conquerors in Christ (Romans 8:37). God has equipped us and empowered us to stand against the schemes of the devil. He has given us full armor and stands with us on the front lines of battle. 

When Jesus gave up his spirit on the cross, the curtain to the temple was torn, the earth shook, rocks split, and tombs were opened (Matthew 27:51). At that moment, we were guaranteed that nothing will ever separate us from His love or His power. Christ’s suffering and resurrection made certain that Satan’s lies will be destroyed and that we would be empowered to conquer the enemy.

Praying God’s Word back to Him, is a powerful weapon against the enemy. Today, focus on His Truth as you pray these Scriptures back to God, asking him to help you conquer the devil’s plan to keep you separated from the ones you hold in contempt. Ask Him to reveal the lies that the devil is telling you, to soften your heart, and to break down the strongholds of your own logic so you can embrace His Truth, His promises of peace, and His principles of unity.

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments”.

2 Corinthians10:3-5

 “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world”.  

Ephesians 6:11-12

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength”.

Philippians 4:13

12 words

The truth about our offenders reveals the lies that keep us apart.

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Note to Readers: This is the 5^th in a series of 6 focusing on forgiveness. I am not sure what focus is up next, but if there is something you would like me to write about, let me know in the comments below. I would love to write about what you need to hear! Be blessed my friends!

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you”

Luke 6:27-28

“Pray for those who hurt you”. Those are challenging words, aren’t they? This may not be the first thing we think about when someone has wronged us, but prayer is the most powerful thing we can do to free our hearts when we feel nothing but hurt. It is also the most sacrificial thing we can do to take what the enemy means for evil and use it for good.

We have all fallen short of God’s glory at times, yet God, in his grace, makes us right in his sight (Romans 3:23-24). And because we have been made righteous through Him, we have the power to pray on behalf of others, and “not withhold good for those who deserve it when it’s in our power to act” (Proverbs 3:27). 

To love God and love others means acting in their best interest. When God settled the relationship between us and him, he then called us to settle our relationships with each other (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). So, when we pray for our enemies, we should not just pray that they will change. We should not pray for them to come crawling back to us with an apology. We should pray that we both will BE changed. Giving up our pride to prayer will free both parties to be open for reconciliation to God and to each other.

Praying blessings over our enemies will also free us to see them differently. As God softens our hearts, we gain His perspective, and it becomes harder to stay mad. When we give up our right to remain mad, we begin to see good things about that person instead of bad, and we allow Christ’s love to control us, rather than letting what wronged us control our emotions. Whatever it is that is held in our hearts, when we pray for our enemies, the Spirit begins to “work in you to will and act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). 

God will always use our willingness to pray and turn it into something good. Praying for our enemies does not make what happened right, but it does open the door to make things right with God and with the person that did it. And when things are right, we are free to love and be the people that God created us to be.

Think of a specific person that causes you distress. Lift them up to the Lord today. Ask God for forgiving hearts, for increased love, and for a mutual compassion that moves you both closer to Him. Pray for those who hurt you. Yes, pray! And experience the freedom that only comes from prayer.

12 words

Our absence of prayer is our greater enemy than our enemies themselves.

Dear Lord, I want to experience true freedom that can only come from you. Help me to use those who have hurt me as a way to draw closer to you and free my heart of the burdens that keep me in chains so that I can be your messenger of love. Amen.

Scripture Reflection:
Luke 6:27-31
2 Corinthians 3:12-18
2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love”.

Romans 5:3-4

Kintsugi is a Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the cracks with gold. Not only does this make the piece unique by not hiding the fact that it was once broken, but it also makes it more valuable because of its rich and precious scars.

Many of us have deep rooted wounds that we have nursed for many years. Whether it is bitterness, anger, or resentment, we often find comfort in hoping it will just go away, or even waiting for that perfect moment for revenge. Sadly too, many times, the person that caused the hurt is still a part of our lives, and our wounds are re-opened time and time again. Though we have good intentions to one day mend our wounds, they often become a chronic infection that affects every part of our being.

When Peter asked Jesus how many times he must forgive someone, Jesus replied, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22). That can sound impossible! Especially when our wounds are deep or recurring. But we know that with God all things are possible, and each time we forgive, even if it is just a little bit, our wounds are filled with squiggles of gold that God uses to refine us and reshape us. And even though our relationship with the person who hurt us may never be restored (that is not a requirement of forgiveness), what is important is that our relationship with our Father grows stronger and we become more valuable to Him.

Our squiggles of gold remind us how dearly God loves us. And just as the gold scars of Kintsugi enhances the repair, God will use our precious scars – whether there is one, or seventy times seven – to strengthen our faith, to build our character, and to bring us hope that one day we will be completely healed! We might also become an example for someone else to see God’s goodness in us .

Forgiveness is not something that comes naturally though and can take time so don’t ever give up. God is patient with us, but we must also be patient as we wait for His rich mercy and precious love to fill our wounds. Ask God to bring you courage and wisdom as He works in you to fill your wounds with spiritual riches. Joy and peace await!

12 words

Forgiving hearts are full of spiritual riches exposing the Kingdom of heaven!

Dear God, you know the wounds that I bear in my heart and the amount of time that they have been there. You also know the situation and the challenges that keep them from healing. But God, I know the Hope of your salvation and the riches of your love! Bring me your Words of encouragement and your Spirit of empowerment to forgive and begin healing today. Amen.

