Disappointing God

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

Genesis 6: 5,6

This are pre-flood verses, right before the Bible states that the only righteous humans left are Noah and his family. 

Have you ever thought about the implications of these verses?  God was sorry that he had ever made humans.  Adam and Eve had betrayed him, and now, every other man was following in their footsteps.  They were sinning, and the only thoughts that they had were to keep sinning and thinking evilly.  Satan had his hooks in, and it caused the Lord to have to destroy the world and all the humans except Noah and his family. 

I’m not going to recount the story of Noah and the ark at this time.  Most of us know it by now.  If not, you can read the rest of the story in Genesis.  What I am going to talk about is disappointing God.

God knows that we’re only human.  He understands that we’re flesh driven bodies, but it doesn’t mean that we have to disappoint God.  Sure, we screw up.  We always do, but when we sin and just keep sinning, how do you think that makes God feel? 

I, mean, we're turning our back on Him.  We're not listening to Him, and all He wants to do is help us.

I’m not sure that He’s sorry that he made all of us, and there are more than eight righteous people in the world right now.  However, could you imagine making God so upset that He regretted creating you? 

I want you to sit still for a moment.  Take in a deep breath and close your eyes.  While your eyes are closed, imagine tears from God falling down onto the earth.  And we’re the reason why. 

It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it?  My heart breaks to think of the reasons why God would cry over us.  And we’re the ones doing it.  We cause it.  We know right from wrong, yet we’re silly humans and do things that cause God to grieve. 

I urge us all today to work on making ourselves better.  We’re not perfect.  We’re to strive for perfection though, to follow in the footsteps of Christ. 

And that is what will keep God from being heartbroken, from regretting making humans. 

But, this is where God’s grace comes in.  Oh, He’s a loving God!  He forgives our sins and casts them “as far as the east is to west”!  He erases our mistakes and fills us with His love!  That is something to praise Him for!  No matter how disappointed He feels in us, He will always love us and will always forgive us.  No matter how much we mess up.  After all, He is our Father.  

Stop Talking, Start Praying - Moving beyond our worries

Some things have been on my mind lately.  Mostly, they’ve been revolving around our country, what’s happening with it, and all these politics.  I’m not a very political person, and I usually don’t speak out about my politics.  This is still one of those times.  This post ISN’T about politics or how I view the running of this country.  This post is about something we’ve probably forgotten to do. 

PRAY.

I’m not saying that you don’t pray.  That’s between you and God, but what I’m saying is that it’s easy to FORGET to pray about important things.  Instead, we want to talk about it, get our feelings off our chest.  There’s nothing wrong with that, but sometimes, that can do more damage than good.

I strongly believe that we need to stop talking about it and start praying about it.  Talking won’t do any good.  It will lead you to worry unnecessarily or start unintentional debates that might not lead to the best of times. 

My family and I were discussing politics and some decisions we weren’t too thrilled about our president making, but I stopped the discussion and said, “It’s time we stop talking and start praying.”  Because, you know what?  God has us in His hands.  God will be the one who delivers His people out of the mess we find ourselves in.

Psalm 29:11 (Amplified Bible) says, “The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.”

So why should we keep talking about our problems, or the problems we MIGHT face when the Bible says that The Lord will give us strength; He will bless us with peace?  Isn’t that enough that enough to know that no matter what happens in our life, that God will give us strength and peace?  He isn’t going to let anything bad happen to His people. 

Sure, we all face trials and tribulations, but God will give us that peace and strength we need to survive it. 

This goes beyond politics.  This applies to everything in our lives.  We need to stop worrying and talking about it to praying about it and seeking out the only person who can help us – God. 

I’m not saying don’t discuss your problems with friends, family members, counselors, etc.  What I’m saying is, sometimes we need to talk to God about it.  Prayer changes everything.  So, stop talking about it and start praying about it.  You’ll feel much better about it in the end.

Why so negative?

Negativity is like a poison.  It spreads until finally it's taken over your mind.  It sits there and dwells until finally, you can't see anything positive.  You don't speak positively, everything is negative speaking.  Well, the Bible tells us that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." (Prov. 18:21 NKJV)

We are supposed to mind our tongue.  We can do the most good or the most damage by using just our mouth.  It is the member of our body that will keep us in the most trouble.  Since this is the case, then why should we speak negatively about the things in our life.  We will only make things worse on ourselves by speaking this way.  Why not speak good things into our lives instead of speaking the bad things?

Just a few chapters over, the Bible says, "Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles." (Prov. 21:23 NKJV)  If you speak badly, you're only bringing trouble to yourself.  So why should we sit back and dwell on the things that we see as negative?  Why should we say the negative things that we are thinking?

