What Walls Have You Built?

“Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

As I read a post from a friend about her daddy bringing her coffee, I recalled my father’s love for the drink. That, of course, made me think about His many quotes and statements. How many times I’ve heard him quote to me as a youth, “Two wrongs don’t make a right”. The phrase simply means that it is never right to wrong someone, even if they have wronged you first.

From school yards to church pews, we’ve all had occasions to be wronged. When we’re little it could be a parent or teacher or schoolmate that we feel rejected by. We aren’t always the darlings of the rodeo, the first picked or the blue ribbon winners. We hold those little offenses in our hearts and keep them tucked away. The wall starts to be built that we think will keep us safe. Later on, it’s more mature things like relationships, fellowships and friendships in work in marriage in life. More rejection happens which breeds more offenses, whether it’s intentional or not. A higher wall is built to keep ourselves a little safer. We attend church and we want to fit in, but everyone doesn’t. Square pegs trying to fit in round holes causes more hurts when the fit won’t work. The preacher gives a message on sin and we think he points his finger right at us. Someone rejects you. Friends quit you. Spouses quit loving you. You can fill in the blank with your own hurts and anguish.

Pretty soon we’re full of offenses and the wall is all the way around us. Trouble is that wall that was keeping you safe has now fenced you in. You are now a captive of your own circumstances. What will you do? How will you live? Are you content to live in the shadow of your hurts, fears and isolationism?

God speaks to our hearts: I know every hurt you have ever experienced. I know every person who ever rejected you for anything. I knew you before you were born and you were never meant to build a wall around yourself. I knew what would happen, but I had a plan. I AM the plan. If you will let me, I will remove the wall you have so carefully build and you will see that the view is not about your hurts but rather about My plans. The shortsighted life you are now living will only continue to hurt and hide you. You may be out in public but the wall of offense will keep you from truly shining My light. You will never know real freedom until you let Me set you free.

Oh beloved, whatever it is that has held you captive in hurt, rejection, offense and fear you can let it go! In fact, you cannot hold onto the Father and hold onto those things at the same time. Whatever someone else has done, the Father will take care of you. His abilities are not shortened by others’ hands. In fact, even in the pain there is God’s plan for you. Jesus is with you now to help you remove the shackles and live in His liberty. He came to ransom you from everything that holds you back. As deep as the hurts are, let Him remove them today. That wall you built is no longer going to hold you prisoner. You will no longer walk in hurts but you will walk in forgiveness. You are an overcomer, a valiant child of God and the Light He shines on you will now be shining through you as you live in the Light of His Word. There may still be pain and hurts that come your way, but God can handle them for you. Walking in freedom means you give those hurts to Christ and He removes them. You cannot change the past by holding onto it. But you can change your future by letting the walls crumble around you. What a view of victory, love, joy and peace are yours as you let God do what only He can do.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth living free all the days of your life! As you reconcile yourself to God’s will, as you let Christ set you free and as you let the Holy Spirit do His work in you and for you, you will see it all work out for your good and God’s glory.

Luke 23:34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

Isaiah 44:22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to Me, for I have paid the price to set you free. NLT

I Peter 2:23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]… Amplified

2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

How Do You Deal with the Impacts of Life?

Back in the day most car insurance companies had a natural disaster ruling. For Arkansas this applied to hitting a deer on the highway. You can’t help where a deer jumps out at you. Many people have had terrible accidents while swerving to miss those deer, or any animal that comes into the highway in front of them.

I remember the time I was riding with Diona and Blake in her car. He was very little. We were crossing a bridge near the house and a huge buck jumped out right in front of us. She grabbed the steering wheel and held on with both hands. Boom! That deer hit the front of the car. There was a lot of damage to the car to be sure. But we were safe. Because my daughter held her ground and didn’t swerve as a reaction to the oncoming animal, the impact was rather light for us in the car. Had she swerved we would have surely hit the bridge abutment or gone off into the deep ravine on either side of the bridge.  Thankfully she had insurance and her car was fixed. She reacted correctly and we inside the car were fine.

Life is full of things that we aren’t expecting. We can be going along enjoying our life when suddenly out of nowhere we are hit with disaster.  Our first inclination is to swerve! We don’t want the impact. We don’t want to be involved in the situation at all. We want to avoid it at all costs. While we don’t get to choose everything that happens to us, we do get to choose how to react to it. If we can just remember that God is going before us, then we know ultimately He sees the entire situation and what is happening to us. We can then hang on, knowing the impact won’t affect us inside. The outward man may feel crushed or totaled but the inward person will rest in the promises of God.

What do we do then, when out of nowhere we get disastrous news? What happens when we’re hit with rejection or sorrow or dishonor or pain? What happens when we’re lied about or lied to? What if someone isn’t a person of their word and we’re involved in a collision between the truth and a lie?

