Bad Pennies

Do you know any, the people who sort of pop up again and again? Maybe, they always need something or want something and maybe they have a problem or worse still are causing them. We’re going to ask God to supernaturally, move certain people out of your life and good ones in, however, there may be someone you are supposed to help, I pray the Lord shows you.

My problem, and you can call it that, is wanting to help everyone. But I can’t, I’m not God. I don’t always see the heart that would deceive or discourage, I am not exactly naive but was never street smart or anything like that. I have always like doing good things and not causing trouble. That is not true of everyone, some people thrive on it, and that is a shame.

There are a lot of people like that and they always turn up like the proverbial bad penny. Jesus, who made a coin appear in the mouth of a fish to pay taxes, knew a lot about bad pennies, didn’t He? We definitely want to help, but everyone may not want the kind of help Jesus offers, there may be obstacles, but you can’t just choose Jesus and go on living a sinful lifestyle.

He told parables about them, a man who was forgiven debt but would not forgive an even smaller one and ended up worse than before when it was discovered what he had done. Jesus told how demons would go and return to house that was swept and clean, with seven worse ones, how can that be? Because the person is not filling the house or themselves with His words to keep them out. And demons, even the devil never rest, thay do not have the peace of God that we as believers should enjoy, one reason they torment, to get you off the focus of faith.

He told about the woman who swept her house to find a lost coin. He is about finding the lost and saving them, He is forgiving but not condemning and will help you to turn from being a bad penny. Pointing out wrongs in a loving and sometimes firm way is not condemnation. The wages of sin being death applies, even to a believer, should they continue in it.

Jesus recalled the widow who gave all she had by putting in two mites, she gave more than the wealthy because she had nothing. And the most famous of all the bad pennies, he turned up hungry at his father’s house, hoping to be a servant because they were eating better. The prodigal asked for his inheritance, the equivalent to wishing his father dead, how else would he inherit? So, he only came home hungry, but was it spiritual? Jesus only chose to elaborate on the father’s love.

And yet, before he gets home the father runs to him and kisses him, maybe pigpen prodigal didn’t smell very good. Maybe, I shouldn’t even call him that, because God takes those bad pennies and makes them shine. He had wasted the money on riotous living and before he could even request becoming a hired hand the father asked for a robe and sandals and gave him a ring. This is my son who was dead and now is alive, what a beautiful portrait and example of our Heavenly Father.

He never gave him the chance to condemn himself, never let the word servant part his lips and yet we are so quick to fall into either self condemnation or arrogance, neither works. We are to believe what God says about us but in faith, hope and love. We are given grace upon grace and should have new and thankful hearts. new life in Him. The grace message is real and relevant but should never be abused, and do not be deceived when you see no fruit in a person’s life.

And I know how the brother was feeling, sort of left out of the feast. But He had had the father all along. He may never have asked for a feast, perhaps he was working hard and being good. I know and understand that. So you can be a little more than annoyed when the bad penny turns up and is treated royally.

And yet God redeems and gives freely to those who come to Him, the the hands who worked different hours in the fields and are paid the same, it was the owner’s choice. Jesus bought and paid for us with His blood. So we have access to the Father, He has the right to save and restore people, and sometimes it might look like we are the poor relation or the hard working brother, but we have had Him all along. Have we even asked? Or asked amiss? Did we ask being grateful?

We are also be wise, like doves among serpents and not cast pearls before swine. We are not to be deceived by empty words or promises. So we can be careful about who we help and how, every bad penny that turns up, may not want the love of the Father. Rebecca Jones / Tim Savage thanks.

 

 

 

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Nothing More To Add

I have been fighting a lot of battles. But I know my battle belongs to the Lord. I have been posting healing verses, trying to pray for as many people as I can. I have been writing blog post. I do a lot of intercessory prayer. But there is nothing more I can do really. I don’t have anything more to add. Jesus said it was finished. His sacrifice was complete, there is nothing you or I can do to improve on it. His words were true, because He is the way and the truth, He ushered in grace and truth. Waiting for that new thing to break through.

