Tag: #Encouragement

Love Your Enemy

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬7 NLT

God didn’t tell us we could pick who to love. No, He sent His Son to us, Who taught us these lessons:

“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” – Matthew 22:37‭-‬39 NLT

Short and to the point. Jesus is referring to a passage in Leviticus 19, verses 9-18 when He says to love your neighbor as yourself. Read it – it may help with your understanding the point. I’ve read Bible scholars who say that Jesus is referring to fellow believers when He says ‘neighbors’; I think they should read the story of the Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. This terribly injured Jew was left for dead by robbers, and a priest and then a temple assistant passed him and left him to suffer rather than sully their hands. A Samaritan, a people despised by the Jews and who in turn hated the Jews, picked up this man, his enemy, and cared for him and provided for him. Who was the real neighbor? Certainly not the man’s fellow Jews! The Samaritan showed love to his enemy. Shouldn’t those of us who have experienced the Love of the Savior lead by example in loving our enemies; our neighbors? Both Luke and Matthew record several instances of Jesus talking about loving our enemies.

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” – Luke 6:35 NLT

Even as Jesus showed His love as He was dying, by asking God His Father to forgive those who tortured and crucified Him, so we need to forgive those who hurt us. Yes, I am all too human and know EXACTLY how difficult it is, especially when the hurt is new, or the person is completely unrepentant. In fact, I’m currently dealing with it, even as I write these words. Knowing that the LORD has forgiven me for much, I know that He expects me to forgive others the same…. and more. There are many, many scriptures that talk about forgiveness. Not forgiving, and fostering anger and hurt in my heart, doesn’t do anything to my enemy, it only harms me. The greatest thing we can do, after prayer for our enemy, is to love them. Most times it has to be done at a distance, especially if that enemy caused us physical harm, and we shouldn’t forget, lest we get into another bad situation. Forgiveness is only through Jesus Christ and His Love.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have Loved you, you should love each other. ….”If you love Me, obey My commandments.” – John 13:34; 14:15 NLT

Safe….?

“(10) The Name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe. (14) The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit? (19) An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars. (24) There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” – Proverbs 18:19‭, ‬24 NLT

A crushed spirit. That’s what happens in a relationship and a marriage when one leaves, physically or emotionally. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to study on this; too many opportunities. Currently, I find myself again feeling betrayed by a friend, a person I took at his word that he would not abandon me. A crushed spirit. Knowing a person for almost 20 years, being friends and going through good and bad times, helping each other through emotional times, doesn’t guarantee anything. I wanted to believe the best, but everyone lets down their friends at times. Why do we do this? Why make promises we know we won’t keep? Why do we lead others on, letting them believe something in error? Safe? No, there isn’t anyone on earth who is safe, who won’t disappoint you.

No matter how long or how much effort we put into the study of human behaviour, I believe we will always be disappointed, simply because we are human and full of flaws. Knowing that, studying that, doesn’t make it any easier to get past the hurt. The only way to really get past it, to find forgiveness for those who hurt us – and that includes forgiving myself for the hurt I have caused myself and others – and that way, the only way, is through Jesus Christ. Can I still forgive while being treated with disrespect and disdain? Do I want to? I study the scriptures for guidance, because I cannot find forgiveness in my heart. Instead I find sarcasm and anger flooding me, along with the hurt and the disappointment. All of those feelings come straight from the enemy, and they don’t help me at all. In fact, if I let them go, these negative thoughts and feelings can overcome and actually, physically, cause me to be ill.

With Jesus, and through the healing of the Holy Spirit, I can get through this. Study the words of Jesus for forgiveness. He taught us this: “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:15 NLT

Jesus was betrayed by a friend, a close friend who He loved, one who gave Him over to be tortured and killed in the most horrific ways know to man…. and before He died, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:34 NLT

Even while dying; beaten, bruised, and humiliated, Jesus forgave us. Are we beater than the Son of God, that we can hold judgement and unforgiveness over another person? Let the chains of hatred, unforgiveness, anger, and hurt go. Let God have it. He can handle it.

