“Godβs blessings are often unfolding right in front of us before we even realise it… Sometimes God is quietly writing the next chapter while weβre simply living the moment.” Steve Rebus, iChristian blog
This quote was a message to me from Steve Rebus. It is profound. God is working His plans, even when we have no earthly idea He is doing it! For more explanation, see my post, Count Your Blessings! Updated.
“For I know the plans I have for you,β declares theΒ Lord. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Let us thank Him not only for what we can see, but also for what He is doing that is unseen!
The Prophet Joel prophesies that God will judge the nations for scattering His covenant people and dividing up His land.
“TheΒ LordΒ will roarΒ from Zion Β Β Β Β and thunder from Jerusalem; Β Β Β Β the earth and the heavens will tremble. But theΒ LordΒ will be a refugeΒ for his people, Β Β Β Β a strongholdΒ for the people of Israel.
Β βThen you will knowΒ that I, theΒ LordΒ your God, Β Β Β Β dwell in Zion,Β my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; Β Β Β Β never again will foreigners invade her.
Β βIn that day the mountains will drip new wine, Β Β Β Β and the hills will flow with milk; Β Β Β Β all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of theΒ Lordβs house Β Β Β Β and will water the valley of acacias. Β But EgyptΒ will be desolate, Β Β Β Β EdomΒ a desert waste, because of violenceΒ done to the people of Judah, Β Β Β Β in whose land they shed innocent blood. Β Judah will be inhabited forever Β Β Β Β and Jerusalem through all generations. Β Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged? Β Β Β Β No, I will not.β
TheΒ LordΒ dwells in Zion!” Joel 3:16-21 NIV (emphasis mine)
“May theΒ LordΒ repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by theΒ Lord,Β the God of Israel,Β under whose wingsΒ you have come to take refuge.β Ruth 2:12 NIV
For too many women, their past has dealt a cruel blow. I know women who have been betrayed, rejected, abused, and/or traumatized in terrible ways. One doesn’t just get over it and move on easily. The abuse may have affected her whole personality. Abuse can do that.
Step Up for Mental Health states, “Women who endure physical or emotional abuse tend to suffer from … post-traumatic stress (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts.”
Some of the effects of trauma include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and intrusive thoughts.
But let me move on to the good news. The Good Shepherd restores my soul. That’s what Psalm 23:3 tells me.
“He restoreth my soul.”
The Hebrew word for restore is sub. It means to recover, to bring back, to restore.
To restore means to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition; to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor;
Have you ever had a piece of antique furniture restored? When you pick it up, it’s been restored to its original condition. No more scratches, no dull finish. It’s been restored to its original beauty!
The Hebrew word for soul is nepes. It refers to the life, the soul, the seat of emotion and desire.
We are not warped forever because of what may have been done to us in the past. God says He restores our soul. He will restore our soul to what it should be. He will heal our soul from the effects of past hurts, abuse, wrongs, trauma, and pain.
If you have endured abuse of any kind, you have likely read about how it can affect you. You may have read about depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. You may even think of yourself as damaged goods. So now what?
Now it’s time to let your Father God begin the work of restoring your soul. Trust Him to do it. He loves you. Whether it is in this life or in Heaven, I do not know. I only know He will do it.
In the meantime, He will use those past hurts to help others. You will have a compassionate heart that understands like no one else.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Β the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,Β who comforts usΒ in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
My prayer is that you will allow God to heal your hurts and pain, and restore your soul. If you have never memorized the 23rd Psalm, consider doing it now. It will be a healing balm to your soul.
“I will establish my covenantΒ as an everlasting covenantΒ between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your GodΒ and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)
The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians, saying, “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpentβs cunning,Β your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.Β For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,Β or if you receive a different spiritΒ from the Spirit you received, or a different gospelΒ from the one you accepted, you put up with itΒ easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 NIV
Do we do the same thing today as the Jews did 2000 years ago? Do we think that Jesus is a means to earthly treasures? Do we think it’s all about this present life instead of what awaits us in eternity?
When Jesus came to Earth, the Jews rejected Him because they expected a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman Empire and fix all their problems. They didn’t expect a gentle and meek Savior who would eat with sinners, teach love and forgiveness, and die on a cross.
The Messiah didn’t solve all their earthly problems. In fact, His followers were persecuted like He was. So why did He come?
βJust as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.β Matt.20:28
“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:14 NIV
Do we think Jesus came to give us financial prosperity? The Bible says that those who think that godliness is a means to financial gain have a corrupt mind and have been robbed of the truth.
“These are the things you are to teach and insist on.If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicionsand constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:2-7 NIV (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
We must not become so consumed with what we think we need, following Him because of what He might do for us in this life, that we forget to follow Him just because of who He is.
βYou are a king, then!β said Pilate. Jesus answered, βYou are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.β John 18:37
Jesus came to free all people from the chains of spiritual darkness. Those who walk and live in darkness are most vulnerable to the enemy’s lies and deception. That is a dangerous place to live! (Think about the most ridiculous lies people believe in the world today.) Why do they believe such outrageous lies? Because they live in darkness.