Oh beloved, you hang on! Hold your ground against the onslaught of the enemy. Hang tight to God’s Word no matter what you are seeing with your natural eyes. Your heart may say you’re done for, but the Word of God says no weapon formed against you will prosper.  Your eyes will deceive you. But God’s Word is true. All the Bible, God breathed from beginning to end, is there for your comfort and safety. It is your insurance policy against damage you cannot overcome. Without God you are sure to swerve and land in the ditch. You may then think you are finally safe, but you’re not. Only by holding onto God and going through the situation will you find yourself unscathed.

The Word of God is your history lesson on how to deal with impacts of life. From the three men in the fiery furnace to Joseph, Gideon, Ruth, Habakkuk and all the others in Hebrews’ roll call of faith, we see God’s hand over the lives of those in disaster.  They stood fast and did not waver at God’s promises, and so can you beloved!  Lean in close to God’s Word, spend time in communication with the Lord and hang on! You will make it through and be blessed beyond measure as you see that no disaster meant to grieve you or get you off your road of faith will succeed. You are a winner and you don’t have to veer off from anything knowing that God loves you and He’s for you no matter what comes your way.

Psalm 91:5-6 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.   Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Psalm 26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity; I have [expectantly] trusted in, leaned on, and relied on the Lord without wavering and I shall not slide. AMP

Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.

Philippians 3:16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. NLT

Philippians 4:7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Are You Encountering Locked Doors?

I stayed up late by myself the other night. I discovered the Ya Ya Sisterhood movie was on so of course I had to watch it. One of my favorite scenes, though it is quite sorrowful, is where the wife tries to go in at night to see her husband and finds the door to his room locked.  Hope springs in my heart that she tries the door, every single time I watch it. And then sorrow leaps to my throat as I remember he has locked it.

Last night we had the three little visitors staying over with us. You may remember that this means we must well lock all exits so our wanderer, Caleb, will not leave for home if he wakes up in the middle of the night. 

Every night, even if Danny and I are alone, one or the other of us goes through the house to make sure all doors are locked. Sometimes I even lock our bedroom door when I go to bed. Even though I know I am safe with my husband I like knowing we are securely sequestered.

God speaks to my heart and maybe He is speaking to yours as well. Precious one. You have encountered locked doors you did not choose. They often appeared to be a source of sorrow and rejection to you. Yet when you look back over the years, you see that My hand was at every door.  Think back to the times when you wanted to go through a door and could not. Where would you be had I not stood in the way? For you see, I AM the doorkeeper. No other is able to open or close doors.  People will reject you, disappoint you and overlook you. Circumstances will seem to work against you, cause you pain and give you grief. But I AM in charge. I AM the one who walks through the hallways of your life and keeps it all secure. While you may feel you have been denied, it is actually that you have been saved from harm every single time. It’s true, not everyone is trustworthy and not everyone is walking in a Christlike way, but I AM the One who decides your fate every single time.  

Oh beloved, as you stand at the end of one year and the threshold of another, don’t you think it’s time to quit trying to jimmy the deadbolts of life?  Quit standing at the locked doors trying to force your way through. You may not be able to trust another single soul, but you can always trust God. He knows what you need, He knows what’s ahead and He knows that His will is your only open door. Walk freely into His blessings, His plans and His source of joy. You may not know right now the reason or purpose for the locks, but you are securely sequestered in God’s unfailing love and incredible care. He loves you and He’s for you so you can rest in His promises knowing that every door you need to go through will be wide open for you and no one, absolutely no one, will be able to shut you away from those open doors that are ordained by God Most High.

 Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ.

Revelation 3:8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will work out His plans for my life— for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.  Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

Psalm 57:2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.

A Life Wrapped Up in Jesus

There are a lot of gift exchanges going on. From office parties to church events, everyone is scrambling to find just the right thing for their occasion.  Even the dirty Santa get-togethers require bringing a good gift, because seeing it swapped around the room lets you know you succeeded.

For years I made homemade bows and turned them into butterflies and angels and such. I’ll admit the last few  years has made me rethink spending so much time on that. Now I just try to find big bows and quickly slap them on the package. I have already gotten a couple of gifts and one was wrapped extra nice. It just looked great and because it had a store tag on it, I knew it would be good.

Upon opening the package I found that the contents were broken. It was sitting there so pretty in the beautifully wrapped package I had just opened, but as I slipped my hand in to lift the gift out, only a piece of it lifted up. No problem. The giver did a really good job and I loved my present. It didn’t take long to make things right and the replacement was perfectly together.

