Spiritual Makeover...Refinement!

The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines the word “refine” as follows:

to free from impurities or unwanted material;

to free from moral imperfection;

to improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

How does our Lord God “refine” His people?  He tells us in Isaiah 48:10, “Behold, I have refined you…; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”  Why does the Lord refine His people?  “…For My (the Lord’s) own sake, for My own sake, I will do it…” (Isaiah 48:11a)  And what is the blessing of His refinement?  “…We went through fire and water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment.” (Psalm 66:12b)

Our reactions to the fires of life – “the furnace of affliction” – often expose impurities that exist within us.  God does not expose “moral imperfection” to condemn us, but rather to reveal our need for His forgiveness; to reveal our need for His transforming power through the Holy Spirit; to reveal our need for His grace to remedy our reactions – to respond to our afflictions in a way that brings Him honor and glory for the sake of those around us.

Through fire, we are made holy – separated from sin to a life of holiness.  Through pruning, we are set free from the restrictions of sin and enabled to flourish and bear spiritual fruit.  Through polishing, we become a reflection of the beauty and nature of Jesus Christ.

                                                                                              

 1 Peter 1:6-7

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

Suggested Prayer

My Lord, I praise You, for You are like a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:2)!  I thank You for loving me enough to cleanse, break, prune, polish and set me ablaze to purify me of moral imperfection.  I thank You that every affliction or trial you call me to walk through is meant for my good and for Your glory!  I thank You for Your forgiveness that heals me; for Your power that strengthens me; and for Your grace that anchors me in the midst of any storm.  Thank You for sculpting and perfecting me through the living, corrective work of Your Word!  My Lord, I pray when affliction comes that Your Spirit would drive Me to Your Word for resilience and drive me to prayer for assurance and confidence in Your never-failing love for me.  When I am walking through the fire and cannot see You through the smoke, let the fire of faith burn even hotter within my spirit.  May my faith be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

And it is in His name, I pray…Amen.

Where is God's signature?

I, like probably most of you, really enjoy art – drawing, painting, sculpting, etc. – you name it, I like it.  And when I happen upon a particular piece I find especially striking or moving in some way, without even thinking about it, I begin scanning to find the signature…the name of the one who created this work of art.

Of all the masterpieces I have ever had the pleasure of viewing in this life, none compares to The Creation – the Heavens, the Earth and its living Inhabitants.  It’s a masterpiece that engages all five senses: taste, touch, sight, sound, smell.  It is a kaleidoscopic work – a turn on its axis; a shift of seasons; a weather surge; the passage of time; a mere blink of an eye – it is changed – it is altered!  You never view the exact same picture twice!  It is the only masterpiece brimming and spilling over with life!

Who is the Artist?  Genesis 1-2 explains it was God who within “six” days created the heavens, earth and all created things.  And where is His signature?  Gen. 1:27 and 2:7 reveals how God formed man from dust and created man (male/female) “in His own image” and then “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”.

 

You are God’s signature upon Creation!

 

And we demonstrate all the facets of His signature best – every curve of His grace, every lavish stroke of His love – when you and I receive Jesus Christ, through Whom all things were created, and become filled and recreated anew by His Holy Spirit.  When we speak and act according to the reality of His glorious nature and personality, we let the whole world know Who the Great Artist truly is!!!

 

 

Suggested Verse for Prayer and Praise

 

Psalm 95:1-6

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!  Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.   Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.   For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.   In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also.   The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.   Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

In the name of Jesus, we pray and praise You, Oh Lord!  Amen.

Religious vs. Righteous

           For those of us who have attended church long enough to pick-up “religious lingo” - spouting off religious-sounding monologues, advice and prayers is a piece of cake!  Sounding religious comes quite easy!  Some time ago, the Holy Spirit taught me a difficult but valuable lesson:  Just because something feels religious, sounds religious or even looks religious does not make it righteous!

            Jesus offered several examples of this distinction in the NT, but for the sake of time and topic, I’ll share only one:  In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told a story of two men who prayed – the first, a minister – the second, a sinner.  The minister rattled off a self-exalting prayer; while the sinner’s prayer exposed his own spiritual failures and need for God.  The minister’s prayer was religious; but the sinner’s prayer was righteous.

