Have you ever run across pebbled stones as a child? The excitement of running but to only have pebbles fill our sandals or shoes. God forbid if we fell, the cuts and scrapes covered with gravel making it so painful. Walking on these stony grounds can be difficult. We have to have the right shoes and be watchful of every step. What if you had to take a long journey and the ground was rocky, but on the other side was a beautiful plain of green pastures. If it were me, I’d probably look around to see if there was another way to avoid going through a challenging process.
Unfortunately, life isn’t that easy and our roads aren’t as smooth at times. However we all made it through. Maybe with the scars to prove our tiresome journeys but we made it. If you ask anyone to share their testimony, all will share a different experience. Although the stories are different, It doesn’t take away the feelings of hurt they once felt.
Unfortunately, painful memories are much more vivid, than wonderful moments we have had. Sadly enough a lot of us continue to relive our old traumas. As a result, our painful past becomes our present reality. We begin to harbor resentment, bitterness, anger within our hearts, which create walls. These walls prevent us from the peace that Jesus, willingly wants to give us. We become heavily burdened with distrust, hurt, fear and wrapped with insecurities. However, I know of a man, who’s name is Wonderful Counselor, Savior and Lord Jesus Christ that can heal you from your past. He is able to break every chain of your past. Our shattered past He can repair and restore with His majestic hands.
As a young girl I experienced abuse and traumas and as I became a young woman, these memories were fairly vivid. Although I wanted to push them way down to a place where I could never remember, the enemy made sure he reminded me of every incident. I lived in torment and had moments of depression. Many times I contemplated and attempted suicide but Jesus was my rescuer. He had a bigger plan for my life, much greater than my pain. I was a shattered soul, a broken vessel and it took one day of yielding my heart and things began to change.
The day I gave up the fight. I was in my living room on my knees crying. I had given up, I had lost all hope, I gave up on life but Jesus didn’t give up on me. Tear filled eyes, weeping I said “God if you exist Help Me, I can’t do this anymore!” That night I will never forget. I cried and cried, and felt the release. I cried at the Master’s feet and from that day forward, God was continuously touching my heart. Reaching my heavy burdened soul and pulling me to declare Him as My personal Savior.
Little by little I was filled with His peace and healing was taking place. Chains were broken and freedom In Christ Reigned. One thing I decided to do was not to focus on the pain of my past but Focus on what God was doing, to bring healing. The burdens were lifted because I decided to allow Jesus to be the center. My Rocky roads although they were painful, Jesus made a way for me to reach the other side. This is where His peace settles our heart.
So remember although we may have journeyed across the pebbled stones of life , we will make it to the other side with Jesus. He’s the only one who can take our rocky lives and place our feet on solid ground. A small portion in scripture tells us in 2 Timothy 2:19, “Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God [which He has laid] stands ‘sure and unshaken despite attacks’, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” So despite all we endure we can rest knowing that we belong to Him and He will help us through. Our peace with Jesus is a life filled with assurance. Take the step to seek Him fully, yielding your heart so that He can direct your path. Although the journey is rocky and we may fall, He is there to pick us up. At times we look at the situation or focus on our pain that we lose sight of what God will do and Is doing. Allow Him to reign in the center of your life. Surrender the fight and Jesus will do the rest.
The moment I accepted Jesus into my life, I began to feel his joy and peace. It doesn’t mean I didn’t have my rough moments but my perspective changed. My focus was not centered on the pain of my past but it created a heart that wanted to be healed. I took moments to speak to Him and expressed every hurt. Layer by layer He addressed them, with a lesson and warm embrace. Don’t give up! Keep walking forward no matter what it looks like. Jesus is the only one who can fill our hearts with what we need. The Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace and Healer wants to touch your life today. Will you give Him your Heart?
Today I beat with intensity. Thundering sounds are heard all throughout this vessel.
The wounded areas of my existence screech with pain with every beat.
I ask myself, When will this end? As the red rivers flow in and out of me, there’s still no relief.
I continue to beat with rhythmic patterns that keep me weak.
In every beat I cry out in pain, How long will this take? How long will this keep going? I feel myself drifting as it weakens my beat.
