Category Archives: Healed Heart

Forgiveness: Clean Out Your Filing Cabinet

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“Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32

No matter who you are or how long you have been a Christian, you will still have times when you get hurt and offended.  As a Christian, the goal is to learn how to deal with hurts properly.

Learning to respond instead of reacting is the key.  If you have been hurt in the same way before, then it will be easier to take on the offense and react.  The reaction will be based on a combination of the present hurt and the past hurts as well.  If you have learned to forgive when hurtful things happen instead of being offended, you will be able to respond correctly.  Forgiveness therefore, must become a way of life in order to be able to respond in a Christ-like manner no matter what the situation is.

The problem is that your soul has a filing cabinet where past hurts and offenses are stored that have not been dealt with properly. This is why when someone does something that hurts you; you will suddenly remember how many times they have done the same thing before.

The only way to be free from past hurts is to forgive. Ask the Lord to help you forgive. Forgiveness is releasing the person who hurt you, and releasing your right to hold the offense against them any longer. Forgiveness is not saying that what they did was not wrong; forgiveness is releasing them to God. You will not be free from the pain caused by the offense until you release the offender. Once you forgive them, your filing cabinet will be cleaned out and you can begin to deal with hurts on a daily basis instead of letting things pile up.

Forgiveness is releasing our right to demand payment for sins against us by surrendering to God and letting Him be the judge and jury.

God is the Destiny Developer

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“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

God has given the wonderful privilege to parents to train up their children in the way they should go. “Train up the child in the way they should go” requires the parent to be observant of the child. They should look at how God has gifted each child, see what their unique characteristics are, and then train them up accordingly.

A child is given identity through their parent’s encouragement and affirmation.  An adult who struggles with identity has most likely not had positive input from their parents.  It is the father who draws a child’s spirit to life.  His affirmation will give the child the confidence that they can accomplish great things.  It is the parent’s responsibility to help their children discover their identity.  Parents who do not help their children discover who they are will send them out into the world seeking the answer to this question.  The world’s answer to who you are is always based on performance.  The world says you are what you achieve.  Destiny is determined by God.

Many times the destiny of a person is written before birth.  There are many examples in the Word where God revealed to the parents the destiny of their children.  Mary was told that her son Jesus would be the Savior of the world. Hannah knew that her son Samuel was called to be a prophet, and she took him to live in the temple with Eli.

David also saw his son Solomon’s destiny.  God told him that his son, Solomon, would be the one who would build the temple.  Many parents today have the same awesome responsibility to call their children into their destiny.  David affirmed his son publicly.  Jesus was also affirmed by God publicly.  At his baptism God said, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.”

Destiny developer:
God is the destiny developer.  What He has called you to do; He will equip you to do.  Over time, as you experience His hand of mercy and grace, He will deposit into you the strength of character to carry out what He has called you to do.  What He has begun in you, He will complete.

Destiny “Distracters”:
There are many destiny distracters.  We know the distracters are the things in life that get us off track.  These are the things that we do that lead us in another direction.

Some Christians get easily turned away from their calling by pursuing their own grievances and enemies.  This will ultimately turn the direction of their life completely around from pursuing God’s high calling to their own cause. This distraction can keep one pulled into a whirlwind for many years.
Another distraction is believing the lies of the enemy.  Satan is the father of lies, and he plants lies in you so you doubt that you even have a destiny.
Fear is another distracter.  You will fear that you cannot do what God has called you to do, and then give up.

Be a Destiny Searcher

Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God; Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

Ask God to reveal your destiny. He is the destiny establisher. Submit yourself to the Lord; He is the destiny developer. Resist the enemy; he is the destiny distracter.

Who Are You?

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You may look to your place of birth and the family you grew up in to find out who you are.  Whether you were born into a rich home, or born into poverty, it doesn’t really matter. Your family background does not define who you are. Your family background is simply the ground in which you were planted. This is why we are referred to as “Oaks of Righteousness” in Isaiah 61. Now, who are you?