            In ALL you and I endeavor to do for the Lord’s namesake, we must be sensitive to His leading in every manner we communicate or interact with others, whether it is teaching The Word, ministry activity, offering counsel or prayer.  You and I may say and do all manner of things that are “right" or “religious”, but if it is not authentically guided by the Holy Spirit, it will not be truly righteous.

 

Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

 

Suggested Prayer

My Father, I praise You, for You declared Your Son, Jesus, would be called, “The Lord Our Righteousness,” (Jer. 23:6) and He is Your Righteous Servant (Is. 53:11).  I thank You that for all who come to You by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we are given the gift of righteousness – we are declared innocent – we are made pure.  However, Lord, I recognize there are times I struggle with my sin nature – even in my service to You!  There are times I have said and done things that looked and sounded religious, but were not righteous – I accomplished these things without Your directive or approval – without purity in motive – without regard for Your glory, but for my own.  I’ve said and done religious things that seemed right to me, but they resulted in death – death to experiencing authentic intimacy with You; death to meaningful relationships with others; death to opportunities to bear Your light and Your love to hurting people.  My Lord, have mercy on me; forgive my error!  Make me sensitive to Your Spirit’s guidance in all matters pertaining to spiritual service and fellowship!  You are the Righteous Servant – let me follow Your example of humility before the Father!  May my life represent the beauty and power of Your Righteousness in me, and may the end of all I say and do for Your namesake end in the way of life for myself and those who behold it!

In Jesus name, I pray…Amen!

People Matter...Pleasing God Matters Most!

I hope I will never be able to honestly say to another person, “I don’t care what you think or how you feel!”  I care very much what people think and feel because people matter.  However, you and I cannot allow what others think or feel prevent us from obeying the Lord and standing for what is right, because…well, because people matter.

 

Galatians 1:10

For do I now persuade men or God?  Or do I seek to please men? 

For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Suggested Prayer

Father, I praise You, for in all You do or allow in the lives of mankind, You are intentional; You are never careless.  When I think of the great care You took in designing the complexities of our ability to think and feel, I am overwhelmed with awe.  I am especially overwhelmed by Your discerning compassion: For though You care enough to number the hair of our heads – and note every tear that falls – You do not allow Your love for us deter You from making decisions that may be painful but beneficial for us.  Father, I pray Your Holy Spirit would work in me Your discerning compassion.  May I never be careless of how others think or feel.  Yet, Lord, make me wise, and embolden me to obey Your voice – rather than the voice of human opinions and emotional whims.  I pray I would not “stand my ground” out of self-righteous spite, but that I would stand for Your Holy Word and Ways to please You and bless those You have placed in my life.  Lord Jesus, if You had been swayed by people’s thoughts and feelings – their love for You – You would never have placed Yourself on the cross to save them - to save me.  May I also, even if it brings me death, choose to love people enough to speak the truth and live the truth for Your glory and namesake.  And may the pursuit of seeking Your pleasure alone be the joy of my life’s journey and destination!

In the name of Jesus, I pray…Amen.

The Blessings of a Spiritual Butt-Whuppin' (pt.2)

          One memory that stands-out from my childhood is a warning my mother issued about discipline, "If I ever have to chase you down to give you a spanking, the whippin' you get will be worse than the one you would've gotten when I catch you!" Now, I did a lot of really stupid things while growing up, but the one dumb thing I never did was run from a whippin' - I knew Momma meant business!

          I have seen this same principle apply in both secular and spiritual arenas. People who "run" from or rebel against constructive criticism and discipline continue to make poor choices. The consequences they could avoid altogether hits them with increased intensity when their mistakes "catch-up" with them!

          The Lord has placed three wonderful resources in every Believer's life to bring about the blessing of discipline: The Holy Bible, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Authority (pastors, teachers, mentors, etc.). He has used these resources throughout my own life to help confront sins I've committed - bring mistakes to my attention - and guide me in the process of correction and restoration.

