Category Archives: Restoration

He Drew Me Out of Many Waters

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“He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.”  Psalm 18:16

“Send thine hand from above; rid me, and delivered me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children.”  Psalm 144:7

“Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.”   Psalms 69:1-3

He drew me out of many watersIn these passages the Psalmist David is calling on the Lord to deliver him out of deep water.  In Psalm 18:16-17 the deep waters are referring to someone who hated him and have spoken words against him.

When I think of great waters I think of an ocean with huge waves crashing in one after the other.  When you have received too many critical words they can have this same effect.

If you are engulfed in these great waters you may feel like you are sinking.  You become overwhelmed like being in an ocean with one wave after the other hitting you and pulling you under.  If you take these critical words into your soul, it is like taking water into your lungs and after a period of time you can drown.

The Lord is reaching His hand down from above to lift you up.  His love is a life raft that He is throwing out to you, so reach out and let Him pull you up.  He will reach down and lift you up in many different ways.  It may be through a loving friend’s call or an act of kindness. Just when you are so overwhelmed the call will come in and you will be lifted up out of those critical words where you have been drowning.   Once you have been lifted up and encouraged in the love and kindness, don’t go back out into dangerous waters without a boat to hold you up.

Find security in knowing who you are in Christ so that the words of criticism cannot touch you.  Let the words that God says about you soak into your spirit. Then, you will be able to float on the top of the water, not allowing critical words to come into your soul.  Don’t let the words of men define who you are. Know who God says you are.

God loves you and will never leave you or forsake you. He is for you and not against you (Psalm 56:9). Spend more time listening to what God says about you and re-arrange your schedule so you are spending plenty of time with family or friends who also speak words of encouragement.

The Path: Find ways to encourage others daily and you will be encouraged.

A New Beginning

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“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, I will hold thine hand, and I will keep thee. …Behold the former things are come to pass and the new things do I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them.”  Isaiah 42:6-9

 

Place of peaceI knew the Lord had told me that He would allow me to experience days of Heaven upon the earth, that I would be able to say that I have seen a glimpse of Heaven and it is glorious.

As the former things all passed away I soon realized that I was being prepared for the new thing God had prepared for me and my family.  The new thing that sprang forth was the fulfillment of a desire for a retreat ministry, a place where people could come and experience for themselves an earthly example of what it is like to live in the Father’s House, a special place that God has set apart where people can come and experience healing though His love.   In our Father’s House, love never fails and every person who receives His love will be changed.

Thank you for allowing me to share my journey of healing, and this wonderful discovery, with you.  I pray you will have a new beginning into a new way of life.

A new way of life, the abundant life of God’s love is possible for every believer. When we open our hearts and ask God to cleanse every area, we can love others with a pure heart as He loves us.

It’s a new way of life, loving others as God loves you.  A person who has been healed of the pain of the past can now live this abundant life.  It is the higher way.

If you have experienced healing, this is a new beginning for you.  It is a new way of thinking, feeling and acting, living in a higher place, a place of peace, trusting totally in Him.

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

You have said, in Revelations 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new.” I want to behold, and see the Lord.  So, I ask you to open my eyes as You make all things in my life new. Help me to continue trusting in You and expecting to see Your goodness. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

You Can Begin Again

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I’ve been thinking a lot recently about a dear pastor of a Church I visited several times.  He made an impression on me.

His story is filled with up, downs, crashes and triumphs.  He built a small church of a few dozen members into one of the nation’s mega-churches.  He’s always found himself at odds with his Baptist denomination.  He left Austin’s most liberal Baptist church and formed a church that mostly stays out of politics and social issues and focuses on serving singles, divorced people and other people who have often been bruised and battered by churches.

But it’s not really the Pastor that I want to talk about.  I’ve never even met him, although I’ve heard him preach and speak in person and on tape many times.  It’s his core message that’s at the core of today’s devotion: “No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, with God’s help, you can begin again.”