Weaker and weaker the red rivers give me no relief. Signals and alerts have been sent to the one that created me.
I feel the anger that stirs fluidly and marks me with darkness. As it brands me with pain, I cry out but no one can hear my agony.
Staining me it makes grooves through me, creating bitter stains, marking me once more. In every beat I cry in agony.
Weakening my beat I can feel anger as she grips me harder and her companion bitterly makes her ways known to me.
Oh’ I feel numb throughout, but it doesn’t stop my pain. Signals and alerts are sent, once again to my Creator.
In my weakened state I scream “I’m Broken”, Help Me!”, but yet the red rivers give no relief.
Marked with dark stains I beat weakly, and cry out to The Creator, surrendering my strength to the One who formed me.
The reds rivers begin to move through me, feeding every area with warmth and security. The pain seems to weaken and as I beat, the pain becomes more faint.
Agony became a distant name. Pain can no longer call my name. My Creator steps in like a Strong Tower, taking me in with His love.
He let’s Bitterness and Anger know they are not welcome here. The red rivers that once gave no relief are now under His Majestic authority.
He commands them to move through me and refresh me.
The refreshing brings life to what was broken. Empty spaces of those that scarred me are filled by His Matchless Name.
He leaves His Seal in every area, to show He Is, And Will Always Be! He restores my beat and replenishes me whole!
His words comfort me with every drop. He covers me and speaks…..
Let us come before The Throne of Grace with a heart that is willing to hear from our Lord at all times. In the beginning of time God wanted a relationship with humanity. He pursues us, touched our hearts with His words, His Love and Mercy. In that pursuing we build our relationship in seeking Him. Not for what He can give us but for who He is. Yet we may start off with simple prayers, He calls us to go deeper. Where we can understand the true meaning of yielding, before His presence. Where we also understand who He is in our Life.
The Bible tells us in Psalms 95:1-3. “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above all gods.”
The psalmist is inviting us to Worship The Lord because He is a great God. The author comes from a view of experience and true relationship. Our prayers require us to Worship with our whole heart, so that we can prostrate ourselves, In reverence, obedience and gratefulness.
Prayer will allow us to be transparent and pour out every emotion and lead us to reflect and to repentance. It’s time to go deeper! We should continue to pursue and seek His presence so that we may be unraveled. When we are unraveled we are able to see our own defects and understand We are In need of a Savior.
Letting His Will Be Done!
Let our prayer cause us to travail before Him, and reach the Throne. Go deeper and allow His will to Be done.
Please watch this short teaching on Prayer by an amazing man of God. Like & Subscribe
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Domestic violence touches the lives of people of all ages, leaving a devastating impact on women, men, and children of every background and circumstance.
Domestic violence makes a family’s home a place of fear, hopelessness, and desperation when an individual is battered by their partner, a child witnesses the abuse of a loved one, or a senior is victimized by family members.
Healthy family, marital, or dating relationships are based on love, trust, and respect. During October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we urge people to educate themselves about how to support friends or family members who are victims of domestic violence.
Let’s Be the Support and Spread the Love of Jesus!
To the Abused- I want you to Know that you are loved by an Almighty Father, that you have a voice. Connect yourself to the Father and with someone that you can confide in. You are not Alone! He will lift you up and call you Blessed, He will restore to you the years the Locust has stolen! Years of restoration, wholeness, safety, courage, boldness and peace, You shall have! I Declare the Voice that you felt was trapped inside, Will Shout! Because your being Heard in the Heavens! There is freedom in Jesus! He will be right there!!! Love you! You will get through it!
To the Abuser- I want you to know, that all your hurt and struggles, God can help you through them all. He will make you whole again. He will show you the Love you never had. He can make you complete and help you love. Let Him reign. I pray He grips every word of Hatred, anger, stress, frustration, anxiety, and violence stirred up in your heart and destroys it! There is freedom in Jesus.