I have heard the phrase, ” There is nothing wrong with me, or with the Bible, it must be you. ” said by ministers. They are automatically labeling you and disqualifying you. Thank God, I heard the words with the grace to admit being wrong. We don’t need friends like Job. He actually said to them, ” How long will you crush me with words? ” Sometimes, we can even be over correcting or overcompensating, when Jesus already overpaid for our salvation.

God is very merciful and He is gracious and loving. It is not His will for anyone to perish, still the wages of sin are death and the gift of God is eternal life. It is up to us to decide, we still have free will concerning or lives ad even salvation. For being born again avails us to His promises, healing, deliverance and protection, even His peace. We cannot walk in these if we are worried or afraid, ill or confused. We must choose to follow Jesus an believe His words are spirit and life and go into our souls when spoken giving health and life.

We must recognize His words give grace and peace. They deliver and set free, open doors and close others. They give freedom. they protect. When spoken in faith, they put demons to flight. But we have to submit to God’s will for our lives. Faith works for us, driven by hope and love but we have to speak to the rock, Jesus, not strike Him as Moses was disobedient. He is glad to pour out His Spirit.

Those words wrap themselves around our souls and warm us with His healing balm, they give us comfort and rest. They are cleansing and refreshing as is the gift of tongues, prophetic encouragement is beginning to take hold. Joy springs forth. Do not let the enemy’s lies deceive you. He loves you from everlasting to everlasting.

And He is pouring out a Spirit of power and love and a sound mind, the Holy Spirit, can you feel the rush of wind upon our heart and soul? His love is deep, deeper still, deeper than any wound, He is the one, the only one who can heal. I can pray but you must receive, be still, know He is God, rest. He is imperative about rest. the more we rest the more He does, and He can make new ways, even in the wilderness.

He completes me and He will complete you, finish the good work He started, you are a masterpiece in hand of God, a crown of beauty robed in righteousness, because He chose death to bring us life, it was finished on a cross, end of story? No, but nothing more to add. Rebecca Jones / pexels

But God?

I heard those jokes about telling God your plans to make Him laugh, and i have hear people say you never know what He will do, even though the Bible tells you what He can and will do. I know it appears confusing sometimes, but He is not the author confusion, that’s the other side. He is all about peace.

I realize it tell you to have childlike faith, yet to grow up in Him. It says He will answer prayers but often we don’t see results. It doesn’t mean He didn’t answer, it doesn’t mean we didn’t believe. We have an enemy who derails things. But God is greater.

So I decided to look at some verses. I may want to do it this way but God has His ways. Just for fun well look at what the Bible says about, but God…maybe He has new plans after all.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

But God himself will shoot them with his arrows, suddenly striking them down. Psalm 64:7

But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 1 Corinthians 2:10

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever. Psalm 73:26

We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer. Proverbs 16:1

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

But God released Him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip. Acts 2:24

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8

There are so many more, here is a link.  You are free to look them up but God already has had people writing. https://lysaterkeurst.com/2012/02/but-god-verses/

Rebecca Jones / pexels / Lysa Terkeurst link

Will You Survive Your Healing?

 

I have studied healing and miracles for many years, I truly have received healing on many occasions from things that were minor and some not so minor, but the most major of the healing appears to be a work in progress. And really, changing a person’s mind or heart is the most miraculous of all. The salvation of soul is. And knowing what salvation really means, how much Jesus did for us on that cross. And that it is ongoing.

You know when you are ill, I mean truly ill, it is hard to see yourself back on your feet. A miracle would be a new thing God would do, wouldn’t it? It’s not something to work for or earn, because it is grace. just believe, and so often it is just too hard to believe, especially if you are hurting, that is when you need to really be still and know He is God. And I mean still, not sitting still reading, you may find yourself a limp dishrag in a mess of mascara, prostrate in prayer crying bottle fulls of tears.

I wrote before about pain being involved in healing, some physical, as you recover and some just from just mental and emotional fatigue. That is why Jesus offered for us to come and rest, being labored and heavy laden is not just work. It is the demanding effort we put into being good enough, to be deserving or something we think we have to accomplish first. But He did it on the cross and that’s still incomprehensible to love like that isn’t it? Being beaten so severely that someone would be healed, you cancer is His, or whatever sin or ailment, the mental, He wore thorns for.

