INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

We have so much to be thankful for, don't we? Topping the list is God's only Son, Jesus Christ. Because of this indescribable gift, we can be forgiven for our sins and have a relationship with God.

ISAIAH 55:8-9

My voice is too timid and my confidence was too shattered. As a matter of fact, when God did begin opening doors for ministry, I reminded Him of all my shortcomings and why He had the wrong girl for the job. But as I began to take those first baby steps of obedience, He began to show me glimpses of His great plan.

Our dreams are always too small when compared to the magnificent dreams God has planned for His girls. While God has probably not called you to save an entire nation from destruction, He has called you to be a woman He can use. Missionary Amy Carmichael wrote, "Often his call is to follow in paths we would not have chosen."

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9)

How marvelous that He allows us to participate and be the hands and feet
through which He works.  "For we are God's workmanship," Paul reminds us, "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10)

LET'S PRAY:
Lord, I am wide open to receive Your instruction. I know that You have created me with a purpose and a plan in mind. My greatest purpose is to glorify You in all that I do. Help me to pay attention when You send me on assignment, and help me not miss it. I know I was born for such a time as this.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

GOD DOESN’T WANT YOUR EXCUSES—HE WANTS YOUR OPEN HEART.

When we really want to do something, we come up with a million reasons why we should. We become the world’s greatest saleswoman, convincing God why our plans are so rational. But when we don’t want to do something God’s asked us to do, we reverse the process. We criticize. We nitpick. We search for the irrational or the impossible in God’s plan. Our own weaknesses loom large in our vision. When Moses heard God’s plan, he immediately started the excuses. And God immediately shut him down. God doesn’t want your excuses—he wants your open heart.

IF ONLYS

Instead of accepting the irritations of life, many people struggle with what I call the “if onlys.” “If only I didn’t have diabetes (or deafness or sinus infections).” “If only I were not infertile.” “If only I hadn’t gotten into that bad business relationship (or lawsuit or loveless marriage).” “If only we didn’t have a sick child.” “If only we weren’t so strapped financially.”

Are you struggling with “if onlys” today? If so, we encourage you to release them to God. He has a perfect, loving plan for all of your life— even when life seems less than ideal. We may not see why God allows hardship in our lives, but we can be assured it is part of His eternal plan for our good. He asks us to accept His love and reach in humble dependence for His sufficiency.

THERE IS NO “JUNK” IN GOD’S VALUE SYSTEM

Although disrespect for the disabled or less fortunate is characteristic of our culture, we know there is no “junk” in God’s value system. He loves every one of us the same. He sees our potential, and He uses each person to accomplish some part of His purpose. As His children, we’re called to look at everyone through the lens of His perfect love.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTROLLING OUR WORDS

The ability to master our mouths, watch our words and tame our tongues
demonstrates a level of spiritual and emotional maturity. The opposite is true as well. An inability to control our speech shows immaturity, and it can
inflict great harm on our relationships.

Solomon addresses the importance of controlling our words by contrasting
positive and negative speech. In each case, the effects end up as opposites: peacefulness or wrath, knowledge or folly, healing or a crushed spirit. In other words, when we fail to control our tongue, we don’t just fail to give, or be, a blessing. We also cause a wound that can rupture a relationship.

ARE YOU LONELY?

Lonely. It's not a word I thought I'd ever use to describe myself, but that's
how I felt.

For many years after a hard move I felt alone.

Close friends had always been a part of my life, and the absence of intimate friendships left me feeling sore-hearted. I longed to have someone to meet for sharing or help me expend some of my many daily words on the phone. It would have been wonderful to have a friends who would both listen and share.

Over time, I made new friends and re-established older friendships, and most days I feel connected and content. But I still remember what it felt like to be lonely. Recently, I read a study published by the American Sociological Review that cited statistics that showed half of Americans only have two close friends. And one out of four Americans say they don't have any close friends.

Not a single one. That's a lot of lonely hearts.

Why should we care? Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:10 that our friends are our helpers. When times get tough, they can help us navigate through them. "Suppose someone falls down. Then his friend can help him up. But suppose the man who falls down doesn't have anyone to help him up. Then feel sorry for him!" (NIRV)

So how can we be part of the solution, to help guarantee no one falls down without having a friend to pick them up?

If you're lonely ...
During my lonely days I told myself this over and over: When you don't have a friend, BE the friend to others that you would like to have.

I'd say ...

• "Would you love a friend who takes time to show that he/she cares by picking up the phone and asking about your day? THEN PICK UP THE PHONE AND ASK ABOUT SOMEONE'S DAY."