In the midst of the storm, winds blow fiercely. The skies darken all around and thunderous sounds shake throughout. Our initial response is to retreat for cover and hideaway for safety. Fears and anxieties build up, but at the right time the skies break the clouds. We see the sun light up as it cascades the sky placing a warmth all around us. Then it’s all over. Warmth, Tranquility and Peace become the blanket of our safety. Some storms leave ruins but just as swiftly as they come God can restore.
The Bible’s speaks of an amazing story when Jesus calms the storm. In Mathew 8:23-26 it states,
“When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. And the disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us, we are going to die!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was [at once] a great and wonderful calm [a perfect peacefulness].”
As I look at this portion of scripture I see how the disciples followed Him into the boat, unaware of the storm that was coming. Isn’t that just like our lives . We walk through our ministries, our marriages, parenting and lives, unaware of the violent storms that will come. It violently shakes us back and forth and all our fears crash down on us, just like the waves coming down on the disciples. Wave after wave of disappointments, hurts, failures, set backs, lost dreams, death, divorce, abuse and so many more. We begin to fear the worst and look at our life as if we were closing our caskets. The death of all our hopes and dreams gone because of our storm.
The disciples were consumed with fear and called out to Jesus. “Jesus, save us!”. Take notice, we are not alone in our storm. Jesus was in the storm with them and He is in ours. I’m sure each of us have dealt with many storms. Some great, some small but we’ve survived them all. We survived because Jesus was with us. We made it through when we lost a loved one. We made it through being abandoned. We made it through abuse. We survived a failed marriage, because Jesus was with us. As the story continues Jesus asked them “why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” This statement must have struck the disciples by surprise but also challenged them. How can we have fear when He is present in our lives? He challenged them to see that although the storm was vivid, harsh, brutal and violent, He was there. He also challenged their Faith. The Bible states in Hebrews 11: 1 that,
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].”
The Lord is challenging us to not fear of what we see but Believe what He has already promised. Our hopes and dreams just don’t vanish. We won’t die in our situation. We are not alone in this mess, we are with our Lord. As the story continues, we see Jesus in His authority and Fullness, Rebuke the winds and the sea. Immediately! Instantly! There was a perfect Peace. Not just any peace but a perfect peace.
Whatever we face may be painful, it may rip us to the seams but there is a peace that we will receive. All our dreams didn’t die in the storm, they were preserved. My biggest challenge was facing the reality of my situation. The current condition I was in and not seeing the skies break for me. I was consumed with sadness and fear of what would be the outcome but Jesus calmed my storm. He spoke clearly into my heart bringing healing. Reminding me He was in control of it all. In that moment, in an Instant peace came over me. All I could do was cry because of His tender love for me. My skies cleared at a Sunday service for all to see. Now the sun is bright and the storm was gone. God is faithful and will never put you to shame.
I want to remind someone that although peace may seem unattainable, you can have peace in and out of your storm. So I challenge you today. Don’t look at the storm as a disadvantage but see it as an opportunity for God to extend His Glory upon you. You will survive the storm.
God Bless you all. I pray you were inspired by my entry today. I want to encourage you to continue to seek God no matter what you face. Let me remind you all storms come to an end. We will make it! The Lord will give you a new thing. My storm ended this Sunday and I’m looking forward to the new. If He was able to do it for me He can do it for you. Remember, We are not alone.
In times of pain we may lose ourselves in the middle of the season. Our hearts are filled with disappointments, hurt, discouragement, anger and even fear. It’s until we face our pain head on and reach the end of ourselves, that God can reach into our hearts. It takes a willing heart to relinquish the grip that holds us in a complacent and broken state. In this season we were faced with many realities. The realities of death, sickness and families being torn apart. We were affected emotionally, spiritually and found it hard to get back up again. But, God says “Arise, Stay The Course”.