He Ain’t Heavy…..

If you were in the pop culture of 1969, you’ll remember a song that hit the charts in September by the British group the Hollies, and again in 1970 by Neil Diamond, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.” Part of it goes like this:

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We’ll get there

For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

This is just what Christ taught His followers, and they in turn taught others. It’s a message that is easy to ignore as we go about our lives, wrapped up in the drama of everyday living.

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” – Galatians 6:2‭-‬3 NLT

I don’t mind helping those who need help when I can, even though I find it really difficult accepting help for myself. The needs aren’t always financial. Many times, the best way we can help is through prayer for that person. It doesn’t seem like much, and I’ve said, along with countless others, that “All we can do is pray.” ALL we can do? It is absolutely the BEST thing we can do! God knows everything, including our deepest hurts and desires. Nothing is hidden from Him…. so why do we need to pray?

“Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?” – Job 21:15 NLT
Jesus said: “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” – Mark 11:24‭-‬25 NLT

We need to have conversations with God. The person on this earth who knows us best still wants to have conversations, so why do we think God our Creator wouldn’t want to hear from us? Sometimes we just don’t make (or have!) any sense……

You’re A Fool… Or No, It’s Me.

Will the prayer I am praying change anyone else’s life besides mine? Be careful with your words!! Am I praying for revenge on someone for hurting me, or am I thanking God for my blessings? Do I ask the LORD to bless those who have caused problems for me, or am I cursing them while asking God to bless me?

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” – Proverbs 15:1-2,4

Will Rogers said it pretty well, I thought: “It is better for some one to think you’re a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” My Mom always said “If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything.” Lately, I find myself struggling to keep my mouth shut, and harsh words regarding the most recent hurt slip out instead. Thank God I am a work in progress!

I especially like this sentence: “The soothing tongue is a tree of life…” Think about that! A tree of life. We can do more damage with our tongue than with a knife, because wounds of the spirit are difficult to heal – I know, because I lashed out for years, hurting others because of the pain I felt. I will forever have to guard my tongue in this life. There is only ONE Healer for your wounded, broken spirit, and that is Jesus Christ, the Great Physician. Through Him, and Him alone, are my wounds healed. He can bring healing to you as well, and through your healing, you can reach out to to those you have hurt. In the 12 Step programs, it’s called making amends.

  • Step Eight: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
  • Step Nine: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

In our lives, we will have to work these steps over and over. I have opportunities to ask for forgiveness. Most are graciously accepted, but there will always be those that are not accepted. I also have opportunities to forgive – and when I forgive, or struggle with forgiveness, I gain understanding of the consequences of hurt I inflict on others. In some instances, we will need much more than an apology. We need to make a physical or monetary amends in some cases. Sometimes it is impossible to forgive, and that is when I give it to the Great Physician so that He can work His healing power. Revenge for things people say and do is for GOD to deal out, not for us to do.

So be careful of your words. Even in jest, we can (and do!) hurt others.

Proverbs

PRO-VERB
ˈprävərb/
noun
plural noun: proverbs
a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice.
synonyms: saying, adage, saw, maxim, axiom, precept; words of wisdom

“The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young –
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance –
for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:1-7

Good advice, from the man called the wisest man (and also the richest!) ever to live on earth…. I began reading these, again, a few years ago while I was involved in a Christ-centered recovery program. There was a lot of emphasis for my healing on Proverbs 16:9. It kept reminding me that I am not in control of my life; that in spite of my pride and controlling attitude, my idea that “I’ll do it myself,” God was – and IS – the One in control. That’s a hard thing to acknowledge for a person who has suffered emotionally and physically at the hands of others. I had to drop the pretense that I was perfect and recognize that I wasn’t always right. This is a battle still being fought today and every day, as the enemy seeks to pull me away from my LORD, Jesus Christ.