          Several years ago, I was pondering all the above when a poem began to form in my mind. It's a story about a foolish backwoods fella who resists a "spiritual butt-whuppin'" from a kindly, old pastor. I've included it below and pray it will be a blessing to you!

 

Runnin' from the Whippin' Always Hurts Ya in the End!

One fine misty mornin’, our shepherd was astormin’ ovah our dandy collection of misguided affections.

And Whew! You ain’t nevah seen sweat arollin’ off sheep all fat and swollen from adigestin’ all them worldly yums!

 

Well, afta that sermon, here came High-n-Mighty Herman to set the Man o’God straight!

"Lookahere, Pastor Sir, your words done gone and caused a stir ‘mongst this here congregation.

You just too religious – soundin’ terbly suspicious! What’s up with all this interrogation???”

 

Good Ole Pastor cracked a smile, “Herman, let’s you and me go chat awhile.

You see, that stirrin’ is a smackin’ on your hand to let you know you're aheadin’ for some woe

iffn you don’t stop eaten that worldly pie.

Cain’tcha undastand that a spankin’ on the hand grows ya from a baby to a better man?

Now, it might sting a little, but your soul’ll be fitter than a fiddle when the playin’ comes to end.

And, Son, it’s on my head to prevent you from bein’ mislead; I’m here to help you make amends!”

Well, Ole Herman, that sorry sheep, sat and thought (but not too deep)

'bout what this here Man o’God just said.

And with impatient sigh, Mr. High-n-Mighty replied,

"Well, thank ya muchly kindly, but keep The Word offa my behindly!

I smell smoke, so fire must be burnin’!

I like my worldly pie, and I cain’t undastand why I gots to listen to all this chastisement!

Pain ain’t my way…and that’s alls I gotta say!”

 

Hmmmph…Ole Pastor kept on grinnin’, tho his eyes started thinnin’

and splained to Brother Herman (what in itself could be yet anotha sermon) –

“Herman! You go on ahead and eat your pie, but you best remember this:

You can try like fire to outrun the wind,

but runnin’ from the whippin’ always hurts ya in the END!"

 

Proverbs 19:20

Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.

 

 

The Blessings of a Spiritual Butt-Whuppin'! (pt. 1)

           Since becoming a Christian, one of the most compassionate, tenderhearted things the Lord has allowed me to experience in this walk of faith is…His correction.  He has disciplined me by speaking directly to my heart in moments of weakness and through the hearing and study of His Word.  Even more painful, He has also disciplined me by allowing me to suffer the consequences of my choices – allowing me to reap what I have sown.  But most excruciating, at times He has disciplined me through individuals He has placed in my life.

            When those times of discipline have come, I have felt a variety of uncomfortable emotions: frustration, discouragement, fear, embarrassment and deep remorse.  But in those moments, when I have chosen to receive rather than resist His correction, I have also experienced: hope, freedom, restoration, forgiveness, acceptance, and best of all…His love – and not just any kind of love, but the love of an adoring father.

            Discipline, though painful, is an act of compassion.  It protects us from continuing to make destructive choices – choices that can destroy dreams, careers, reputations, relationships and even our very lives.  The Father longs for His children to flourish and to bear “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” – to live a life that bears the quality of eternity.

His correction is proof-positive that you are His and you are loved!

Hebrews 12:5b-7, 11

…My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.  Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

 

Suggested Prayer

Father, I praise You, for Your lovingkindness is better than life!  Thank You for proving my legitimacy as Your child by correcting me when I go astray in my attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions.  Thank You for loving me enough to do what it takes to redirect my steps – even if that means allowing me to feel and experience the pain that comes with Your discipline.  Father, I pray You would create in me a heart that is humble and teachable so I would not yield to any temptation to avoid or resist Your instruction.  Fashion in me a heart so humble that I become willing to receive Your discipline even through someone I do not respect and who may even take pleasure in causing me grief.  Oh Lord, train me until it can be said that I have yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness in my life.  May it be a blessing to family, friend and foe; and may it bring glory to Your name!