As a little girl, I would go to visit my grandfather every summer. He lived in a big beautiful home in the mountains, a stately mansion with two boxwood trees as an archway you passed through at the entrance. As our car traveled up the winding road I felt my excitement rising. I felt like I was going to see the most important man, a statesman, a King. My grandfather was that impressive to me. He was very wise, kind, and I admired him and loved to visit with him. He enjoyed having company, and if he knew we were coming, he would stand on the porch watching for us to arrive. A visit with him in his big, white, stately house made me feel like I was somebody special. If he was important, then I must be somebody important too.

A number of years ago I traveled up the same winding road, but this time everything was different.  My grandfather was gone and the excitement of seeing him standing on the porch was no longer felt. It had been almost ten years since I had seen the old home and walked up the steps of the big house where he lived. The same road that, as a child seemed to go on forever, was actually just a little “one lane” gravel road. As the house came into view, I realized it was also different than what I remembered. What a shock!  The big mansion on the mountain was so little; just a farm house sitting on the side of a hill.

This experience began a journey for me that I now titled: “The Journey From the Little House to the Big House”. It is a teaching on how we travel from our family of origin to find who we really are. I began this journey that day, searching for my true identity, worth, and purpose in life. If my grandfather wasn’t really a statesman living in a mansion, then who was I? If he was just a farmer in a little farmhouse, as his granddaughter, who am I?

Even within the same family, each person must discover their true identity apart from their family. Our true identity is not earthly it is heavenly. We were God’s plan in the first place. God created each of us differently, as a unique expression of his handiwork. Our life is a beautiful, hand woven tapestry with thousands of stitches all carefully placed in a design. Early in life, our tapestry is a lot of different colored threads. However, as time goes on and we lay our life into the Father’s hands, He gently weaves the threads of our life together and a beautiful tapestry is revealed. Each tapestry God weaves is a “one of a kind” and He has a different purpose in mind for each unique design. When you finally find out who God says you are, you are a tapestry to be used in His house. God’s house, His kingdom on earth; is the “Big House.” It is a dwelling place of peace, as you embrace and live in who He says you are. He loves what He creates; He has a plan and purpose for each unique creation.

For me, those wonderful days at my grandfather’s house planted a desire in me to find the “Big House”. I have found it, and it is grand. Now I know I am somebody special, because I know who He says I am.

I Am Safe Under the Shadow of His Wings

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Keep me as the apple of thy eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, Psalm 17:8

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his trust shall be thy shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4

We all can benefit greatly from experiencing the hidden side of life.  There are times in our lives when He takes us up and hides us.  He takes us up at a time when He knows we are tired and weary.

If you are a person who is committed to serving others, either your family or others in ministry, you will get tired. You may need a place and time to rest.  You may need a hidden place, where no one can pull you away to serve. You may have had enough of the hurried pace of life, you may need to hear what God spoke to Elijah, “Get the hence, and turn eastward, hide thyself by the brook Cherith…”(1Kings 17:3).

As Elijah did as the Lord said, his needs were provided for. He had bread and flesh to eat in the morning and evening and water to drink out of the brook. You may need a place like Elijah had where God will feed you and refresh you. Elijah hid in the ravine, a place of total peace and solitude, from which the crowds are turned away.

Our Lord Himself went through His ravine in Nazareth, in the wilderness of Judea, amid the olive trees of Bethany and in the solitude of the city of Gadara. So none are exempt from a ravine experience, where the sounds of human voices are exchanged for the waters of quietness that flow from the throne of God, where we taste the sweetness and soak up the power of a life “hidden in Christ”(Col.3: 3).

The Path: Find your own hidden place to rest and be refreshed.

Do You Want to Change?

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“I acknowledge my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid…and thou forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).

Recently, we had ants in our kitchen. We were covered in ants even after we had our house exterminated three times.  What we failed to do was find the main source they were coming from.  Once we discovered it, our ant problem was solved.  It’s the same with sin.  Once we discover the hidden iniquity, the main source, then our sin problem can be solved.

If you are serious about getting rid of the annoying things in your life, you must find the source.  In Nehemiah 9:2-3, Nehemiah told the people of his time that there was a direct correlation between their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

“Then the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers” (Nehemiah 9:2).