I have to admit, I'm not always an optimistic person.  I try to be, and I honestly need to be more optimistic than pessimistic.  It wasn't until recently did I start thinking about how badly these negative thoughts affect our lives and attitudes.

James 3: 5 says, "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.  See how great a forest a little fire kindles!"  Don't let your tongue spread the negativity around like a poison!  Speak good things into existence.

Have you ever thought about the negative things you say and how they actually impact your life?  Why say that you're living a bad life?  Why not say, "I will live a good life.  I will live a happy life!"  Doesn't that sound much better than thinking and speaking, "Well, it's a bad life for me.  It'll never get better."  With that attitude it won't!

God doesn't want us miserable.  He doesn't want us to worry.  He wants us happy, healthy and whole.

Think about it.  Doesn't negativity and worrying go hand in hand?  Of course it does!  With that negative thinking, you're going to be worrying about your future which GOD HOLDS IN HIS HANDS!  He knows what He is doing.  Why can't we just trust Him?

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6,7)

Why should we think negatively when it says that "the peace of God" will guard our hearts and minds?

Paul said to fill our minds with "...things that are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." (Phil. 4: 8)  He didn't say to think negatively! He said, basically, to think on good things!

Even in Colossians 3:2, it says, "Set your  mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

Why worry when you don't have to?  The things on earth don't matter!  It's God that matters.  It's God's plans!  Quit thinking about what could go wrong, and start thinking about what could go right!  God has His hand in our lives.  It's Him we should be seeking when we feel negative and down and out.  It's God who knows what we need in our lives.  Don't push him out because you think something will go wrong.  Bring Him in instead.  It can only get better for it. 

"Fear not, little flock..." How is fear trapping you?

Fear – it can bind us in so many different ways.  There is a fear of the unknown or our future, sometimes even our past, death, and in times of trouble.  We’re scared of things that we shouldn’t be, but you know, it’s human-nature to fear things that aren’t in our control.  I’m not talking about ghosts or zombies either.  What I’m talking about is a fear that will inevitably keep us from trusting that God has things in His control.  But, He ALWAYS has things under control. 

Our future is something that we will always be concerned about – especially when things aren’t going the way we want for it to.  Our life can take an unexpected turn, and then, boom, the devil is whispering in our ear telling us to be scared – that God has forsaken us and left us.  So, we end up FEARING the unknown future because we think that God has tossed us aside because we aren’t getting what we want in our life.

Proverbs 29:25 NKJV says, “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”

Let’s begin with the first line of this verse.  “The fear of man brings a snare…”  A snare is a trap.  It’s a trap that will keep us from trusting in the Lord.  Fear binds us from where we need to be in our steps with God. 

There was a time that I feared dying more than anything else in my life.  I feared that one morning my nieces would walk up stairs to wake their Auntie Em and find that I had died in my sleep.  But why should I fear dying?  Why should I let Satan trap me by making me fear the one thing that would bring me to God?  This had become a constant battle with me as I lay my head on my pillow each night.  I would lie in bed crying at times because it scared me so badly.  But one day, I let it go.  I let that fear go and began trusting that God would protect me and keep me in His loving arms. 

“…But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”  And I’m still here.  I haven’t died, and I’m living to tell a story that someone needs to hear. 

Fear is a trap, and we just have to cut ourselves out of it by trusting the Lord.  Oh but trust is so hard!! How can we trust that our future will go where we want it to?  How can we trust that we’ll live through the night to see another beautiful day?  How can we trust that our past is really behind us and won’t rear its ugly head again? 

That’s were faith comes in.  Hebrews 11:1 NKJV says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Faith is believing that things are taken care of, believing that whatever it is you are fearing is in God’s control.  God has His hands on your life.  He will protect you.  Just seek Him.    

Psalm 34:4 NKJV says, “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.” 

God will take these fears away.  He knows that we’re only human, and that it’s in our nature to worry and fear.  But, what He wants from us is to trust Him, seek Him, and believe in Him because he has our best interests at heart. 

One Sunday our pastor said, “Faith is a motivator, not fear.”  It’s true.  Faith will motivate us.  Faith will cause mountains to move.  Fear will cripple us and trap us inside our own minds. 

Luke 12:32 NKJV -  “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  God is watching out for us.  He has our best interests at heart.  Why should we fear when all we have to do is seek God and His kingdom? 

I will leave you with this verse. 1 John 4: 18 NKJV “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Be made perfect in love, the Love of God.  God is perfect love.  He casts out the fear in our lives, so we won’t be tormented.  God doesn’t want us to be miserable.  He wants us happy.   

“Fear not, little flock…”  

Where is God?

Have you ever felt like you cannot be comforted from whatever it is that is bothering you?  Maybe you feel like nothing will ever be right in your life again, that whatever hurts you will forever hang over your head.