In Jesus name, I pray…Amen.

God's Predestined Perfect Good!

          Many moons ago, I attended a church where sharing testimonies was a regular occurrence.  And oddly enough, after hearing these testimonies, rather than feeling uplifted, I would often feel deflated – even dejected.  I would think to myself, “That person must be extra special to God.” or “God must love him in a special way.”  For quite some time, I became convinced God loved others more than me or believed they were somehow more special to Him than me, because I didn’t have these tremendous testimonies to share as well. 

But then I read Romans 8:28 –

“And we know all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

             In this one verse, I realized several errors in my thinking:  First, these people had such amazing testimonies to share - not because God loved them more than me - but because they loved Him more than me.  Secondly, God demonstrated His power in their lives because they were using their calling to fulfill His purpose rather than their own.  I was called but pursuing my own cause.  Thirdly, they were praising God for the “good” He chose for them rather than the results they desired.  I was missing God’s hand of mercy and blessing in my life because I was waiting for a “good” that satisfied my desire – not the “good” of being conformed into the image of Christ (see Romans 8:29).

            If you find yourself questioning God’s love for you, surprise-surprise, the problem may be your lack-luster love for Him.  If you are wondering where His power is, the problem may be you are pursuing your purpose rather than His.  If you are lacking a testimony, the problem may be you desire a result rather than a relationship.

                                                                                        

Romans 8:28-29

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,

that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 

Suggested Prayer

I praise You and thank You, Lord, for Your Word promises every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from You, the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).  I pray You would create in me a heart that adores You and pursues Your every purpose and desire.  Give me eyes to see Your hands at work in my life; ears to hear Your voice clearly; and a tongue that is quick to testify of Your greatness!  Cause being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ to be my greatest desire and end result.  What a good and perfect gift You are!

In Jesus' good and perfect name, I pray…Amen.

Enslaved vs. Liberated

Several months ago, I had been reading about the cruel atrocities many black men, women, and children suffered during the era of slavery in our country – stories of rape, torture, starvation, tearing wives from husbands, children from mothers’ arms – stories too sick and depraved to be repeated.  And what I found so appalling is that many of these slave owners would attend church on Sundays, professing to be God-fearing men and women. 

I read the unholy acts they committed and wondered how on earth they could hear Scripture teaching us to be kind and tenderhearted and not feel convicted – read Scripture on sexual morality and not feel sickened by their cruel depravity – read how Jesus came to set the captive free and not burn with the desire to release those they shamelessly purchased.  I was baffled how they could read the story of Jesus’ torture in the moments leading up to His crucifixion and not see a reflection of themselves in His tormentors.  How could this be?

While these men and women gloried in enslaving their captives, they were oblivious to the obvious – they themselves were slaves – enslaved to lust, self-seeking, worldly gain, fear, arrogance, spiritual ignorance…to name just a few.  Jesus became the very evil they committed and took it to the cross so they could be set free from the slavery of their sins.  They refused the liberty He suffered to award them.

Believers who are set free seek to lead others to freedom through Jesus Christ.

Those who remain enslaved seek to make others captive to their selfish purposes.

Which one are you?

 

Romans 6:5-6

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His (Jesus) death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Suggested Prayer

I praise you, O Lord, my Great Deliverer!  I thank You for conquering every conceivable evil – every twisted, depraved, cruel, debilitating, destructive sin with the all-consuming power of Your love – a love You demonstrated by dying in my stead on the cross.  Forgive me for seeking to take others captive : to enslave them by manipulative means born out of my unforgiveness, insecurities, covetousness, lusts, arrogance, fears, desires to have and to control.  Jesus, rescue me; deliver me; heal me – that I may experience Your resurrection power and no longer be a slave of sin!  Set me free that I may lead others to Your great Salvation!

In the name of Jesus, my Liberator, I pray…Amen

Facing Forgiveness (pt. 3)

           Forgive and Forget?  Are you serious???  I remember rolling my eyes over the age-old “forgive and forget” spiel.  I mean, come on, who can forget – really forget – a wrong done to them?  If forgetting the wrong is the conditioned result of having successfully forgiven…well, then forgiveness is impossible! 