Jesus was clear that He finished His work on the cross. All salvation, healing, forgiveness. It was complete. What we have trouble doing is believing that we already have victory in a matter, or that what we have asked believing was answered or even heard. We sometimes mistake no answer for a no when God says everything in Jesus is yes and amen. Believers are not asking for anything bad. Some things are set in motion, on their way, the enemy will disappoint you. Spiritual warfare is real, some answers are for a certain time.

God is not a magician, not waiting to grant you a wish if toss a coin or blow out a candle. He sent His Son to ransom us. It is not a game or hit and miss, there is no genie to pop out of a bottle, more likely our bottle is full of tears in His presence. Our words a have very profound impact on our lives and health, we must keep them in line with the Lord’s on the subject. I know it is difficult, at times, in face of a grim prognosis. I have even had a recent loss of a prayer warrior friend, I think she would want me to keep praying and believing though.

But whose report do we believe, God asks the question. I will never tell you not take medicine or have a needed operation. Faith grows, but faith can go through what you need to do as you believe. I have seen people in the hospital for weeks and months. I just read about a girl of 26 who had her first child, and was struck with an autoimmune disease, it was painful and debilitating, but after six months, she recovered. It was a fight and it was love for her little girl, and the love of Jesus that saved her from that.

Another lady I have prayed for has had postpartum heart failure at 35. A two year old has lost an eye to cancer. The devil doesn’t care about your age or health, he will go after it, no matter your size or weight, vitamins or exercise. Perfectly healthy people are stricken and those with other problems, just are attacked with more, sometimes as you begin to learn about healing.

The question is not really if you believe He is the healer, you wouldn’t pray if you if you didn’t. would you? The question is will you survive it? Jesus already won it for you, He goes before you. He has made a way. Are we able to endure the rest and recovery, the long hours of prayer or even fasting, for some of us, but do not do that if you are on medicines, I tell people to give up phone time or television. Are we able to overcome because others may not see the hope we do or the light in the distance, will we have someone to help and keep believing with us? We are never really alone but may feel like it.

The recurrence of cancer, the looming treatments, seeing your child in pain day after day. Some believe God is trying to teach us a lesson by letting us go through things. Well, He had my attention without pain, thank you. Jesus took punishment for our peace. A beating beyond beatings, He was both beaten and scourged, when it should have been one or the other, the crown of thorns for our peace.

He is trying to teach us a lesson, alright. And it is this, He will keep His promises, He will heal, His love heals, He was humble and humiliated for us. Will we humble our hearts and receive? I know I identified my back pain with His to endure, but someone who allowed the plowers to furrow deep into His did not just me give me grace to endure and it be sufficient, no He took my place and pain has to go, even if there is some along the way,as He heals vertebrae.

I know suffering from every angle having seen it over the years. He knows it much better than I, He lived it all in span of time on a cross, all of it for everyone who would ever live. The mental struggle that is a battle may still come, and be resisted but it becomes effortless in the light of His love. You can accept that His righteousness makes you worthy to be healed. The emotions you will have to keep in check, you can literally be overwhelmed by that love and often be in tears. But rest assure He loves you. I am doing my best to be still and rest and let Him complete a work in me, I am resting, i hope you can too and remember, it is not impossible.

So my question is not if He will heal, He told a leper He was willing, it is just will we survive it? Sometimes, it is instant, sometimes as we go, and sometimes longer. Whether it is with medicine, treatments, or surgery, supernatural or miraculous the question is, ” Can we survive being loved that much? ” I think so. Rebecca Jones/ Urbnite, thanks.

Being Loosed!

We have all read about that poor woman who was bent over so that all she could look at were her feet. Jesus called her over and she was loosed. Isn’t it great to be loosed by Jesus!

This woman had been bound by the spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, the Word makes it clear it was a spirit and from the devil. Eighteen is three sixes to further prove the depth of the Bible, but Jesus loosed her. I have been  that woman with back trouble, perhaps you have and even if it is another way that you have been bound, in our Something New November, let’s be loosed in Jesus name.

I like to think about the people in the Bible and how they compare to us, though many don’t see them as anything but characters, Sara isn’t Snow White or Red Riding Hood, Rebekah. They were real people, and women you will meet in heaven as a believer. And some think of them as allegorical or spiritual, not real stories to apply to us, even historical figures.

