Healing from Trauma - Part 2

We all finally reach the point in life where we totally surrender to the will of God (Ephesians 2:10). The fears of the future no longer etch away at our faith, because God proves Himself faithful by His intervention in our current issues.

During times of relocation and restoration, God hides us under the shadow of His wings. We heal physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally (Psalm 63:7). His love sustains us.

God encourages us through long time friendships, as well as new friends who love us unconditionally as He does. He makes His presence known within us and we flourish under His gentle care.

We start to notice the seeds for a miracle, which God places in every trial. We learn to look beyond the momentary afflictions to the promises, which God gives us through His Word and His world (2 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Peter 1:4).

He teaches us that negative emotions are arrows pointing to a wound in our soul, which needs healing ( www.theophostic.com ). God's Spirit continues replacing the negative aspects of our personality with His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

He gives us the mind of Christ, which puts more emphasis on the eternal than the temporal, more fulfillment from the spiritual than from the carnal, and makes us appreciate that our identity comes from Christ in us , not from our own strengths and accomplishments (Colossians 1:27).

We realized for the first time, that we really are already crucified with Christ, even though we still physically live on this earth. We are never truly abandoned to survive the trials of this life alone, because Christ gives us His faith and actually lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20).

God teaches us to rejoice in every situation and to float with the ebb and flow of life, because He is the Lord of all (1 Timothy 6:15). He proves to us that He will never leave or forsake us, regardless of the circumstances (Hebrews 13:5).

Surrendering to the love of God is how we can enjoy the peace of God, which floods our soul and transcends any human reasoning, as it guards our thoughts and emotions through the presence of Christ Jesus abiding within us (Philippians 4:4-7).

Prayer:

Father God, I am amazed that for even one moment I thought that I could save myself. I learned at 18 that You were the Savior of my spirit, but it took me thirty more years to learn that You are also Savior of our body and soul.

There is nothing this world can throw at us that will ever knock me down again, because nothing can ever separate us from Your love (Romans 8:35-39). With Your mercy and grace in our life, we can look forward to the miracle, which comes from every trial which we will ever experience.

Thought for the Day:

Worry is the toll we pay for traversing the trials of life without trusting in the Lord.

The Impotence of God

Many who do not know the Lord, will say that God is impotent and that there is no help in Him; that He causes bad things to happen to us and our loved ones, without compassion or concern over the devastation caused by these trials and afflictions (Psalm 3:2).

God created Paradise and wanted us to live there. He only gave Adam and Eve one directive or restriction. They chose to listen to Satan and we all now bear the curse from their choice.

Satan takes pleasure in ensnaring the lives of every human ever born on earth. He offers them delights of the flesh; and makes sure they reap its destruction (Romans 1: 32, 6:23; Proverbs 11:19).

The devil plants his lies in our mind, and encourages us to falsely accuse God, to turn His glory into shame, to turn away from Him and to seek the false gods of pleasure, money, fame, success and power instead (Psalm 4:2).

God knew this would happen and provided the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. He became a man, Emmanuel, and paid our sin debt for us. Yet, many still refuse to put their trust in Him and they continue to reap sin's curse (John 3:18).

Authentic Believers realize that there is no reason to fear anything in life (Psalm 3:6). If we are walking in His Spirit, nothing will ever happen to us, which is not already part of His plan for us.

Evil, hardship and loss come from the god of this world, the devil. God will save anyone who surrenders their life to Him. When we are surrounded by evil all around us, with no way of escape, God is right there waiting for us (Psalm 3:6).

We can enjoy a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We know without a doubt that God's shield protects us. When we are drowning in life's circumstances, He lifts our head high above the waves of adversity (Psalm 3:3).

Prayer:

Father God, You call us to live a holy life and to trust in You. When people around us scoff at us for trusting in You, let us stand strong in our faith in Your faithfulness. Let them see Your goodness in Your provision and care for us.

Let Your light shine on us and let everything prosper, which we do according to Your will. Fill our hearts with Your peace and joy and allow us to enjoy deep and restful sleep. Keep us safe for the glory of Your name (Psalm 4:5-8). 