Our lives are often like the beautifully wrapped presents under the tree. We’re done just right. Everything in order. Beautiful paper, perfectly formed bow, just the right tag and our life is perfectly presentable. No one knows what the contents are, but the cover is par excellence.  Our exterior is put together in all the right ways. But open the package and peer beneath the veneer and some are terribly broken. Quickly we want to recover the package and make it look good, but inside it’s just broken.  The beautiful covering can’t change what’s inside.

Oh beloved, God sees beneath the wrapping. He knows you. He’s well aware that inside you are suffering with a broken heart. It may be the loss of a loved one to death. It may be the loss of love due to another’s change of heart. It could be that your insides are full of regrets, fears, worries, troubles and agony.  You’ve done a good job of keeping up appearances for appearance’s sake but Jesus wants to get inside. He wants to probe all the brokenness. You want to hide it all. You haven’t dared tell anyone just how broken things really are, but God already knows. And Christ came on that beautiful starlit night to fix you. He is the Repairer of broken things. And He wants to repair your heart and mind and then display you for all the world to see His wonderful workmanship.

If you will let Him He will not just repair it all, but He will make it all new. I know it’s hard to believe right now, when you’re hurting and weary and wondering what you will do. But He promises. He says He loves you and that’s why He’s willing to mend your broken heart, heal your hurting mind and redeem your soul.  He’s for you and that’s why you can trust Him with the deepest contents of your heart.  Even the hardest of times, the broken moments, will show His glory as you are His most beloved child.  He will never leave you with a broken heart, no more than a parent would leave their child with a broken present. Then He will wrap you up in Him and guard your heart and mind forever.

A life wrapped up in Jesus is the most beautiful life you’ll ever live and that’s all that really matters as you let Him make your life just right inside and out.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.

Matthew 6:30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Jeremiah 17:4 Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, For You are my praise.

Malachi 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

A Cure for Heart Ailments is Available!

One of our friends recently broke his ankle. While being x-rayed, his wife, working in the field of heart technology, noticed some plaque in the veins of his foot.  This led to him having an arteriogram to make sure his heart had no significant blockage. Had he not had a broken foot, they would not have found the plaque, which could have led to much more serious problems down the road. Upon testing, it was found that he had no significant problems that required stints or open heart surgery. Another of our friends arrived home from the hospital yesterday, after having bypass surgery because they did find significant problems. Either of these friends could have had real problems had they not been checked out. On the outside you could not tell that either of them had any problems at all, but inside, where you cannot see without special equipment, there were some problems.   

Everyone has heart problems of some kind. We’ve either been hurt, rejected, discarded or misunderstood. Some folks hold those problems deep in their heart for years. On the outside it all seems fine, but a circumstance or situation could cause the problem to flare up.  Sometimes it seems like the same hurts come up over and over again, so that the problem becomes very hurtful. Without the proper equipment and the right person taking care of it, hurt and rejection can cause much damage.

But the Lord is our Great Physician. He sees inside the heart, where no one else can see. Many times we don’t even know there’s a hurt or pain inside, but God does. His desire is that we be healed of those pains and problems. He never intends that we walk around with the rejection and depression of heart issues.  Unlike true heart patients, who sometimes have damage beyond repair, with the Lord no issue of the heart is beyond His healing touch.  He will heal us of all the pain and agony, if we let Him in completely.

I know so many of you are hurting this morning. You woke up with the same pain you went to bed with last night. You’ve tried to forgive, wash it out of your mind, replace it with other things and more.  You’ve avoided certain people, situations and things. Still the agony of Unforgiveness, rejection, fear, sorrow or accusations touches your heart daily.  You want to crawl into a hole and leave the world alone, but that won’t solve the problems of the heart either. Unless you let the Lord in to examine the depths of the problem and give those problems to Him you are destined to continue to live less than full capacity in the Lord.

Oh beloved, make an appointment with your Heart Healer this morning. Right now He is available, His calendar is free.  He has been wooing you to come to Him and waiting for you with a complete healing of the heart! This touch from God is freely given and permanently healed. Won’t you look into His Word and let Him touch your heart and give you the freedom you so greatly want and need? With God’s touch you will be able to run through the trials of life and stay strong and vibrant. He is your Healer and He says to you this morning, I AM the Lord that heals you. I AM the One who has all the answers. I AM your answer and your strength and your joy. If you will let Me, I will restore the hurts and cause you great joy. If you will sit with Me and take My medication, the Word of God, I will do more than you can ever imagine. I love you so much that I gave my Son on the cross to heal you completely. I am for you, so that your heart issues can be relieved as you live in the Light of My Word!

Take it all to Jesus! He will answer you, He will heal you and He will give you new strength and purpose to live for Him!

Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Psalm 62:8 O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

Psalm 107:20 He sent out His word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.

It's Your Greatest Love Story!