You cry out the words, "Where is my help?"  And the verse may come to mind, "My help comes from the Lord."

You think, where is God in this?  Don't fret.  You aren't the only one who has thought that.  Even in the Bible, say in Psalm 119:82, it says,

"My eyes fail from searching Your word, Saying, "When will You comfort me?"

Sure, there are answers to your problems in the Word of God.  There are times, though, that you can read through the Bible and not find anything to help you deal with your problems.  Or, you find them but they don't alleviate your worries and concerns.

So you keep praying, and you keep searching. Good.  Keep doing do that.  Because, you WILL find GOD the more you read the word and search for Him.

He hasn't moved.  The problem is us.  We aren't casting all of our worries on God.  We aren't letting go of our problems and giving it to Him.

I've done this.  I've prayed and prayed until I felt like my prayers were bouncing off of the ceiling.  I felt like God wasn't hearing my cries for help, and I felt like if He was hearing them, He wasn't answering them.

That of course wasn't the case.  The answers I wanted weren't in God's will.  He was hearing me, and He was answering my prayers.  He just wasn't answering them the way I wanted Him to, but after some thought, and a good read through Psalms, I knew that I had to "Let Go and Let God."

He wants to help us.  He wants to comfort us, but we won't let Him.  We, as humans, want to fix the problems ourselves.  We want God to take a lead from us and follow our directions, but we can't do that.  We have to follow God's directions for our lives - the Word.

When you feel like God isn't near, I beg you to reconsider your thoughts.  God is right there.  Waiting.  Waiting on you to come to Him and let Him be the Father that He wants to be.  He wants to comfort His child.  It isn't His will to make us suffer.  We make ourselves suffer by not giving into Him and falling into His loving arms that are waiting for us.

Psalm 121: 1, 2

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills - From whence comes my help?  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth."

I encourage you to read the rest of Psalm 121.  I encourage you to read through Psalms when you're hurting.  God wants to help you.  God IS your help.  Just call on Him, cast your burdens on Him, and He will deliver you.

Psalm 55:22

"Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

1 Peter 5:6, 7

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for He cares for you."

Cry out to the Lord

 

Guys, sometimes it's hard to remember that no matter the storm we're traveling through, there is a light amidst the storm.  God will calm the storm and will bring us out of the things that distress us the most. 

Feeling Unworthy of Forgiveness

Last time, we covered feeling unworthy of love.  Today, I’d like to cover the feeling of unworthiness of forgiveness.

Maybe you can’t see your own worth because of the mistakes you’ve made in your life.  But let me tell you something – You are not perfect.  Once you accept this, you’ll see that it’s easier to move past your mistakes.

Notice I said easier.  It won’t be easy.  This I know, but eventually, the pain will end, and you’ll move past it.

No one is perfect.  Let’s look at this phrase a little closer.

We are only human.  There is no way we can be perfect.  Sure, we ought to strive for perfection, but we’re going to screw up.  It’s just us being human!

No matter how hard we try not to sin or mess up, chances are we’re going to at least once or a couple of times our life. 

Romans 3:23

 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God

That verse proves that God knows we’re all sinners.  We mess up at times.

Psalm 78: 38, 39

But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them.  Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath; For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again.

See, God knows that we’re only human.  He is compassionate, and forgiveness is ours if we only ask for it.  But that hardest part about seeking forgiveness or feeling unworthy of forgiveness is the unwillingness to forgive ourselves.

Sometimes, we feel like we have screwed up our lives so much that we aren’t deserving of a good, happy life.  But that’s not true.  God has forgiven us when we repent of our sins.  Why can’t we forgive ourselves?

Psalm 103:12

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

That’s a good question.  One I struggled with for years.  I couldn’t see past the mistakes I’d made.  But, they happened.  I had to learn to accept that.    

Sheila Walsh in “Let Go” says

“To say that we don’t deserve to be forgiven is to make our sin more powerful than the blood of Christ. If God forgives us, then we must forgive ourselves…. Every sin was covered by the lifeblood of the Lamb.”

She also says, “…forgiveness means being comfortable with ourselves, the good and the bad.  We don’t have to be perfect.”

And she also says, “It’s vital, though, that we separate what we did from who we are.”

It’s hard to see our mistakes as a separate entity.  But that’s just what it is.  We made a mistake, but we don’t have to let it define us.  It’s separate from us.  We have to forgive ourselves to get peace of mind and healing from unforgiveness. 

Say this every day, “I’m not perfect.  I don’t have to be perfect.  If I mess up, I will ask for forgiveness, forgive myself, and live life.”

Learn to let go and forgive.  You are forgiven.  You are free from this unforgiveness trap.  Just accept it.