Category Archives: Healed Heart

Would You Like to Find a Resting Place?

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“This is my resting place forever.” (Psalms 132:14)

Resting Place of GodWould you like to find a restful place that is quiet and peaceful, but more than that, a place where you can experience the presence of God?

According to Psalm 132:14, God has established resting places, literal places that are His resting places.  God is calling each of us to find a quiet place, a resting place where we can get alone to spend time with Him.  In the story of Noah, when the world was destroyed by the flood, the first thing Noah did was send a dove out to find a place to rest.

“Then he (Noah) sent forth a dove to see if the waters had decreased from the surface of the ground. But the dove found no resting place on which to roost, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were yet on the face of the whole land. So he put forth his hand and drew her to him into the ark” (Genesis 8:8-9).

Noah represents God, and the Ark represents the safety of the presence of God.  Only when you enter into His presence will you find that place of peace and rest.  I am sure in this account that the dove was weary of searching, so God stretched forth His hand and drew the dove back unto Himself.  We are all like that dove, needing a safe place to land… a resting place here on earth, where His presence can be felt.

When you find a resting place, you will know you have found it because your spirit will be at peace.  A dove will not land where there is no peace.  You may be like the dove, searching for the right place – a resting place, a peaceful place.

God has resting places here on earth where He has established a dwelling place of His presence, “This is my resting place forever” (Psalm 132:14). Trust Him to lead you to His resting place.

It is Time to Receive the Truth

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Do not believe the lies that the enemy throws at you.

Trust God, for his word is True!

“Receive and welcome the Word, which implanted and rooted [in your hearts], contains the power to save your soul.” James 1:21 Amp

receive the truthOne morning, I overslept.  The sun was already out, shining brightly through the window.  I ran to the garden, and as I ran down the sidewalk I saw that the dew was gone.  I had missed meeting with God.   I immediately had an old thought, a lie I had believed for years.

The lie was: “If I mess up, God will not speak to me.”  To my surprise, when I set down in the swing, I saw one drop of dew on the tip of a leaf.  I reached my hand out and the last pearl of the morning dropped into my hand as the Lord lovingly said, “I have been waiting for you.”

The enemy could not use this lie anymore. God did love me, and He wanted to bless me.  The truth I received had finally replaced the lie that if I messed up He would not be there for me.  God’s presence was there.  The lie was exposed and the enemy was defeated.

The enemy plants many lies in our minds. One lie is connected to another like a chain; that’s why one thought leads to another, and then another. If you did not receive affirmation from your father as a child, you may have believed the lie of rejection. “There is something wrong with me” is just one example. If you have this lie, it is hidden away from sight, but is silently working to convince you that you are not good enough.  If you struggle with this lie, it must been seen as a lie and not the truth.  You must recognize the voice of your enemy and stop listening to him.

Fully receive the truth, deep in your innermost being, that you are deeply loved and fully accepted by God.  God is for you, and He accepts you because of who you are, not because of your accomplishments.  With this truth deep in your spirit, the motivation for everything you do will change.  From this point on, you will serve God because you are accepted and not in order to be accepted.

Each lie has a structure of set behaviors and responses. We are transformed daily by the renewing of our mind.  We tear down the old house and replace it with a brand new house full of the promises of God. Every thought that comes from a lie must be replaced with truth if you want to live in peace.  Taking one lie at a time and replacing it daily with truth is key.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16 that if we renew our mind daily, we will not faint when adversity comes.  Today, you can begin to tear down the lies that the enemy has planted in your mind.

Fear Not

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“Fear not; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today…”  II Chronicles 20:17

Moses knew the Israelites were struggling with fear.  That is why he said, “Fear not!”  Once when they were fearful, the children of Israel said, “Just leave us alone” (Exodus 14:12).

When you have lived under bondage for a long time, as the children of Israel had, you don’t know how to live in freedom.  You can actually be fearful of the unknown.  Pharaoh had complete control over the children of Israel, which was bondage; but they had lived under his control for so long they were fearful of another way of life.