If you have a lazy afternoon or rest, think about this. What if you were horribly blind and heard a crowd coming, perhaps you were pushed about and you knew it was Jesus, as you cried out hands. covered your eyes and when you opened them, there is His beauty and His love staring back at you. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if He were the first person you saw?

Suppose you had spent all your money on doctors and none could help, considered unclean with hemorrhaging, you take a chance of being arrested for being outside but push through a crowd and even yelling disciples to touch the hem of His garment, you had already decided in your heart and even said to yourself just to touch Him would heal your, that was faith and Jesus recognized it, even a little nervous, He spoke to her ad calmed her, and she could go in peace, her faith made her whole. Her faith in HIm.

What if your daughter had died, as you witness this miracle and your servants were saying not to trouble the Master. It wasn’t any trouble for Him to even raise the dead. So this poor lady could now stand and walk straight.

Maybe she had a cane or staff, it was gone. She could stand straight up and look at His face. Perhaps she went home and made dinner, or even invited Jesus. She could have. Now she could reach her shelves and plates, she wasn’t stooped over a pot, and she was not in pain.

The man with the withered hand could not work well with only one, now he could. The man on mat couldn’t get to the pool but the life abundant stood before Him. Many people followed Jesus, chased Him, even begged. the leper asked if He was willing to heal him and He said yes. Of course, not all were healed because of their unbelief, He could do no mighty works and even some repented not, just like today. People are not repenting of drug use, occult practices, and other sins and wonder why things are wrong.

I recently spoke to a woman who was concerned about her daughter. It is not uncommon for people to be diagnosed with mental afflictions. I know that can be true, yet everyone is not mentally ill, some people may not be responsible for their actions, but many are, and bad behavior should not just be excused without correction or admonishment. there are consequences of sin, and there are still willing sinners.

You can still be kind to them, show them the love of Jesus, speak it in love. Let the Holy Spirit work on them, and in your life. Don’t be ashamed of your morals or beliefs, don’t cave to pressure, but don’t be overbearing and obnoxious either. I have to tell the truth, all kinds of spirits and ailments can come off in Jesus name.

So whatever you are dealing with as a believer, you can call on Him, use His name and bind and loose the devil and his minions, Matthew 16:19, ask for discernment and spiritual gifts, follow love or Jesus that you might be a prophetic encourager.

And most of all do something new in November, think about these people who were loosed. I was almost pushed through a plate glass window at  healing service by a lady trying to get in. That is not Christlike. He can touch you wherever you are. And you can be loosed in Jesus name, it is my prayer for you. Rebecca Jones / Victor Freitas pexels

Easy and Light

Many of you may know that I love doing Pinterest. I have a board called Easy and Light, I purposefully made it a peaceful place to visit and spend time. I have had someone tell me they looked at it for up to two hours. I borrowed the phrase from Jesus, He ask us to come and rest, His yoke is easy and His burden light.

Why haven’t we took that into consideration before? His yoke is easy. Being yoked is like a team, horses or oxen, one leads and one follows. They move or travel in tandem, they are a matched pair. So we don’t have some heavy wagon to pull alone, we are equally yoked with Jesus making it light, the load is on Him.

Marriage are described as being unequally yoked, why because the husband doesn’t always take the lead like Jesus, guiding the wife who is still strong, but treating her like glass, as valuable vase that would break. Many people fail to recognize God’s way of  doing things, not a set of rules or do’s and don’t to hurt you, but our Father had a plan and knows best.

And His burden light. There was no way carrying a cross way light,  that He took all of our sins, afflictions, injustices, guilt and shame, even fears, was no light thing. But the exchange is, you give Him heavy and He gives you light. It may not look that away depending on your circumstance but spiritually it is in effect, believe it or not.

His burden is light, serving Him should be easy and light. Anything else is from that wicked one. So take the time to rest in our Something New November, or you will be yoked to the same old, same old. Routine and traditions can get tiring and even make His Word of no effect.

By all means enjoy Thanksgiving, but instead of just grace, ask everyone what they are thankful for, turn of the electronic for a while and really talk. Are you yoked to cooking, and cleaning, are you about to shop til you drop and face being trampled?