Thought for the Day:

God calls us not to sin (Psalm 4:4), to trust in His goodness and love, and to stand still and see the salvation of our God. - Exodus 14:13

Experiencing God's Presence

 

There is no place on earth more fulfilling than living in God's presence. He reveals to us the path of life, fills us with His joy and gives us pleasures, which last for an eternity (Psalm 16:11).

His presence abides in us and He gives us His rest (Exodus 33:14). We continually commune with Him through prayer (Psalm 145:18-19). When we draw near to Him, He comes closer to us (James 4:8).

At times, we may sense God's presence, but He is always near to us, living within us (Genesis 28:16). We find Him if we take the time to seek Him with our whole heart and soul (Deuteronomy 4:29).

Regardless of our behavior, His graciousness, compassion, attention, mercy and love accompany the presence of God in our life; although our sins will break His heart and grieve His Spirit (2 Kings 13:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). 

Brokenhearted people find soothing comfort in God's presence; and, in our humility, He will save us from every one of our afflictions (Psalm 34:18-19). 

God's goodness is magnanimous to those who submit to Him. Words fail to describe what He has planned for those who trust Him (Psalm 31:19-20).

As our refuge and strength, God keeps us safe from every enemy, from strife and from gossips (Psalm 46:1). His plans are not evil, and He intends for us to prosper in Him (Jeremiah 29:11).

Prayer:

Father God, create a clean heart in us, and help us to refresh our commitment to You. We thank You for not casting us away from Your presence or removing Your Spirit from within us when we fall into sin (Psalm 51:10-11).

We come into Your presence with gratitude for all that You do for us, and we shout joyfully in praises to You. You are our great King, our Savior and God (Psalm 95:2-3).

Thought for the Day:

We joyfully serve the Lord and dwell in His presence with a continual song in our heart and on our lips. - Psalm 100:2

The Joy Set Before Him

Read: Genesis 29:15-29

“So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.” Genesis 29:20 NKJV

In a world of sure uncertainty and increasingly threatening peril right in my own backyard, courage and peace often elude me. Although Paul promises these trials are simply "light and momentary afflictions" (2 Corinthians 4:17), they feel heavy and insurmountable to me while I am experiencing them. I try focusing on eternal promises rather than on my current issue, but sometimes I struggle to walk in hope.

According to Genesis 29:20, Jacob had more faith than I do. He was able to fix his attention on the prize, rather than on the process. He worked seven years to earn Rachel for his wife. Instead of focusing on the time and labor ahead of him, he allowed their love to comfort him. The promise of his true love gave Jacob the optimism and consolation, which he needed to persist through the pain and burden of the years of hard labor. This made fourteen years pass like days.

I love this verse. What an amazing love story we have here with Jacob and Rachel. In the rest of the Biblical account of their life together, and even after death, their love persisted. Jacob preferred the children he fathered with Rachel to his children by Leah and their concubines. His desolation at Joseph’s demise almost killed him, but Benjamin came along to console him during his later years without his beloved. Seeing Joseph again in Egypt brought him great comfort and joy. It renewed his feeling of pure love, since Rachel died in childbirth with Benjamin. 

Jesus also gave us an example of how to endure tragedy, when He faced the prospect of his daunting death on Calvary’s Cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He wrestled with the horrific torture he would face that very night (Luke 22: 41-44). He eventually surrendered His will to His Father’s and focused on the glory set before Him in Heaven, rather than considering the coming pain of the process of His death. Once He did, God sent an angel to strengthen Him.

Today, God promises all mankind the gift of a personal, eternal relationship with beloved Son. The love Jesus has for each one of us rivals the love story between Rachel and Jacob. It starts the moment we turn away from our sins and ask Him to save us. He moves in by His Holy Spirit and resides within us, giving us heaven on earth. The Spirit starts working in our lives – manifesting His fruit in our thoughts, words and deeds (Galatians 5:22-23). His love makes it easier for us to lay aside our fears, foibles and temptations and to look forward to His eternal promises instead. 

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for loving us, even when our faith fails us. Help us to focus on the joy that You set before us. Remind us that You have a higher purpose for all of our days and that You work out even the negative things in our lives for our good (Romans 8:28).

Thought for The Day:

God jealously wants you all to Himself. He longs to draw you into His loving embrace and to live within you throughout your lifetime.