Month: August 2013

Sometimes it is easy to see my enemy as the one who does wrong to me. But my enemy is the devil and his minions, and those things that he plots against me – sickness, temptations, financial ruin, quarrels, and even death. It is easy to see where he could think that God won’t intervene or hold him accountable since he has been operating here for a very long time. He uses gossip and slander to devastate people – waiting for the right moment to use the upright against each other.  But God has seen and heard everything – He alone holds the keys to revenge and justice.

Read Psalms 10:1-18 and ponder these points:

• Do I trust Him to hear me and answer me when I call Him?
• Do I live like the victory is here right now?
• Do I let the enemy use me to help him in his schemes?
• Do the things I speak when I am wronged attempt to tear others down?
• Do I pass judgment when I am hurt and then plot my revenge?

Oh Lord, let me watch for You and the victory always. Help me be aware of the devil and his schemes in my life and the lives of those around me. Do not let him use me for his purposes. You alone hold justice in Your hand – help me to remember that when I am wronged. You alone are righteous – help me to watch the words I utter that they may not be chosen by the devil. My Lord, my God You hear the cries of the tormented ones. You are victorious over the enemy – whether man or devil. You vindicate the poor, the fatherless and me. Thanks be to You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The reason we do not forgive is we live in a society
that teaches us to see others as disposable – no relationship is worthy of saving.
We replace the washer or refrigerator when it is broken – it can’t last forever.
We are conditioned that nothing lasts.
We extend that thought to people, to children, to our spouse, to our brothers and sisters, to our friends and to other people and entities.
We do not feel anything is so valuable that we need to go after it.
We just let the offense take root,
so that the discord becomes a song we sing out of tune
over those in our life that we choose NOT to forgive.
Forgiveness is a choice first –
one we make with the mind and not with the heart.
Sometimes – the heart is the last part to sing the harmony of forgiveness – sometimes we steel our heart so deep – it becomes a fortress for the enemy.
We spray it with armor to keep out the thoughts that would bring forgiveness.
We seal our heart against forgiveness – nothing can get through.
Our mind no longer is free but a slave to our hardened steel-cased heart.
It is a prisoner of the toughest sort.
We have the key – but we won’t pick it up – we won’t use it.
Forgiveness is a concept we see for others and not for ourself.
We take the concept and shelve it
so that we don’t have to do the work of forgiveness.
It is not something that we just say – “I forgive you”,
although we sometimes say it without any real depth or
meaning to the words we speak.
We say it while thinking – “Yes, but things will never be the same between us.”
We erect a wall that we have no intention of tearing down.
We have no intention of forgiving.
We let the effects of unforgiveness
ride our future with the one we have disagreed and
we let it play its sour notes as it taints the rest of our life.
We do not let go and join God in the harmony of forgiveness.

Lord, you saw the value in me when You died for me. Help me to remember that same value is what You have for others. Help me to make the choice to forgive and to walk in total forgiveness without holding back a portion of bitterness. I thank You that in my weakness, I can rely on Your strength. Father, increase my strength and courage to forgive the way You forgave me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When someone is in the midst of conflict, either with a spouse, a child, a parent, co-worker, employee, employer, company, church, or a friend, the picture they paint of the conflict doesn’t accurately reflect the whole situation. The portion that is painted is tainted by only what that person wants me to know and the inferences they want me to make.  It is the truth, but it is not the whole truth.  So the conclusions I draw from their brush are defective, and therefore, any advice I give is fragmented and potentially damaging not only to them, but to the other person or persons involved in the situation, and perhaps even to myself.

The picture above is a portion of the picture below. If I saw only the picture above, I would be deceived and any assumptions I make as a result of the first picture would not be accurate.

I am so glad that Jesus tells me the whole truth. He doesn’t deceive me with partial truths for there is no lie in Him – no deception – no fraud. I can count on the picture He painted for me in His Word.

Lord, help me to live a life not based on painting pictures of deception for others, but live longing to always get to the truth, even if it is uncomfortable for me. Because I know in that place of vulnerability for me, in that place of weakness – You show Yourself strong in my life and I am changed to more accurately reflect Your characteristics.  Help me not to believe partial truths about other people so that I am colored to draw inaccurate conclusions, but to listen with a compassionate heart and minister only Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When my father was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, I immediately turned to the Lord and sought His cure. In the physical, we mobilized doctors, medicine and technology to prolong his earthly existence. My father did not realize that salvation did not come from the performance of ritual of acts, but came from a heart condition and confession of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. It was my intent to seek The Cure from The Healer for his state of spiritual sickness before the disease took his earthly body and doomed his soul to a state of utter hopelessness. While I continued to pray for his physical healing, I prayed with hope (He said it was His desire that none be lost) for his spiritual restoration. We are all men and women, simply mortal here on earth, and our bodies will eventually succumb to death. Our souls will spend an eternity somewhere – either in the presence of the Lord or in the abyss of darkness where the Lord will not be. It is with great thanks to my husband who led my dad to the Lord; and with all praise and all glory that I honor the Lord who prepared my father’s heart, answered the heartfelt cries of a daughter, used a willing son-in-law, and delivered the victory for my father’s salvation.

Read Psalms 9:1-19

This psalm begins with praise and worship, that results in victory from the everlasting righteous God in whom we find confidence, security, favor, and salvation. It ends with the insight that we are but men with no hope beyond our mortalness without Him.

Meditate on these points:

• Am I thankful to the Lord for the victory even before I know what it looks like?
• Do I repeat the story of the victory he orchestrated on my behalf even if it is not what I anticipated?
• Do I live in fear of mortal death or live in confidence and security in the knowledge that He has saved my soul even though my body will perish?

Oh Lord my God, Who loves praise, worship, thanksgiving and testimonies. You give me victory over my biggest enemy, death. You reign with everlasting goodness and justice. You are my security and confidence bestowing favor on me because I know You. You rescued me from spiritual death. Without You, I am but mortal. If I seek You, You will not abandon me nor forget me, but You will remember me at all times. Thank You for Your mighty favor on me. Father, let me always seek You so that I find You. With You, I am whole, victorious, confident and have hope. In the name of Jesus, Amen!