          Paraphrasing from memory… Sue Curran, author of The Forgiving Church, has explained, ‘Forgetting an incident of injustice is not the result of true forgiveness.  But you know you have completed the process of forgiveness when you forget the pain and/or anger previously associated with the offense.’

           When you break a bone or burn your flesh, your mind may remember the incident, but your mind/body cannot later retrieve or conjure the physical pain associated with the trauma…the body forgets the pain it suffered.  Likewise, the process of submitting your hurt and anger to God through prayer regularly, coupled with the obedient act of blessing your offender scripturally, can bring your spirit to that place of blessed forgetfulness - forgetting the pain associated with the trauma of the offense.

           The same God who has cast your sin as far as the east is from the west and into the sea of forgetfulness, can empower you to forget your anguish and fury.  The same Savior who was broken for your sins so you can receive forgiveness, can heal your broken heart and restore it to a blissful forgetfulness of offense. 

Forgive and Forget?  Yeah, I am serious!

Psalm 103:12 - Micah 7:19 - Isaiah 43:25

^PsalmAs far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

^MicahHe will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. 

You will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea.

^IsaiahI, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

 

Suggested Prayer

Well, Father, I don’t think I ever imagined I would praise You for being “forgetful” – but, OH, how I do!  What a comfort it is to know You do not sit around dwelling on my former failures and nursing anger against me!  Who could survive Your wrath???  But You have declared Your glory and demonstrated it to me – that You are “gracious, longsuffering, abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands and forgiving iniquity, transgressions and sin…” (Exodus 34:6-7a)  You have cast my sin as far as the east is from the west into the depths of the sea, and have promised You will not remember my sins!  I, on the other hand, have not gloried in the blessing of forgiving others; rather, Lord, I have sought revenge:  withholding good, sneaking in back-handed comments, sabotaging offenders’ reputations, lashing out with angry words.   I have nursed my anger, and it has grown so large, I feel it’s grown out of my control!  Father, I want to be like You…gracious, longsuffering, forgiving…but forgiveness is such a struggle.  Though, at times, forgiveness seems insurmountable - let not my mind declare, “Defeat!”  Remind me how much Jesus Christ had to suffer to procure my forgiveness!  If Christ Himself had to die that I may receive forgiveness, then, Father, give me the courage and spiritual determination to die to myself that I may offer forgiveness to those who have wounded and offended me.  Transform me!  Heal me, that I may forget the pain and anger associated with the injustices I’ve suffered.  Let me Forgive and be Forgetful like You, dear Lord!

And it is in the name Jesus, my Forgetful Forgiver, I pray!  Amen

 

Facing Forgiveness (pt.2)

In the previous post, I shared that some residual unforgiveness I had held against someone resulted in me withholding kindness from the individual.  Jesus however, even while being tortured, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

            One of the reasons we struggle to forgive people who have hurt us is our real enemy, Satan, deceptively leads us to believe people are the root of the problem.  The Word exposes him as the culprit:  Ephesians 6:12 teaches, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  The enemy can use unaware people as pawns to hurt others.  You and I have to be aware of his tactics!  How can we counter his deceptions?  What is a remedy that can prevent unforgiveness before it takes root or uncurl its hook from our hearts when it has?

            The prescription is found in Scripture!  Matthew 5:44 tells us to “Love our enemies,” – but how?  It goes on to instruct us to “…bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…”  With that in mind, let’s turn the table on our real enemy and walk in love and forgiveness toward one another:

For the Father's Pleasure - Through Christ's Intercession - By the Holy Spirit's Power.