Everyone knows to confess their sins, but that is not all that needs to be done. Sin is a representation of something much deeper; it represents an iniquity. We must dig deep to discover iniquities, which are the origin of sins.  Satan wants the main source, the iniquity, to remain hidden.  Iniquity is Satan’s access point to you and your entire family line.

When a sin is brought to your attention, confess the sin and the iniquity where it originated.

He Sent His Word to Heal Us

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He sent His Word to heal us.” Psalms 107:20

I know from experience the power of God that is released through His Word.  In Psalms 107:20 the Psalmist David said God sent His Word to heal us.  His Word it is more powerful than any two edged sword or a surgeon’s knife.  It’s like laser surgery; it penetrates quickly.

Allow the Truth of God’s Word to penetrate your soul, cutting away all the false ideas and distorted thinking that is designed by the enemy to work like a cancer destroying your faith.

In the past I have written devotionals to bring comfort and encouragement because we live in times where there are troubles on every side. But now, the Lord has prompted me that it is time for the Body of Christ to be healthy and strong in order to rise up above the present darkness.

So allow the devotionals to focus on the Word that will go deeper.  Let the Word root out the issues, the lies, and distorted truths that you have believed that are contrary to God’s ways. If we are children of the All Mighty God we are not wimps, we are overcomers of this world and we are strong in the Lord.

It’s Time That We Acknowledge God First

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“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me” (Psalm 131:1)

If we allow it, pride can get the best of us.  It can steer us into areas where we believe we’ll benefit the most, and lead us away from the more practical areas. It can puff us up into believing we are the best, we are in control, and we don’t need anyone else.  Pride can lead us to the top and assure us that we are right where we need to be.

However, the Bible tells us a different story about pride. It says, “A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs. 29:23).  The humble attitude of a person will elevate them to the place of honor.  Having a humble attitude means separating ourselves from our own accomplishments or achievements, and acknowledging the fact that God is the One who has given us the ability to achieve what we desire.  Always acknowledging God first will help us to maintain a humble attitude and steer us clear of pride.

“In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths” (Proverbs. 3:6)

When we acknowledge Him first, God is the One who will lead us to the place of honor!

 

Time Alone With God

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“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor;  he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God;  to comfort all who mourn,  to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”  Isaiah 61:1-3

Time alone with God has a divine purpose.  We set time aside for hair appointments, doctor and dentist appointments and they seem so important that we schedule them even months in advance.   However, time alone with God is where the real change takes place in our lives.

During our time alone with God, we are forgiven, released, refreshed, and renewed.   In the presence of God, we are healed, encouraged, restored and transformed.

A divine exchange takes place: beauty is given for ashes, strength for weakness and joy for mourning.  This divine exchange can only happen as you commit to spend time alone with God.

Time to Choose the Right Path

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“That we may do those good works which God predestined for us…” Eph 2: 10

Predestined means something is preordained and appointed by God.  He has preordained and planned before hand what your purpose is on the earth.  And He has used the situations in your life up to this very moment to teach you and prepare you for His purposes.

We can’t see clearly what God sees.  It is only after we pass through a situation that we see it clearly, can look down from a higher perspective and see what good came out of it, what we learned and how God will use it.  I know how it is to be in the middle of a bad situation, wondering what could possibly be the good thing that will come out of it.  At that point we can not see what God sees.  That is why all along the way and in every situation we must learn to listen to His voice.  His ways are so much higher than our ways.  He has a plan that we can’t see so we must we listen to His voice and choose the right way; the high way.

I believe God sets up situations just for learning purposes. He wants us to learn from our past mistakes, so we will make different choices and take the right path the next time.  Paul said that if we take the path which He planned ahead of time that we will live the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.  That does not mean we will not encounter difficult situations anymore once we learn to walk on the high way.  But it does mean we will always have a clear path to walk on during those difficult times.  That’s why we go through hard times so we learn how to identify God ways and God’s path that leads us though the valleys and hardships of life.