• "Would you love a friend who keeps confidences and is trustworthy? THEN BE TRUSTWORTHY."

• "Would you love a friend who asks you to go for a walk? THEN
ASK SOMEONE TO GO ALONG WHEN YOU DO THESE THINGS."

It's easier to stay isolated sometimes than to reach out, especially if you've been hurt or disappointed many times. I know too well. But I want to encourage you to reach out, show love and care about others.

God taught me so many things during my loneliness. I learned to be more
dependent on Him. I learned to appreciate the friendship of my family more. I took a hard look at some things that weren't so wonderful about myself and worked to change them.

During lonely times of life, be intentional about connecting to God and
others. There's so much to be learned in these times.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, You are the friend who is closer than a brother or sister. In this time of loneliness and seeming friendlessness, show me how precious friendship with You can be. Please teach me everything I need to learn in this phase of life. Would You also prepare a friend for me and prepare me to be a trusted, valued friend? In Jesus' Name, Amen.

ENCOURAGEMENT IS A DAILY THING

Encouragement takes persistence. Persistence takes patience. Just because you have encouraged someone once does not mean that your role of encouragement in his or her life is over. They did not become discouraged overnight, and they will not often become re-encouraged overnight.

Encouragement is like that. It takes layers of love and great patience to
replenish, restore, and put courage back into a heart. Patience is an
important part of encouragement.

2 Timothy 4:2 also says that we are to encourage others with careful
instruction, being sensitive to the condition of the learner, to the one who
is in need of encouragement. Learning does not begin with the truth. Learning begins with the learner and requires loving flexibility. Instruction that is wrapped with encouragement really works. No one cares how much you know until they know just how much you care. I have heard it said that advice and instruction are like snow. The softer they fall - the deeper they stick. Sensitive instruction is encouragement.

Encouragement stays close. It is encouraging to know that we are not alone, that someone else is close by, in the rocking boat with us. Remember that one of the definitions of encouragement is "to be beside." A shared joy is a double joy, but a shared sorrow is half a sorrow. God has given us to each other so that we can share the load. A shared load is always a lighter load.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

I read about an ingenious teenager who grew tired of reading bedtime stories to his little sister. So he decided to record several of her favorite stories on tape. He gave her a tape player and plugged in the tape. "Now you can hear your stories anytime you want. Isn't that great?" he said. She looked at the machine for a moment and then replied, "No. It hasn't got a lap."

We all need the closeness of relationship. We all need to know we are loved. We all need encouragement. Staying close to those who need you brings them encouragement.

Encouragement is a daily thing. "Encourage one another daily" (Hebrews 3:13

An encourager is one who knows you as you are, understands where you've been, accepts who you've become, and still gently invites you to grow. How often do we need to practice encouragement? Daily. Continually. Constantly.

Encouragers look for opportunities to work. Acts 4:36

This cold and dark world is hungry for the touch of someone who cares, for a word of kindness, for an act of compassion. This world - your world - is
reaching out to you for encouragement. Be an encourager.

LET'S PRAY:
Father, I come, asking You to teach me how to be an encouragement to those around me. Help me to see those who are hurting. Don't let me miss the broken hearts that cross my path. Give me the wisdom and love to be "God with skin on" to the people in my world.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD” AND “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ — Luke 10:27

Did you know that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had more than six hundred man-made laws they were required to obey? The people couldn’t keep all those laws; it was impossible. Yet the rulers believed that those laws had to be obeyed in order to win God’s favor.

But Jesus summed up God’s Law with only two commands:

“LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD” AND “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.”

He used a special, all-encompassing word for love, a word that includes everyone. We are to love our neighbors, He said, even though they may have a different color skin, ethnic background, or language; even though they look different, walk differently, or act differently. We are also to help our neighbors who are poor. The gospel of Christ has no meaning unless it is applied to those who are in need.

The Greek word for love that Jesus used implies action. It is not a passive word; it is an action word. We are to love by our actions. What will you do today to show God’s love by your actions?

Your Turn

Who is your neighbor? Keep your eyes open today for opportunities to share God's love in action!

YOU MATTER TO GOD

- by Rick Warren

You are not an accident. You matter to God. Even before the universe was created, God had you in mind, and he planned you for His purposes. These purposes will extend far beyond the few years you will spend on earth. You were made to last forever!

The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like “What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future?” But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power” (Job 12:10).

To find your purpose, you must begin with God, your Creator, and his reasons for creating you. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny.