          

                                                                               

 Matthew 5:44

…Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,

and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…

 

 

Suggested Prayer

I praise You, Lord, for You declared yourself to be The Way, The Truth, and The Life!    You have led me to God the Father who has revealed Your Truth to me, and by the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit, I can experience Life – a life free from the sickness and pain of unforgiveness.  I thank You for not merely telling me what to do, but for also clearly explaining to me how to do it!  Right now I pray for ___________ who has cursed me.  I pray you would bless him/her/them with a tangible understanding of Your love for them through Jesus Christ.  Reveal to me ways I can show goodness or acts of kindness toward those who have hated me.  Would you have me feed them?  Financially assist a need?  Send them a card speaking of Your love for them?  Please, show me what to do and empower me to do it!  Weigh on my conscience until I obey Your leading!  And Father, guide my thoughts and form my words so I may pray over those who have spitefully used me and persecuted me.  May the words I utter on their behalf bring You great pleasure. 

Let me be Your great delight and the enemy’s great disappointment!         

In Jesus Name, I pray…Amen!

Facing Forgiveness (pt. 1)

            Here recently, I came to the grim reality I have not truly forgiven some people for unkind words and behaviors that have been directed at me.  I have been civil. I have been polite.  On occasion, I have even cared to see them hurting…a little.  But I recently had the opportunity to show kindness to someone who had hurt me – and I refused the chance. 

            It is so much easier to forgive people who ask for forgiveness than to forgive people who refuse to even admit they wronged you.  Nevertheless, God did not command us saying, “Forgive others – but only if they apologize for hurting you!”  In Colossians 3:13, we are commanded to forgive others as Christ forgave us.  We are to forgive others if they accidentally hurt us.  We are to forgive others if they deliberately hurt us.  And, yes, we are to forgive others even if they do not apologize for either.

            Though Jesus was innocent, He was tortured to death on the cross for your sins and for my sins.  No one apologized for stripping off His clothes; for falsely accusing Him; making fun of Him; spitting on Him; puncturing His scalp with thorns; hitting Him in the face; tearing at the flesh on His back with whips; or driving nails into His hands and feet.  And yet, immediately after being crucified on the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  In light of all He suffered because of our sins, what a small thing He asks of us to forgive others as He as forgave you and me!

                                                                                                    

 Colossians 3:12-13

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;   bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

 

Suggested Prayer

Father, I praise You for Your Word promises You are Faithful and Just to forgive us of all unrighteousness when we confess our sins.  I thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who endured the most unspeakable torment because of my sins - so I could be forgiven of those sins!  Father, I confess I have been withholding forgiveness from ____________.  By the power of the blood Jesus spilled for my sake, I pray the curse of unforgiveness would be broken in my life.  By the power of Your Holy Spirit, enable me to truly release those who have deliberately wronged me without apologies. When I am tempted to walk in unforgiveness, remind me of all You suffered for my sake.  Remind me of the ways I have continued to hurt You and yet still receive Your forgiveness.  Allow me to taste the blessing of being able to pray sincerely, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”                 

In Jesus name…Amen

The Lord Giveth...

As too many of us well know, when we experience loss – loss of a dream; loss of an ideal; or most heartbreaking, the loss of a loved one – we can often feel as though a part of us has died as well.  A vital part of us has turned to ash – turned to dust.

When those moments hit, I think of how God, our Great Creator, formed man from dust and breathed His breath of life into him.  As I write, I see some of you in my mind’s eye and pray you would invite God to breathe His breath of life into the dust of your loss and discover how He can create profound beauty from the ash of the pain you now bear.

Job experienced stunning loss – all his possessions, all his wealth, all his children – his physical well-being and his good standing in his community.  His response was, “…The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord!”  The Word records how Job remained faithful to God, and as a result, was blessed many times over.  I have experienced great loss in my life, but this I have found true over and over again: 

Yes, the Lord taketh, but

He giveth and giveth and giveth all the more!

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

 

Acts 17:24-25

God, who made the world and everything in it, since

He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not  well in temples made with hands.  

Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since

He gives to all life, breath, and all things.

 

Suggested Prayer

Breathe on me, breath of God, fill me with life anew;

that I may love what Thou dost love and do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, breath of God, until my heart is pure;

until with Thee I will one will to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God, till I am wholly Thine;

till all this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God, so shall I never die;

but live with Thee the perfect life of Thine eternity.

In Jesus name, I pray…Amen!

Hymn by Edwin Hatch & Robert Jackson