Jesus said, βI amΒ the light of the world.Β Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.β John 6:12
βThen the King will say to those on his right, βCome, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.β Matthew 25:34-36 NIV
Over 25,000 comments have been posted to this YouTube video. I encourage you to read some of them on the YouTube channel.
Many people in prison are looking for answers.
Share Jesus with them or pray for those who do.
In His Love, Cindy
“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.β Harvey Stalker
Rejection wounds the heart like no other sword. If you have been rejected by someone you love, you know what I’m talking about. This wound can take a long time to heal. But healing will come. David knew where to turn. He wrote,
“When my father and my mother forsake me, Then theΒ LordΒ will take care of me.” Psalm 27:10 NKJV
David was rejected by his family. His father didn’t even invite him to meet the Prophet Samuel when he came to anoint the next king. All of David’s brothers were there, but David was not included. (1 Samuel 16)
Davidβs own son, Absalom, whom he dearly loved, conspired to take the kingdom away from David. (2 Samuel 15)
There are more examples of David facing the pain of rejection, but the one that speaks the loudest is the rejection of Jesus, the Messiah.
“He was despised and rejected by mankind, Β Β Β Β a man of suffering,Β and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hideΒ their faces Β Β Β Β he was despised,Β and we held him in low esteem.” Isaiah 53:3 NIV
When we face rejection, we crave the comfort of someone who understands. That person is Jesus. We are never alone in our suffering.
βYou may not be intellectual or well thought of in your family circle; you may be despised by others for your faith in Christ. Perhaps you had only a little share in the love of your parents, as David did. But remember that those who are rejected of men often become beloved of the Lord.βAlan Redpath.
I have felt the pain of rejection more than once in my life, but I know Who understands and heals my heart.
In His Love, Cindy
“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.β Harvey Stalker
Do you see others the way Jesus sees them? After you read this story, you may change your answer.
As I waited for my daughter in the Walgreens parking lot, I noticed a young man walking up and down the busy street carrying a sign that said, “Homeless”. I tried to dismiss the idea of talking to him, thinking my daughter would walk out of the store any minute.
But she didn’t. I kept waiting, and finally, I grabbed a $5 bill out of my purse and stepped out of my car to talk to him. I asked him if he was from around here. He wasn’t. I asked him about his parents. He said his father was deceased and his mother wouldn’t have anything to do with him because of drugs. I asked him what brought him to town, and he said he was here for the methadone clinic. I gave him the $5 and told him I would be praying for him. He seemed very grateful. His name is Michael.
I rarely do this kind of thing. I give to the poor through other means. The thing is, I can’t get Michael out of my mind. God keeps reminding me to pray for him. I don’t know what makes him special; I just know that I’m supposed to pray for him. I may never see him again, but if I do, I trust God to help me know what to say and do.
The next day, I ran across the following story, and it made me think about Michael in a completely different way.
As a man explored caves by the seashore, he found a canvas bag full of hardened clay balls. Apparently, someone had rolled the clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn’t look like much, but intrigued, the man took the bag.
As he strolled along the beach, he threw the balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it until he dropped one and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!
Delighted, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each one contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so balls he had left.
Then it struck him. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 balls with their hidden treasure out into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!
This story made me think. Michael is like one of the clay balls. He doesn’t look like much on the outside, but there is treasure on the inside for the simple reason that he is loved by God. And God has a purpose for his life. We can look at someone and think we see all there is to see. But the truth is, there is always a lot more that we don’t see.
I pray that this story will change the way we see others, making us more approachable so that we can better love like Jesus. Because isn’t judging what makes us unapproachable? It’s something to think about……
May we be transformed!
“Donβt copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know Godβs will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLT
βThe King will reply, βTruly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.β” Matthew 25:40 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.β Harvey Stalker
“To diminish the value of one category of human life is to diminish us all. Slavery, which treated Blacks as something less than human, to be bought and sold if convenient, cheapened human life and mocked our dedication to the freedom and equality of all men and women. Can we say that abortion — which treats the unborn as something less than human, to be destroyed if convenient — will be less corrosive to the values we hold dear?” President Ronald Reagan
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” Proverbs 31:8-9 NLT
Not that long ago, we could not have imagined that the world would demand the right to kill their babies. Do not be afraid to speak up for their right to live.
In His Love, Cindy
“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.β Harvey Stalker
“Cast all your anxiety on himΒ because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NIV
“So do not fear,Β for I am with you; Β Β Β Β do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthenΒ you and helpΒ you; Β Β Β Β I will uphold youΒ with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV
βThe beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.β βΒ George Muller
“George Mueller was a Christian evangelist and director of the Orphanage at Ashley Downs in Bristol, England during the 1800s. He is best remembered for his complete trust in God’s provision, never soliciting the community for financial donations nor accepting any government support. With this unique dependence on unsolicited gifts, his institution is estimated to have received and disbursed over Β£113 million in today’s money by the time of Mueller’s death.” CompellingTruth.org
Note: That would be over $151,453,900!
In His Love, Cindy
“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.β Harvey Stalker
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