When someone has had control over you, and you step outside of their control, be aware you will feel different at first.  You may feel an apprehension of the unknown; so, be careful not to give in to the “fear of the unknown.”  The fear of living outside of that person’s influence is sometimes stronger than the fear of being controlled.  If someone has controlled you, your feelings, your decisions, and even dictated your choices, you won’t know how to stand on your own two feet.  If you give in to fear, you can begin to think it is better to be back under that person and submit to their lordship rather than to believe that you can trust the Lord, hear His voice, and make your own decisions.

If you have lived under fear of how someone will respond when you make your own decision, then you are allowing their emotional responses to control you.  I can just hear the children of Israel, “Oh, no, He is really mad now!  You know what happens when Pharaoh gets mad.”  My question to you today is this:  Do you find yourself saying something similar?  “I don’t want _________to get mad. Or, “I will do anything to keep him happy.”

Another fear is the “fear of punishment.”  We don’t live in Egypt under Pharaoh, but we can live in bondage to other people and be fearful of their punishment of rejection, which is a form of emotional abuse.  Many people who have an unmet need for acceptance are in bondage because of their need for acceptance and approval from others.

You will get a drop of approval from a person, but never get a full glass.  You then wait and wait for another drop, but it never comes.  That person is controlling you by that one drop they gave you.  Don’t be overcome by the “fear of rejection.”  That person will only continue to drag you along into their games of manipulation and control.  If they see you are beginning to falter, they will give you one more drop to keep you in their snare.

A person who keeps you in fear of being rejected is not being a true friend.  Fear is not a friend; fear is your enemy.  Draw nigh to God, resist the devil (fear) and he will flee from you (James 4:7).  The Word “resist” simply means:  stand firm, oppose, and refuse to go along with that person who is causing you to be in fear.

Breaking Free From Rejection

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Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives…” Luke 4:18

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32

If you have been hurt or wounded, you may still struggle with thoughts and feelings of rejection. If you are still feeling the pain even after forgiving the one who hurt you, you are not completely free yet.

The enemy uses rejection to plant lies in our mind. To be free, you must realize who your enemy is; it is not flesh and blood or the person who rejected you. You must recognize the lies and come completely out of agreement with them.

Jesus came to set us free from rejection. He set’s us free with the Truth. Scripture tells us not to give a place for the enemy.   “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”  (Ephesians 4:26, 27)

The Lies from Rejection

Childhood is the most vulnerable time in our life. During the formative years, we look to the adults that are closest to us for acceptance and validation. If our parents failed to recognize or validate us, then lies can be embraced.

Lies that remain in a child’s mind over the course of time grow and take over their thoughts, like weeds take over a garden.

Adulthood and childhood lies sound the same:

  • “There is something wrong with me”
  • “I’m not good enough”
  • “I will never be good enough”
  • “Nobody cares”
  • “I’m unwanted”
  • “I don’t belong”
  • “Nobody loves me”
  • “Why try?”

Has the enemy used rejection to plant lies in your mind?  You must replace the lies with the truth of God’s Word.

Healing a Broken Heart

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

Connecting with people is sometimes very difficult to do.  It is heartbreaking when we can’t seem to connect with those who are closest to us.  If you have been hurt in a relationship, you may be guarding your heart and fearful of being hurt again.

It is very hard and even impossible to connect if you are unable to lay your guard down and open your heart.

If you find it hard to connect with others, you may have a wounded heart that needs to be healed.  Trust God to heal your wounded, betrayed and broken heart.  Healing comes by faith.

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. James 5:15.

The prayer of faith shall heal the sick and heal the heart.  Pray this simple prayer right now.  By faith begin receiving your healing.

Father God, It is hard for me to connect to others. I have been hurt and I want to be healed. I ask you to heal my broken heart and bind up my wounds.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Fruit From Root Issues

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By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Matthew 7:16-20 (NIV)

 Unhealed wounds create the perfect opportunity for seeds to be sown that create bad fruit many years later. We will reap what we have sown. One tiny apple seed planted in the ground will produce an entire tree filled with fruit. Good seeds like kindness produce good fruit; and bad seeds like resentment produce bad fruit. We can recognize the original seed that was sown by the fruit that is being produced. Many people are unaware that the root issues in their life today, is the result of seeds planted years ago. Jesus made it very easy to see our root issues as He taught how to recognize bad fruit.