Today is a celebration of love day. All over the country people are paying respects to those they love. From tiny little paper cards in Kindergarten to a dozen roses and boxes of chocolates, everyone has the opportunity to feel special and loved on this one day alone.  I usually get a little tickled because if I wait too long to get that special card for my beloved, all the husband cards are about gone! But still, it’s a great day to celebrate love and to give something special to one who means so much to you.

The only problem with Valentine’s Day is the some folks get left totally out of the whole love thing. It costs money so the ones who have to count every penny would just as soon leave it alone.  It costs time so the ones who are overcommitted find very little time to get a card for anyone.  It costs feelings for it’s really hard to buy a card or get flowers or give a heartfelt gift to someone when you’re holding things against them.

I’ve been on the receiving end of roses, candy, cards and more! I still have a dozen roses in a long white box in my cedar chest! No kidding!  I’ve kept them for 40 years because I love the one who gave them to me.

I’ve also been on the receiving end of unforgiveness and rejection. No love lost there. I’ve had problems and issues and dealings with unloving, critical, harsh and unforgiving people. I’ve also wanted to be unloving, critical, harsh and unforgiving.  I’ve even had problems forgiving myself. Can you relate beloved?

But every time I look at situations that are out of my control and hurts that make me want to cringe and climb into the closet of life to stay there forever, I look into the mirror. There I see Christ. I see my hurts and rejection taken on by Him as He stood in Pilate’s court while those who had promised to love Him forever cried, “Crucify!”  And I see Him walking up the Calvary’s hill, dragging my sins all the way- such a heavy load.  There in the mirror of His Word I see hope – hope for me, hope for those I love, hope for the unlovable, hope for the lost – as Christ Himself rose again! I can forgive, I can be forgiven, I can walk in newness of life as His mercies are renewed every morning!

Oh beloved, open up your heart and run to the only One Who will ever love you unconditionally, without reservation. He holds none of your mistakes against you; He holds back nothing of His nature, His love, His compassion, His forgiveness from you. Because He is Love! And because He is Love, He will be with you forever, even unto the end of the age! Not only that, but He will help you forgive, heal you of your hurts, give you everything you need and get you through it all.

Hide your soul in the depths of His love this morning! Read the greatest Love story ever written, contained in God’s Word for it’s all about you and the Savior! Hold His Words close to your heart and dance with your Beloved in fields of Grace! And have a blessed, blessed day in Jesus!

 

Ephesians 2:4-5  But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ. (Amplified Bible)

I John 4:9-11 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

Romans 5:2-5 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of 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.

Feeling Rejected? Never Fear God will Always Be With You!

Danny and I were sharing things about our life with friends last week. He said, “We would have gotten married immediately if she’d been more than 16!”  It blessed my heart to know that he felt that way.  Those words were spoken because of love. The love he has for me is different from banana nut bread love or sci-fi movie love. He loves both of those! But he LOVES me.  I am set apart from any other love he has. He took me as his own and I took his name as mine.  He made a home and brought me to it.  Everything he owned became mine too. There was no question.  He never said, “no that’s mine” or “you can’t have that” or “don’t touch it”.  Rather he gave it all freely to me.  Because he loves me , he’s never taken one thing back.  Still freely given.  To this day. As he said that day so long ago, “From this day forward…” To experience true love, real love, is quite amazing. To know that a person would give themselves so completely to you is astounding. I didn’t bring a dowry, I didn’t own a thing. I had nothing to bring into the marriage but me and yet that was enough for Danny.  

I know that you may have experienced rejection at the hand of one you loved, or the hand of a family member, a boss or a spiritual leader. Rejection hits at the core of our being. It says to the one who is rejected, you are not good enough, you are a problem, you caused this…and more. You may be dealing with the rejection of a friend who you thought would be there forever. Rejection can come in the form of denial, denunciation or dismissal. It can come privately or publicly.  Rejection could be recent and feeling like a fresh cut needing stitches or it could be a festering wound from childhood.  You may find sorrow in the rejection but you can find joy in the fact that you are betrothed to the One Who will never leave you or forsake you!

Oh beloved, how God loves you! He has called you to be His own. He has set you apart for His purpose.  He has a Home reserved just for you and He will take you there. In the meantime your home is His heart! Everything, yes, everything is yours, In Him. His Word is full of the blessings of the bride of Christ. As a bride you have been made complete, you are given the keys to the Kingdom and your future is totally secure.   Run to His Word and read your Marriage Certificate! It’s signed and sealed by the Blood of the Lamb! No force on earth can block it, no spirit in the air can quench it and no foe can defeat it! Halleujah to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Isaiah 54:5 “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.

Ephesians 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

Ezekial 16:60 Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Psalm 118:29  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever

Psalm 94:14 The LORD will not reject His people;  He will not abandon His special possession.