You can begin again.  It’s a really simple statement.  You can’t come through the womb again (at least not physically – although those who teach some brands of psychology and spirituality believe you can come close!), and you can’t quickly undo the financial and legal issues you’ve created or been caught in, but with God’s help, your life—your essence—can begin again.

My Pastor friend spent much of the last few decades explaining the Biblical basis for his message and trying to convince thousands of congregants that it’s really possible to start over.

His life is his example.  When his high-stakes financial deals crashed, he started over.  When his church couldn’t afford to build on the valuable land they’d essentially been given, he sold it for a profit, moved up the hill and built a campus that now includes a sanctuary called the Home for Hope.  When his wife of decades upon decades died, he took a break from church and from life.  Then he found a new love.

Now, Parkinson’s disease has weakened his voice and slowed his body, but his work lives on in his archive of recordings and his books, both new and old.  In a situation where some people would end their ministry, this Pastor has begun again.

Would you like to begin again—again?  Do you need to start over?  You see, when the things of life come tumbling down, you can start over.  And if they crumble and tumble again, you can start over again.

God wants what’s best for you.  If you’re not getting the very best that life has to offer from this day and everyday, begin again.  You can either start from scratch or just scratch today’s plans in favor of something that brings you closer to God. No matter when you start or whether you start over, it’s the destination that matters.

Today, either start over in a new direction or stay on the course you’ve carved out for yourself, but be sure your path is wide enough to include God’s presence, too.

Guaranteed to Change Your Life

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Twenty or so years ago I was introduced to a prayer that was guaranteed to change your life and your marriage.

WOW! Did I ever need a guarantee like that. I immediately began to pray this prayer for my husband and me.  Our life was such a mess at that time, like a cluttered closet.  I didn’t know where to start and he wasn’t interested at all in cleaning closets. I had heard the old saying that prayer changes things, so I began to pray and trust God to clean out our cluttered closets.

Today, 20 years later, as I read the Amplified version of this prayer, I am amazed at how this prayer had been answered in our lives.

God’s Word contains God’s plan and it will accomplish His purpose. I have realized I can have a good idea of what I think needs to change in my life or my husband’s life.  It may be a good idea, but if it didn’t originate in the heart of God, it doesn’t have the power of God behind it. God’s Word has His power behind it, and His power changes things.

Pray this prayer and insert your name first and then your spouse and watch God do the work:

“Since the day I heard it, I have not ceased to pray for ____________that (I, he, she) will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That ____________will walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Christ.”

Colossians 1:9-11

Would You Like to Find a Resting Place?

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“This is my resting place forever.” (Psalms 132:14)

Resting Place of GodWould you like to find a restful place that is quiet and peaceful, but more than that, a place where you can experience the presence of God?

According to Psalm 132:14, God has established resting places, literal places that are His resting places.  God is calling each of us to find a quiet place, a resting place where we can get alone to spend time with Him.  In the story of Noah, when the world was destroyed by the flood, the first thing Noah did was send a dove out to find a place to rest.

“Then he (Noah) sent forth a dove to see if the waters had decreased from the surface of the ground. But the dove found no resting place on which to roost, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were yet on the face of the whole land. So he put forth his hand and drew her to him into the ark” (Genesis 8:8-9).

Noah represents God, and the Ark represents the safety of the presence of God.  Only when you enter into His presence will you find that place of peace and rest.  I am sure in this account that the dove was weary of searching, so God stretched forth His hand and drew the dove back unto Himself.  We are all like that dove, needing a safe place to land… a resting place here on earth, where His presence can be felt.

When you find a resting place, you will know you have found it because your spirit will be at peace.  A dove will not land where there is no peace.  You may be like the dove, searching for the right place – a resting place, a peaceful place.

God has resting places here on earth where He has established a dwelling place of His presence, “This is my resting place forever” (Psalm 132:14). Trust Him to lead you to His resting place.