“We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed. …. Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” – Proverbs 16:1‭-‬3‭, ‬8‭-‬9 NLT

We are all in the battle against the enemy Satan. He wants us to believe that we have it all together, that we know better than the GOD of the Universe. Sounds a little silly, especially when we consider that this amazing, all-powerful God knew us before any man even imagined our existence. He knew me in my Mother’s womb, as I was being knit together in the fabulous way He designed. ( Read all of Psalm 139, and Job 10:11). I struggle with verse 8 of Proverbs 16. America is a land of riches, and I see the people around me adding to their “stuff” on a daily basis. If you disagree, take a look outside on trash day at the full-to-bursting trash receptacles and the overflowing recycle bins. Stuff. As I grow older, I find myself yearning for a simpler life…. but I have so much “stuff” I can’t seem to let go of, so how does life get simpler? Ridiculous. Pray for me as I continue to seek the way God wants me to go, as I pray for you.

Genesis

Have you ever just sat down to read Genesis? It’s fascinating to read how everything we know of came into existence, and I love the description of the garden. Sure, the chapters of “begats” can be a little tedius, but it’s a beautifully written history text. (As is the rest of the Bible!)

“Then the LORD GOD planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there He placed the man, Adam, He had made.
The LORD GOD made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden He placed the tree of Life and the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The LORD GOD placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the LORD GOD warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” “

{Note: Adam could eat from the tree of Life, but not from ONE tree out of all the many trees, only the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One tree forbidden, and that was one too many! He and Eve had to have the fruit of that one tree. Everything surrounding Adam was beautiful and good, and he – like us – just had to have that ONE thing that is off limits. WHY do we persist on, and INSIST on, the one thing we “can’t” have???}

“Then the LORD GOD said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
So the LORD GOD formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them, and Adam chose a name for each one.
He {Adam} gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals.
But still there was no helper just right for him. So the LORD GOD caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep.
While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening.
Then the LORD GOD made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to Adam.“At last!” Adam exclaimed.
“This one is bone from my bone,
and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken from ‘man.’ “
This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.” – Genesis 2:8-22,15-25 NLT

Like Adam and Eve, we continue to push the limits, to have that thing we know is wrong. Don’t know about you, but I’m getting anxious to see Jesus and live in that breathtaking garden with Him!

“Seek the LORD while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our GOD, for He will forgive generously.” – Isaiah 55:6-7 NLT

Yes, turn to God, and let HIM do the forgiving. As humans, we are incapable of the type of forgiveness God has. We try to forgive on our own (“I can do it!”) but the best we can do is to relegate the hurt to a dark corner of our minds, where it can resurface at the most inconvenient and inopportune times. In recovery, a very common phrase is “Let go and let GOD.” Not easy, but it is necessary – it is VITAL – in order to have inner peace.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.
The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.”

“It is the same with My Word. I send it out, and it ALWAYS produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in Joy and Peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the LORD’S Name; they will be an everlasting sign of His Power and Love.” – Isaiah 55:8-13 NLT

God always provides for His children. He provides for me on a daily basis, and He is always here to support me. He doesn’t always provide our WANTS; He will always provide our NEEDS, even though we often can’t tell wants and needs apart. One day, maybe today, and maybe in a hundred years or more, Jesus will return to live on earth again. This is why we share the Gospel. He said He will return when everyone has heard His Word; His Good News. When that day comes, there will be a reformation of the earth. I can hardly wait!

