Category Archives: Restoration

He Drew Me Out of Many Waters

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“He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.”  Psalm 18:16

“Send thine hand from above; rid me, and delivered me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children.”  Psalm 144:7

“Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.”   Psalms 69:1-3

He drew me out of many watersIn these passages the Psalmist David is calling on the Lord to deliver him out of deep water.  In Psalm 18:16-17 the deep waters are referring to someone who hated him and have spoken words against him.

When I think of great waters I think of an ocean with huge waves crashing in one after the other.  When you have received too many critical words they can have this same effect.

If you are engulfed in these great waters you may feel like you are sinking.  You become overwhelmed like being in an ocean with one wave after the other hitting you and pulling you under.  If you take these critical words into your soul, it is like taking water into your lungs and after a period of time you can drown.

The Lord is reaching His hand down from above to lift you up.  His love is a life raft that He is throwing out to you, so reach out and let Him pull you up.  He will reach down and lift you up in many different ways.  It may be through a loving friend’s call or an act of kindness. Just when you are so overwhelmed the call will come in and you will be lifted up out of those critical words where you have been drowning.   Once you have been lifted up and encouraged in the love and kindness, don’t go back out into dangerous waters without a boat to hold you up.

Find security in knowing who you are in Christ so that the words of criticism cannot touch you.  Let the words that God says about you soak into your spirit. Then, you will be able to float on the top of the water, not allowing critical words to come into your soul.  Don’t let the words of men define who you are. Know who God says you are.

God loves you and will never leave you or forsake you. He is for you and not against you (Psalm 56:9). Spend more time listening to what God says about you and re-arrange your schedule so you are spending plenty of time with family or friends who also speak words of encouragement.

The Path: Find ways to encourage others daily and you will be encouraged.

A New Beginning

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“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, I will hold thine hand, and I will keep thee. …Behold the former things are come to pass and the new things do I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them.”  Isaiah 42:6-9

 

Place of peaceI knew the Lord had told me that He would allow me to experience days of Heaven upon the earth, that I would be able to say that I have seen a glimpse of Heaven and it is glorious.

As the former things all passed away I soon realized that I was being prepared for the new thing God had prepared for me and my family.  The new thing that sprang forth was the fulfillment of a desire for a retreat ministry, a place where people could come and experience for themselves an earthly example of what it is like to live in the Father’s House, a special place that God has set apart where people can come and experience healing though His love.   In our Father’s House, love never fails and every person who receives His love will be changed.

Thank you for allowing me to share my journey of healing, and this wonderful discovery, with you.  I pray you will have a new beginning into a new way of life.

A new way of life, the abundant life of God’s love is possible for every believer. When we open our hearts and ask God to cleanse every area, we can love others with a pure heart as He loves us.

It’s a new way of life, loving others as God loves you.  A person who has been healed of the pain of the past can now live this abundant life.  It is the higher way.

If you have experienced healing, this is a new beginning for you.  It is a new way of thinking, feeling and acting, living in a higher place, a place of peace, trusting totally in Him.

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

You have said, in Revelations 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new.” I want to behold, and see the Lord.  So, I ask you to open my eyes as You make all things in my life new. Help me to continue trusting in You and expecting to see Your goodness. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

You Can Begin Again

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I’ve been thinking a lot recently about a dear pastor of a Church I visited several times.  He made an impression on me.

His story is filled with up, downs, crashes and triumphs.  He built a small church of a few dozen members into one of the nation’s mega-churches.  He’s always found himself at odds with his Baptist denomination.  He left Austin’s most liberal Baptist church and formed a church that mostly stays out of politics and social issues and focuses on serving singles, divorced people and other people who have often been bruised and battered by churches.

But it’s not really the Pastor that I want to talk about.  I’ve never even met him, although I’ve heard him preach and speak in person and on tape many times.  It’s his core message that’s at the core of today’s devotion: “No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, with God’s help, you can begin again.”

You can begin again.  It’s a really simple statement.  You can’t come through the womb again (at least not physically – although those who teach some brands of psychology and spirituality believe you can come close!), and you can’t quickly undo the financial and legal issues you’ve created or been caught in, but with God’s help, your life—your essence—can begin again.

My Pastor friend spent much of the last few decades explaining the Biblical basis for his message and trying to convince thousands of congregants that it’s really possible to start over.

His life is his example.  When his high-stakes financial deals crashed, he started over.  When his church couldn’t afford to build on the valuable land they’d essentially been given, he sold it for a profit, moved up the hill and built a campus that now includes a sanctuary called the Home for Hope.  When his wife of decades upon decades died, he took a break from church and from life.  Then he found a new love.

Now, Parkinson’s disease has weakened his voice and slowed his body, but his work lives on in his archive of recordings and his books, both new and old.  In a situation where some people would end their ministry, this Pastor has begun again.

Would you like to begin again—again?  Do you need to start over?  You see, when the things of life come tumbling down, you can start over.  And if they crumble and tumble again, you can start over again.

God wants what’s best for you.  If you’re not getting the very best that life has to offer from this day and everyday, begin again.  You can either start from scratch or just scratch today’s plans in favor of something that brings you closer to God. No matter when you start or whether you start over, it’s the destination that matters.

Today, either start over in a new direction or stay on the course you’ve carved out for yourself, but be sure your path is wide enough to include God’s presence, too.

Guaranteed to Change Your Life

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Twenty or so years ago I was introduced to a prayer that was guaranteed to change your life and your marriage.

WOW! Did I ever need a guarantee like that. I immediately began to pray this prayer for my husband and me.  Our life was such a mess at that time, like a cluttered closet.  I didn’t know where to start and he wasn’t interested at all in cleaning closets. I had heard the old saying that prayer changes things, so I began to pray and trust God to clean out our cluttered closets.

Today, 20 years later, as I read the Amplified version of this prayer, I am amazed at how this prayer had been answered in our lives.

God’s Word contains God’s plan and it will accomplish His purpose. I have realized I can have a good idea of what I think needs to change in my life or my husband’s life.  It may be a good idea, but if it didn’t originate in the heart of God, it doesn’t have the power of God behind it. God’s Word has His power behind it, and His power changes things.

Pray this prayer and insert your name first and then your spouse and watch God do the work:

“Since the day I heard it, I have not ceased to pray for ____________that (I, he, she) will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That ____________will walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Christ.”

Colossians 1:9-11

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.

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!