Category Archives: Peace

Finding a Safe Place

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  “Create in me a pure heart, Oh god and renew a right spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:10

There was a time in my life that I needed a safe place for God to do open heart surgery. My heart was broken and as hard as I tried, I could not recover. During that time, well-meaning friends said things like, “Can’t you snap out of it and just get over it?” No, it wasn’t that easy. I needed someone safe to understand what I was going through- to listen to how I was hurting and help me release the pain. I cried out for a miracle and God heard my cry, He created in me a pure heart and renewed a right spirit within me.

My healing didn’t happen overnight; it lasted for two years. At the end, I asked the Lord, “Why did it take so long?” The Lord told me I had taken the long journey so I could minister the shorter journey to others and help them find a safe place for their healing.

For the next few weeks you will be on a “journey of healing.” Each day as you read the devotionals you will be looking at your past to identify wounds that have not been healed. Unhealed wounds are painful and very sensitive, and they can affect how you feel about yourself.

Once your heart is healed, you will be free from the fear of rejection and you will be able to love others unconditionally, regardless of their mistakes and shortcomings. Unconditional love never fails, and it turns a home into a haven.

Heavenly Father,
As Your Word says, “Create in me a clean and pure heart, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Seeing and Showing the Love of God

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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.   1 Corinthians 13:4-7  (NIV)

ppl-kid-07Love can be hard when you come across someone who seems unlovable. They may have harsh words when they speak to you, or they may do things that hurt your feelings and you wonder how you can love this person.  It is sometimes very hard to show the Love of God to people who seem abrasive and hurtful.  But, that is what we are called to do.

The good news is if God can love you and me with all of our short comings, and issues, we can ask him to help us love others the same way. It will not always feel good because it will be a struggle to overcome the selfish nature we have to automatically protect ourselves and to retaliate.

Demonstrate the love of God by showing kindness regardless of the situation. No one said love would be easy. We are not focusing on the easy to love but those seemingly unlovable people who you run into time after time. Make a decision in your head and heart that you will show that person the love of God through kindness regardless of their reaction. Do this enough times and you will begin to see the power of love in action. Slowly that cold barrier will start to dissolve.

Another way to show the love of God is to be deliberate about loving others in your actions and words. Once you decide how you will do this, the actual love acts will become easier and you will begin to feel joy about how you are positively impacting others for Christ.

Being slow to anger is another demonstration of the love of God. There are times when you may be tired and not have much patience, but remember that God shows us mercy every day and we need to do the same for our brothers and sisters.

Protect your relationships from the enemy by being willing to forgive and really forget if another has offended you. This can be challenging when someone close to you hurts you but you can forgive with God’s help. This not only shows God’s love, but it strengthens our connections as the body of Christ.

Show love by thinking of others before you think of yourself. Jesus was the greatest example of this by his death on the cross. We need to die to ourselves everyday as a witness to the love of Christ on this earth.

Keep trying to show the love of God to everyone you meet. Think of ways you can change someone’s life though an act of love. Love is powerful, give it freely and often.

 

Does Anyone Really Care?

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“And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another.”  Hebrews 10:24

building each other upDo you ever wonder if anyone really cares?  If  you have accepted Christ as your savior, not only do you have a new life and purpose, but you also have a new family.  In this family, the Bible teaches us that we should care for each other and encourage one another.  The Amplified bible says to give attentive continuous care to watching over one another.

With the online social movement many people have become somewhat reclusive from face-to-face contact.  It seems that the new lifestyle and societal trend is to connect with relationships virtually – without physical interactions.  Unfortunately, in too many cases it has become to easy of an escape from recognizing and responding to the needs of others.  It’s difficult to wash feet and serve needs from a virtual connection.

Restoring Families

Social sites certainly have a place in our society and can help us find new ways of loving, encouraging, and sharing. We should carefully evaluate how we are building each other up in the Faith.  God has called us to Love unconditionally and to care for each other by serving in the nurturing of Faith.   Let us diligently and attentively consider each other’s trials, difficulties, and weaknesses; feel for each other, and excite each other to an increase of love to God and man; and as proof of it, to be fruitful in good works.

We are to be concerned about other Christians because they are our brothers and sisters. When you are in a family and care about others, you watch out for them and it sets you free from a lonely, secluded, and self centered life. Verse 24 says to give continuous (nonstop, constant) care to watching out for one another.

In your natural family, what was your response when you were asked by your dad or mom to look after your younger brother or sister? Whatever thoughts you have today that are hurtful and childish, just simply put them away (1 Corinthians 13:11) because these thoughts  and feelings are blocks that are keeping you from being obedient to the Word of God.