Scripture Reflection:
Romans 5:1-5
Matthew 18:21-22
I Peter 1:3-8

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy and find grace to strengthen us”.

Hebrews 4:16

Forgiving others who have hurt us can be incredibly challenging but forgiving ourselves can be difficult as well. There are many times we find the strength to forgive others, while sadly, we self – sentence ourselves and remain shackled with shame and guilt from our own sin.

Jesus commands us to “love our neighbors as ourselves” but when we have not fully grasped how deep God’s love is for us and accepted that we too are worthy of forgiveness, it can be difficult for us to grasp how much we should love others. Allowing ourselves to wallow in our past by replaying our mistakes in our minds will wear us down and keep us from fulfilling our full potential that God intends for us. It not only denies us the joy of God’s forgiveness and grace, but it also denies others the blessing of full accord.

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love! He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever” (Psalm 103:8-9). God’s unfailing love for us is as high as the heavens and as far as the east is from the west. And that is how much He has already forgiven you! And even though you may still feel guilty, God is greater than your guilt (I John 3:20) and is longing to set you free.

Jesus died so that we can fully live – trusting Him and rejoicing in our salvation. He takes our burdens and makes them light. But we must be willing to receive His mercy, accept His forgiveness, and use His strength to let go of our guilt. Forgiving ourselves will never change what happened, but it will absolutely free us to move forward into the abundant life that God so graciously offers. What we see as impossible, God sees as victory.  May you go boldly into His throne today and receive his mercy and grace.

12 words

Releasing your guilt to God frees you to enjoy abundance in Him.

Dear God, thank you for your generous compassion and your unfailing love for me. I ask your forgiveness for what is holding me back. Help me to release those things from my heart and surrender my guilt to you. God, I need rest and I know that my peace comes only from you. Give me the strength that I need to forgive myself, and the grace that I need to love others as myself. You are good God and I love you. Amen.

Scripture Reflection:
Psalm 103:1-12
Matthew 11:28-30
I John 3:18-21

“Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”.

Psalm 139:23-24

Daniel is one of my heroes of faith! His story not only teaches us history and foretells the future, but it also radiates integrity and righteousness.

Daniel lived during a time of tribulation. His life had been uprooted and his future was uncertain. He was held captive, conspired against, and given two death sentences. Still, he was fiercely devoted to the Lord. He was a man of prayer, gifted with wisdom, dream interpretations, and prophetic visions, who used these gifts to please and glorify God. He never wavered or took the easy way out. Rather, he confidently and courageously stood up for what and Who he believed in.

Much can be learned from the life of Daniel; wisdom, courage, and loyalty to name a few. But I believe there is a lesson of forgiveness as well. Daniel was faced with many opportunities that could have caused him to be bitter and vengeful. And I often wonder if his ministry would have been so fruitful if he had. Instead, what I see, is a wise man who earned respect by overlooking the wrongs of others (Proverbs 19:11), so that God could be glorified. Daniel knew that vengeance belonged to the Lord, so instead of focusing on what others had done to him, he focused on what he could do for the Lord. And the Lord blessed his actions! Daniel was rescued from death (twice!), his ministry was empowered, and the King and many others came to revere the Lord, because they saw the glory of God instead of the hostility of Daniel.

“O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help”

Psalm 86:5

Forgiveness is the foundation of our faith! Yet, it can be so difficult to stand firm on. Our choice to forgive is based on realizing that we are forgiven by a compassionate and loving God and that He desires for us to be children after his own heart, and partners in His work.

And what a joy it is to be forgiven and to be useful to God! Our effectiveness though can be hindered by the condition of our heart. If we are occupied by resentment or our energy is driven by anger or vengeance, our response to obedience will be diminished. Paul challenges us in 2 Corinthians 6:8 to “serve God whether people honor us or despise us,” and as we see this example in the life of Daniel, we have so much more to be thankful for! We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and the assurance of salvation to help us unleash His power when we let go of the hurts that we hold in our hearts.

Forgiveness exemplifies the love and mercy of Jesus, and when we like Daniel, overlook the wrongs that have been done to us, we too will glorify God, fanning the flame of the Holy Spirit, making a way for others to see His grace. God’s greatest gift was His gift of salvation through the forgiveness of our sin. And perhaps there is no greater gift you can offer back to Him than a heart that also forgives.

12 words

Forgiveness pleases the Lord, allowing us to be effective in His work

Dear God, search my heart and reveal the places that are holding me back from being all that you want me to be. Help me God to see and confess the hard feelings that I have harbored and help me to let them go. God, I want to please you and experience the freedom and the power that forgiveness brings. I want to be an example for years to come of the good things you have planned for me…but I cannot do it alone. Thank you for your unending mercy, your unfailing love, and for your saving grace. I love you Lord, Amen.

Scripture Reflection:
Ephesians 2:4-10
I Peter 3:9
Romans 12:17-19

Author’s Note: As with anything I write about, living out God’s Word is so much easier said than done! Good intentions can often be turned into discouragement as we live in this fallen world. And forgiveness is one of the Biblical principles that can be very challenging. It has many different aspects, so over the next two months, I will periodically be writing about some of them. As you read them, know that forgiveness rarely happens right away, and can sometimes take months or years to achieve. As you work through whatever you hold in your heart, whether it is trying to forgive, or waiting to be forgiven, be patient in your troubles and faithful in prayer, knowing that God is not done with you yet!