Give Thanks to the LORD

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is Good! His Faithful Love endures FOREVER.” – Psalms 107:1 NLT

Read the whole chapter if you are feeling discouraged. Even better, here are some selected verses:

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is Good! His Faithful Love endures Forever. Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies. For He has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died. “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He rescued them from their distress. He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. Let them praise the LORD for His Great Love and for the wonderful things He has done for them. For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery. They rebelled against the words of GOD, scorning the counsel of the Most High. Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins. They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door. “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out His Word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land. He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there. But He also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water.” – Psalms 107:1‭-‬11‭, ‬17‭-‬20‭, ‬33‭-‬35 NLT

Where do you stand today? Things can change in a moment of time, and we can think we are standing on firm ground when we have actually stepped onto quicksand. It is OUR choices that put us on the quicksand, when we make decisions without seeking GOD’s will first, before our own; it’s when we let go of His Hand and venture out on our own. He will never let go or leave us, but we can – and do – let go of Him. Have you been a fool; in rebellion against Him and miserable in your gloom and darkness? I’ve certainty been there. I kept myself busy having “fun” so that I didn’t have to see how truly miserable and despairing I was. Read that last verse again.

“But He also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water.”

All we have to do is open our clenched fists and our closed hearts and minds to the Savior, JESUS. He will lift you out of the muck and the mire and carry you to solid ground. He will carry you until you can stand and walk again, however long it takes. The LORD may not deliver us from a financial situation, or keep us from losing a job or things, but He will be there to comfort you. I stand on that promise today as I face a very uncertain future. I know what I would like to see happen, but I have to content myself that my LORD knows the path and will lead me on it. By myself, I cannot see the way at all! Again and again,“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is Good! His Faithful Love endures Forever.” Amen.

The Day After

Did you survive the chaos? Maybe you are depressed and discouraged by all the hoopla. It’s so easy to lose our way in the aftermath of the Christmas celebrations. The adrenaline rush and the endorphin high are wearing off, and the realization that the bills will soon be streaming in is beginning to sink in. The excitement and anticipation is gone. The kids are getting bored with their presents. It’s too cold/wet/stormy/hot ( 😁 ) to send them outside to play, so they are stampeding through the house and screaming bloody murder. Schools are out until after the new year, and parents are pulling their hair in frustration.

Sound familiar?

“Listen in silence before Me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The Court is ready for your case. …. Don’t be afraid, for I AM with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I AM your GOD. I will Strengthen you and Help you. I will hold you up with My Victorious Right Hand.” – Isaiah 41:1‭, ‬10 NLT

As difficult as it is to sit still and listen, it is crucial to our well-being that we do it. We don’t have to be in a great cathedral, or even a simple, humble little chapel. To escape the noise, it might have to be in a closet with the door closed, and part of your prayer could be that the house is still standing and in one piece when you come out. Take a few minutes today, and tomorrow, and the next day, Ad Infinitum…. We need the proclivity to continue this practice. I believe that after a few days of spending quiet prayer time with the LORD, you will feel bereft if you try to go through a day without it. The best resolution we can make is to carve out a few minutes of every day to spend with Him. You don’t need any accoutrements, or any specific place. You just need Jesus, and He will do as He promised. He will never leave us to make it on our own, unlike any human man or woman.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Campbell in Big Sur, CA.

Let Heaven and Nature Sing

“For this is how GOD Loved the world: He gave His ONE and ONLY Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have Eternal Life. GOD sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. …. And the judgment is based on this fact: GOD’s Light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the Light, for their actions were evil.” – John 3:16‭-‬17‭, ‬19 NLT

Incomprehensible. That’s the best word I can conjure up to explain how I see this.

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him IMMANUEL, which means ‘GOD is with us.’” When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the LORD commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.” – Matthew 1.23-25.NLT

Miraculous, no matter what you think. GOD, Creator, Almighty Jehovah, Yahweh….. left everything to be born into a human family. He went from a place of unimaginable wealth and comfort, to be laid in a manager full of straw, in a stable full of animals. Know any really wealthy people? I do, and the thought of any one of them giving up one of their children to be laid in a stable and raised in poverty….. well, it’s beyond my imagination. They just wouldn’t do it, yet the GOD Who owns the entire universe, the earth, moon, sun, and ALL of the planets and stars, put His Son, His ONLY Son, in just that place. See, it’s incomprehensible. Almost unimaginable, but true.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday, JESUS!!