Having all the work or cooking to do and the cleaning, and then the dessert, is not easy or light, I have done that. Getting people to plan ahead is not always the easiest either. Whatever you do, do it in love, but make sure to rest, and look for some easy and light this holiday season.

Love is supposed to be light, and it should be easy, that is why we should make good decisions, not ahead of God but beside Him. I was praying in the Spirit today and many times it is a burden He has laid on my heart, that’s when you pray until it lifts. But other times, it is just such a peaceful and refreshing moment, it is very easy and light.

The picture reminded me of the river I once saw in the mountains a girl, I would have loved to skip across the rocks, of put my feet in. I did get to stop on a winding road and fill a bottle with pure spring water, dripping from the rocks, it flowed into a trickle. It was cold and pure, like the living water that Jesus is and He is my rock.

So let Jesus have the load and the lead, He already bore that cross of shame and He deserves the thanksgiving and praise, He alone is worthy. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit, again and again on a daily basis, let Him have your heart this month, and I pray it is easy and light. Rebecca Jones / Josh Willink, pexels, thanks.

 

 

Are You A Teachable Spirit?

The Bible is full of wisdom and knowledge. So is God, the Lord gives wisdom and knowledge from His mouth comes understanding. Proverbs 2:6 Proverbs is about instruction and wisdom. It is a book to read over and again. Some people go through the Bible every year, I don’t. I just read and reread whatever the Holy Spirit impresses me to or what applies to a situation. If something is weighing heavily on your heart, you should pray and read the verses that apply.

I chose this picture because God is fountain of wisdom, and like the girl most people have turned away, don’t pay attention, are off in their own world or cares of the world. Some people receive with gladness, but get caught up and soon become stony or hard even thorny ground, the enemy know how to take God’s Word out of you, which is why you have to keep sowing. You heart is a garden for seeds or weeds.

And in the Something New November, I would ask you to look deeply inside, and ask yourself if you are a teachable spirit. Are you willing to learn? Set aside old ideas and open yourself to His thoughts. Are you a doubter? Dismissive? Easily persuaded or even more easily dissuaded? Are you going to put in the effort to read or study, watch programs that teach you His Word? Be read to speak it over your life and family?

I have had the opportunity to teach on many occasions, though I have no formal degree. I taught Sunday School at seventeen to sweet little old ladies, I can still remember one of them and her hair dyed red, now mine is. Many times I have looked back and wished I had more to offer them, but I was young and I told them about Jesus.

Children, small ones, are open little minds to soak up songs and Bible stories and color pictures of Jesus, it is a blessing to see their faces shine and watch even babies do the motions to songs. Even some older ones. But so many of the ones I have seen that are medicated either ADHD or ODD, are much harder to engage, and from foster care, living with addicts, their attention span is so short. I know there are professionals and these children are in need of being taught about Jesus, but theirs is not always a teachable spirit. It needs work.

Adults can be the same way, and I am not judging if you have an illness or mental anxiety, but that too, can keep you from being a teachable spirit. Worry can, fear can, frustration can. I urge you to pray for yourself to have a teachable and receptive spirit. The Holy Spirit is a great teacher and He will help you.

Being a teachable spirit is also one that will require you to be patient, learn the fruits of the Spirit. They begin with love and end in self control. You will need a quiet and peaceful place in your heart and soul to meditate on His Word. You will need to carry that Word through your day. There are many little ways to learn His Word. Phone apps, even post it notes.

There are way too many good ideas and teaching programs, too many blogs and even pins on Pinterest to read, not to take advantage of them and learn to rest in His promises and receive His favor. I have found it difficult to teach those who have no interest in learning, so that is a key, if you don’t take faith seriously or expect to grow up in Christ, you will be disappointed.