I remember a song we sang at youth camp around the camp fire many years ago. The words to that song had such an impact on my life. The song went something like this:  Do you really care -do you know how to share with people everywhere – do you really care?

What is holding you back? Identify your feelings and ask the Lord to fill you will His Love anew that you may be able to give it to others.

Waiting on the Lord to Lift me up!

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“The Lord will take me up.” Psalm 27:10

confess our iniquityHe had actually called me to walk on a path called Righteousness. My desire to walk upright prior to God was not so that he would accept me because now I started to actually comprehend that He had actually already accepted me. As I continued on this course called righteousness and as His word continued to penetrate my heart I began to totally experience God in my life.

“When my dad and mom forsake me, then the Lord will take me up” (Psalm 27:10). If you were forsaken throughout your youth, ask the Lord to show you if you are still holding on to discomfort or if you responded in a sinful way. Maturation comes as w e are healed of the pain and then start to take duty for our own sinful response

Insights on Preparation – Get the Joseph Report

I matured without a dad’s impact; he was gone most of the time during my childhood. I was unaware that my heart had to be cleansed from the bitterness and anger from years of hurt and disappointments. From the hurt, I evaluated my dad. I was so concentrated on exactly what he had actually done to hurt me that I did rule out how sinful my responses were.

The Holy Spirit exposed to me that I had broken numerous spiritual laws. I dishonored my dad by judging him, and now I was due to reap what I had actually sown. The Lord convicted me that I should forgive him and repent for my sinful response, or I would do the exact same thing to my children.

I quickly repented. In His mercy He raised me up from the bad consequences that had begun to happen. Then He set my feet on solid ground and said, “This is the right means, now walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

Every day, I tried to walk closer to the Lord. As He exposed Himself and I started to receive His truth, I began to feel like I was scaling a stunning mountain.

My desire to walk upright prior to God was not so that he would accept me since now I began to really comprehend that He had already accepted me. As I continued on this course called righteousness and as His word continued to permeate my heart I began to completely experience God in my life. “When my father and mom forsake me, then the Lord will take me up” (Psalm 27:10).

God Prepares You for Your Blessing

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“For You make him to be blessed and a blessing for life …” Psalm 21:6

rest in HimDavid said in Psalms 21:6, that God in fact makes you to be blessed. He makes you or simply puts, He prepares you ‘to get’ His blessings so that you can be a blessing to others. Think about it, today He is preparing you for His true blessings!

You resemble a storehouse that He should prepare to pour His true blessings into.   If you are a little 4 room residence He may require you to expand to get a blessing.  You cannot have the “us 4 and no even more” mindset and anticipate God to bless you beyond where you currently are. It could be that where you are right now in your thinking is not huge enough to hold all the blessings God has actually planned for you.

They had to comply with God in order to be prepared for the true blessings. Their storehouse had to be prepared so they would appropriately manage true blessings as God released them.

We are always blessed by God so we can keep the true blessings flowing and be a true blessing to God’s individuals. If you are blessed by God, as Joseph was blessed, it indicates you need to find out the best ways to regulate the true blessing and launch it to God’s individuals at the selected time. True blessings from God suggest He has actually left you with something, and all He asks of you is to be a great steward and correctly keep the blessing.

When God abundantly blesses someone, they are not to be storehouses that accumulate the blessings and state, “take a look at me.” He blesses us so He can use us to pour out true blessings out and share with others. This is completion of the verse from Psalm 21:6, You make him exceedingly delighted with the joy of Your Presence. As we bless others the flow of God’s true blessing continues to stream to us and this is how we become a blessing forever. “Give and it should be offered to you.” Be a blessing to others with the true blessings God has actually entrusted you with.

God prepares you ‘to get’ His blessings so that you can be a blessing to others. We are constantly blessed by God so we can keep the true blessings flowing and be a blessing to God’s individuals. Blessings from God suggest He has entrusted you with something, and all He asks of you is to be an excellent steward and properly keep and share the blessing.

As we bless others the flow of God’s true blessing continues to stream to us and this is how we become a blessing forever. Be a blessing to others with the true blessings God has actually delegated you with.

Pray this prayer…
Dear Lord, It is really my heart’s desire to be a true blessing to others. Help me to prepare myself ahead of time to receive Your blessings. I desire my life to be a storehouse that You fill out so I have plenty to offer to others who require. Show me today what I have to do to prepare myself for Your blessings.

In Jesus’ Name,.