Jesus said in Mathew 7:16, “You will fully recognize them by their fruits…” We can look at the bad fruit in our lives or the re-occurring problems to identify what needs to be uprooted. In Matthew 7:16-20, Jesus uses a tree to explain the principle of getting to the root of bad fruit or recurring problems.

 To get to the root issues we must track from the fruit (today) back to the root (when it first began).

  •  The fruit reveals areas of the heart that need healing.
  •  The trunk of the tree is the built-in structure or habits that keep the root issues producing bad fruit (Matthew 7:16-20).

Here is the Answer to Rejection

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Have you ever felt the pain of rejection?  Most people have.

Jesus also experienced rejection from His own people.

“He came to His own people and his own received him not.” John 1:11

He felt the pain of rejection from every relationship.

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

On the cross, He cried…

“Father, why have you forsaken me?”  Matthew 27:46

He felt all of our pain at that moment. However, His last words were “It is finished.” John 19:30

Our acceptance was completely paid for by Jesus on the cross.   After suffering on our behalf, Jesus was taken up by Father God and seated at His right hand in the heavenly places.   If Christ is in you, then you have been accepted by God as one of His children.  You too are seated in the heavenly places.

“And he raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6

“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:6

In Christ, you are no longer forsaken, no longer rejected; you are fully accepted in Him!

Deal With Offenses by Magnifying The Lord

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“Oh, Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3

Have you noticed the increase in the opportunities to be offended? Even after 25 years of marriage to my husband, I sometimes get offended by what he says. As a wife, I may know he doesn’t mean something the way I took it, but I still feel a huge pull to be offended. I believe in the day we are living, the days prior to the return of the Lord, there will be a greater pull than ever before to be offended. Jesus taught us in Mathew 18:7 that offenses will surely come. In Mathew 24, when the disciples asked Jesus what the signs of His return would be, He said in verse 10, “And then shall many be offended…” So we should not be surprised when we feel the pull to be offended. The question is: how fast do you move past an offense? Jesus made it possible for us to be able to move past offenses very quickly.

I must constantly remind myself that we are in “the time,” the days before Jesus returns. Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, that there would be a great falling away in these days. I believe the falling away is due to being offended. If your love waxes cold according to Mathew 24, you will fall away.

I know when I am offended, I must quickly forgive. Forgiveness is the only answer! It is the way of escape! The quicker I forgive, the quicker I come back into my right mind. When I am offended my soul is in control. When I forgive, my spirit rises up above my soul and takes back over.

I have learned that when I am offended everything is distorted and even my emotions become out of control. When I am offended at a person I will see them in a distorted way, bigger than they really are. I will become overly focused on them. They become the center of attention and all I talk about for days. Every conversation even goes back somehow to what offended me.

The more we put our focus on those who offended us, the more magnified they become. This could cause our heart to wax cold and may lead us to sin against God. He is the only one we are to magnify. When we focus on others and what they did to offend us, we make them bigger than God.

Oh, Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. (Psalm 34:3).

So right now press the minimize button and minimize the person who has offended you. Bring them down to the right size and forgive them. Remember, if it were not for the grace of God you might have done the very same thing

Place Your Cares on Him, and Rest in the Lord

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“Cast your burdens upon the Lord” (Psalms 55:22).

Rest in the LordCasting a burden upon the Lord means you turn the burden over and release it to Him. Every burden has a weight, and some are heavier than others. The Lord knows we can only carry a burden for a short amount of time before we begin to slip and fall under the weight of it. God calls us to bear one another’s burdens only long enough to bring them to Him. Remember, the Lord will not put more on you than you can carry.

If you are weary, it is time to cast your burden upon the Lord.  He says, “Come unto me all ye that are weak and heavy laden (weighted down) and I will give you rest, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  As you rest, learn of me, and find rest for your soul.”

You will know you have cast the burden down when you begin to experience His rest. So why not enter into His rest today?

Who Are You?

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Who are youYou 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 dwel ling 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.