But if you loves Jesus and will let Him love you and bless you, there is certainly an abundance of grace and favor flowing the pages of the Bible, a new thing yes and no because it has been there a long time, but He is doing something new, a stream flowing through the desert. So how about it are you turning away or toward the fountain? Are you a teachable spirit? Rebecca Jones / pexels

 

New Way of Thinking

Ever have one of those, ” What was I thinking? ” moments. Yeah, me too, just about everyday.  A lot of decisions might be just something you wish you had done differently. I had a dining room table that was good but the chairs were hard and the legs and been reglued, exit table. New one not much better, one of those quick decisions, and I miss my old couch and chair after it is gone, and now I’m still needing a new one. Or why did I pick that color, or that coat, these shoes are pretty but they hurt my feet, ” What was I thinking? ”

These aren’t as monumental decisions though as some, the name your parents gave you, or the labels, you be Sarah, a princess but not realize your worth as a daughter of the king. You may be a Ruth, but not have a friend, or a kinsman redeemer, but you have Jesus. You may be a Hannah, hoping for a child.

We need to learn a new way to think, to pray and make decisions from a place of rest, of peace and the victory, He already purchased our souls with the crucifixion. We need to quit thinking so badly of ourselves. Phillipians 4:8 gives us a good idea. Lovely, pure, of good report, but we have a choice.

If Jesus says one thing and we say another, we just counteract prayers and faith. It works by faith, hope and love, His love being the greatest, the real determination of answered prayer, the breath of the Spirit praying for us and Jesus our High Priest.

What church you go to, or ministry you learn from, where you live or go to school, who you marry, how you teach your children, are all important decisions. We all have regrets, even if we have forgiveness. In the something new of November, I hope to turn my thoughts around, I used to cast down so many I was exhausted, and even now, I have to watch it. Without the Word sown in my heart, I would worry.

The Lord wants, even expects or demands our trust. If I trust Him with my life and soul, surely I can trust Him to come through with answers to prayer. What am I thinking? If He said He will do it, He will.

If He says rest, I need to rest. If He says I have His peace, I have His peace. So what am I thinking when I’m all anxious and frustrated or run through the day trying to keep up. I need to change not only what I say about certain things but what I think.

I had someone recently tell me that I reflected Christ well. Truthfully, that’s not what I see, although I do my best to. But like last year’s Not About Me November, it is not about me. It’s all about Jesus. For His glory. For I have to cease striving for what He already created me to be and just accept His amazing grace, for if its it depends on what do, it is no longer grace. And grace and peace are one in Jesus.

So what am I thinking or you?  ” Nobody cares or understands. ” He does, ” Why me? ” Why not you, the enemy goes after people with potential, and why not you to do something new this November or me? Even with holidays, let’s try a new way of thinking,  let’s let the Holy Spirit search and renew our minds in Christ, we have a New Year coming up, we should all be reflecting Him well, so why not a new way of thinking? Rebecca Jones / pexels

When Words Hurt, We Need New Ones.

Have you ever had a butterfly encircle you? Flower petals at your feet? A gentle wind in your face? A bee sting, a snake bite, a slap in the face. These are examples of words, read the Proverbs, in fact, the Bible is full of verses about our words. God spoke the world into creation. He gave us a similar creative power. What we say is important.

What a wonderful God to give us the ability to speak, and to see and to hear His creation. It is amazing in His grace, that He confounded the language in NImrod’s time, He never lets evil prevail, though we live in a fallen world, He is our victory and we overcome because He did, He knew we would have trouble.

Have you ever heard the stillness of a lake, a room where a pin could drop, the blessing of silence? That is God, the author of peace. He is in the dewey morning mist at dawn, and in the peaceful quiet of the dark, when night falls on us to rest. And then there’s the chaos of the enemy. Have your tasted the goodness of God, or smelled the fragrance of Christ? Or the dry throat of fear choking you, the putrid of evil.

Words are pleasant and like a honeycomb, they are a feast of joy and laughter, a merry heart or they are grievous and hurtful, they are death and life and most people speak death as their first language. I like to call them heart speaks and death speaks They are cruel, mean and morbid, destructive, ripping and tearing at the souls of others or they are peaceful, kind, refreshing to the soul. They will burn you with anger and hatred or warm you with tenderness, and set your Spirit ablaze for the Lord.

They are generous seeds sown sparingly or generously. They grow or the are gobbled up by voracious and evil birds. They are sown into good ground, yet stolen or plucked up. They bloom and blossom or they fade away and die. They drown in muddied waters are stomped on by heavy soled boots and hearts. They are camouflaged among the thorns that choke life from them or are cared for watered and sunlit, spring new life. We need to let the Lord breathe new life into our voices and words.