There comes a time where we can’t hide our pain. We can’t hide what we feel by cleaning, working or just keeping busy. We can be active and think we are moving and making progress but we are stuck in the same place. That’s what complacency looks like. We think we are ok and don’t see the hidden danger in our walk or our spiritual life. We become self gratifying, placing everything before the real issue, so we don’t have to feel the pain. The issue is the hurt that scarred you. Its the disappointment that you didn’t recover from. It’s the fear of what’s next, that kept you in a box of anxiety. It’s the loss of a loved one, that has left you mourning. It’s the failed marriage that tore you apart. But God says, “Arise, Stay The Course”
One morning as I sat in my living room. I looked around and there was nothing else to do. At that very moment I was gripped with an overwhelming emotion and started to cry. Every emotion that I had been trying to hold together for months came crashing down. It was a moment of truth and reality that I couldn’t do it by myself. I needed God more than ever. I couldn’t dwell on the pain and disappointments. I had to face the pain and allow God to hear my fears, hear what hurt and the things that made me mad. It is a painful process.
The amazing thing about the Lord is He is always with you. Its always a great moment when you are in your lowest and He is eager to lift you up. The Lord’s sweet and tender voice comes in at the right time. In my lowest point I could hear His voice reminding me I wasn’t alone. He lead me to the scripture in Habakkuk 3:19, “The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.” This gave me the strength to know that no matter what I faced, no matter how ugly or rocky my season is, He will strengthen my legs for the journey. His love gave me hope to breathe again. He didn’t stop there but kept touching my heart and said “Arise, Stay The Course, Pack light for the journey”. I can’t bring my hurt to the destination or purpose He has for me. I had to reach the end of myself and see Him in the midst of it. Just when we see no hope in a situation and things seem unfair, God gives us a tug to lead us back to the right direction, where His Truth will lead us to the righteous path. There is a Purpose that He has for all of us.
It’s time to lighten the load, Arise, Stay The Course, He has destined for us.
God bless you and May The Lord, hear you’re cry and reach you, heal you, and keep you as you walk through your process in strength.
I want to start off by saying I love you. There is none like you. You search my inner soul and know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You know every single thought and you understand me. In the beginning the earth was without form and empty and then you Created with just a Word. In that same manner you spoke into my life. In an instant you said “Let there be Light” and there was Light. A light that can eradicate darkness. A light that is warm and shines so bright, bringing life to every dark place. Again, Your light filled my emptiness and darkness, renewing every fiber of my soul. Where can I go from Your presence? Your light is boundless and spreads throughout my being, that nothing can be hidden. My soul was thirsty and you lead me beside still waters and restored me. Your love for me is amazing, that you gave up your only Son, so that I can have life. Life in abundance! Every cry reached the heavens and you moved in my favor. Once again you turned my mourning into dancing. You dressed me with fine linen and anointed my head with oil. Your presence was warm, inviting and your perfume filled every space around me. I will love you forever, and hold you close to my heart. I will continue to praise your mighty name all the days of my life. Thank you for loving me, My Father.
During this quarantine, I have been hit with every challenge that either shook me or kicked me. It has opened my eyes to the reality of the current dilemmas in my own personal life. At times we don’t deal with these intricate details until it all boils over. The quarantine leaves us dealing with old and deep wounds that have never really been truly treated properly. We can shout for joy one moment and cry “Jesus where are you in this?” another moment. We can see how God pulled us out of one tragedy but then we are swallowed up by another. We can love God and do so much for the kingdom but lack the confidence to believe in ourselves. However, the amazing thing about Jesus that he reminds us that He’s still around. He’s closer to our circumstance, closer to our hurt, closer than what we see. Our personal relationship in God has to be more solid than anything else. It has to be the only source that we run to for all our emotions and feelings. If we are excited, we praise Him, if we have Joy, let him know with a Joyful spirit. If we are down let him know and praise Him because He’s the only one that can mend it. There’s no other physician that can immediately diagnose and heal you all at once. We are able to get close to God when we are alone, when we are hurt, when we are happy even when we are upset. We are able to communicate every feeling and He is there to have that personal encounter with us.
The Bible tells us today. “So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] LORD [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him]. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn, And He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”” Hosea 6:3 AMP
I see that spring rain watering us with His comfort, His peace, His love and how The Holy Spirit just showers on us. This helps us so we can grow, so we can reach that potential. Let’s get back into that secret place. Where we don’t hear the noise and are able to heed to the precious Love He has for us. It’s not a tainted love, or a broken love but a Pure Love that over takes us.
Beauty For Ashes 