We need to stop and think when we are about to yell remembering that God is slow to anger. Thankfully, it doesn’t last long, He is full of mercy. He is loving and forgiving, though He will admonish you and you will know it. He gave us such beauty in words, His Word, songs, poetry. Why don’t we use them wisely? That would be something new for a lot of people.

Words can be tossed around carelessly, said in haste, wasted on some, devoured by others. They can be a blessing or a curse. You choose. They are spoken in faith, hope and the greatest of all, love. They can be sincere, lonely, insincere and bitter. They are embraced or wasted.

They bring together or divide, hurt or heal, wash or wound. The cut like a knife are sharper than a blade. They are salt in a wound or a balm of healing. They give honor to God or dishonor, they glorify or terrify and horrify. They are constructive or destructive. They praise with far off hearts or with the joy of the Lord.

He knows every thought and intent and the depths of our hearts. There is the saying about if looks could kill, well, words can. So when words hurt, go to the Word, and rest in the living Word made flesh, Jesus is our answer when words hurt. And when words, hurt we need new ones. Rebecca Jones / pexels

A Lonely Soul, Not So New.

 

A lonely soul, she or he, forces a smile, tries to fit in, may be single or divorced. Perhaps, even married, as husbands and wives lead separate lives, work different schedules or travel, or just grow apart, which is a dangerous way to go, and often leads to infidelity, there is loneliness, the old they don’t understand me. I have said it myself. So have you you. Being lonely is nothing new for a lot of us, but not being lonely is new, is it our new thing in November to be delivered from it? It is possible.

You may not detect the loneliness in people. They have become adept at hiding it. They can make excuses not to participate or be the life of the party. Loneliness goes to both  extremes. They are both a shadow of who they long to be and the substance of that person. They are not satisfied easily and are longing for deeper commitment and compassion. Not the chit chat over drinks and a one night stand. The loneliest soul wants stability, security, the man will want a wife his heart can trust and be a crown to him. The woman, the man who can give of himself, protect, communicate and love her like the Lord.

They look for the depth of love in others, and are often disappointed. They look for love, and someone else wants a fling. They don’t find it the quick fix of drugs or alcohol, they can again be a casual user or have never experienced it at all. People who go that route in search of love are lonelier and even more desperate souls, settling for less than God’s best, they may fall further and may not be able to even lift themselves to the lifter of their heads.

Loneliness is like a pendulum, swinging back and forth over the lonely person’s heart. As time ticks by and we grow older, loneliness can become a thief, robbing us of joy, sending us into despair. Why haven’t I succeeded? Why don’t I own a home or have a family? We question our, wisdom ,our worth, and even our Lord, though He has a plan and a future, even redeeming lost time.

The biological clock ticks for women and men seek to regain the younger self that sometimes sowed wild oats and brought heartache, when there was a lonely heart that he could have easily pleased and found a faithful and satisfying love with God’s guidance. Age is not a barrier if love is true, many have enjoyed the romance of May/ December, or even second marriages and families, but it must be love not just an attempt to not remain lonely. The Holy Spirit will guide the way.

For you see, Jesus spent time in lonely places. He had to to rest and speak to His Father or He would have had trouble being human and giving His life for pitiful and undeserving creatures. He really knew there would be some who would never believe, but He died thinking of the beloved ones like us, who have come to know Him as Lord. What a horrible thought to suffer as He did knowing some would not ever trust Him. And what a wonderful Lord to give Himself anyway, that I could sit and write about His love.

He knows that we understand that He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He knows we know He was lonely for heaven as He walked through earth and even hell for three days and nights to redeem us. His heart was broken long before it was pierced. He wept over Jerusalem, and even over me.

He knows we know how lonely His heart was for heaven but also for us. And He could not bear to be without us, and made the ultimate sacrifice. Now all you have to to is to commit to Him. Let no one or nothing drive you away from the love of Jesus, He is the one who takes away the loneliness, drives away the despair, and gives us new and eternal life, because you know what, if you are a lonely soul, He’s calling you. He’s lonely for you too. And when you are full of the love of Jesus, you will never be alone again. Rebecca Jones / Matheus Ferrero, Unsplash, thanks.