Memory Verse

I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. Isaiah 44:2a (CEV)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY

“For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one
has, not according to what he does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12

Generosity comes in many forms. One version is material gifts.  Another is the
sharing of our time and wisdom.

You may not have the financial means to help people in need, but you can offer
them your time and insights. It may be just what they need to point them in
the right direction.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, tonight we reach for a truly generous life together. Guide
and strengthen our willingness to share. Thank You for putting us on earth for
something bigger and more meaningful than our own comfort or happiness. Amen.

YOUR HUSBAND IS A GIFT

=================
“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap… yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” Luke 12:24

Although the battle for healthy self‐confidence is most often fought by women, many men also struggle with the issue. Unlike a woman, a man derives his sense of worth primarily from the reputation he earns in his job or profession. He draws emotional satisfaction from achieving in business, becoming financially independent, developing a highly respected skill, being the “boss,” or being loved and appreciated by his patients, clients, or business associates. When his career fails, however, look out.

His confidence often falters, and he becomes vulnerable. Depression, anger, and withdrawal are just some of his potential responses. Wives, here’s something to remember: More than anything, your man needs your respect. Compliment him on the qualities you most admire in him. Avoid comments that debase or embarrass him—especially in the eyes of others. As much as is reasonably possible, understand and support his career, but also create such an affirming atmosphere at home that he will be happy to leave career concerns at the office.

The better you understand your differences, the more you’ll appreciate the
gift that is your mate.

Just between us…
================
(wife) What achievement are you proudest of to your husband?

(wife) Are you satisfied with the current state of your husband’s career?

(wife) How can you help your husband with your career?

(wife) How can you show more respect for your husband and what you do?

(wife) Father, thank You for my husband—for the energy, skills, and ambitions
you’ve placed in him. Help him to know that You love him no matter how he
performs, and please help me show him the honor and respect I feel. Amen.

FOCUSING ON GOD

I am an avid reader. In fact, reading is one of my favorite ways to escape the chaotic pace of daily life. I also enjoy browsing through bookstores,
especially the ones that provide cushy chairs where customers can sit quietly and read without being disturbed.

It is easy to tune out your surroundings and lose yourself in the pages of a
good book. I was doing just that when I heard a familiar voice. Looking up, I spotted one of my friends, Carol, who was asking an employee where she could find a new suspense novel that had just been released. The young man quickly handed Carol the book from his personal stash behind the counter and went back to work. I watched a smile spread across Carol's face as she examined her new treasure while gently turning the book over in her hands and flipping through pages. Carol then did something I absolutely could not believe. She turned to the last several pages of the book and began reading.

It was time for an intervention. I was ready for the task. I quickly put the book I had been reading back on the shelf. I needed to focus on the obvious needs of my friend. With a quick wave, I got Carol's attention
and made my approach. After a quick hug, I said, "It is so good to see you. How have you been?" We spent a few minutes catching up on what was happening in our lives.

I could not help myself. "Are you buying that book?" I asked. It was an honest question because, for the life of me, I could not understand why anyone would want to buy a suspense novel when they already knew how it ended. Excitement danced in her eyes as she responded, "Yes, I am. I can't wait to read it. The ending is awesome!"

Now I can understand reading the first few pages or scanning the table of
contents before buying a book. I can even comprehend reading a few paragraphs here and there to get an idea of the story line. That makes sense to me. Carol's perspective did not. "Okay. I have to confess that I saw you reading the last few pages of the book. Why in the world did you read the ending? Won't that spoil the story for you?" I asked.

"Not at all," Carol quickly responded. "Before I buy a book, I always read the ending to make sure I really want that particular book," she explained. It was worse than I thought. Seeing the look of disbelief on my face, she laughed and admitted, "I know. It sounds crazy, but I have to know that everything turns out okay before I commit to reading the book."

The more I thought about Carol's words, the more I realize that, as followers of God, we need to do the same. Billy Graham once said, "I've read the last page of the Bible. It's all going to turn out all right."

When we focus only on what we can see and understand or explain, we will worry. Fear and doubt will become familiar companions if we live each day against the backdrop of this broken world. Our only hope is God. And it is not enough to just know about Him. We must know Him. A personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ assures us that no matter what the world throws our way, it's all going to be okay.  

Let's Pray:
Father, I am tempted to worry about so many things. Our world is a mess!
Forgive me for focusing on anything or anyone but You. Thank You for the Bible that equips and empowers me to live each day. Right now, I declare that You are my only Hope. Please help me to remember that You really are in control. In Jesus' name, amen.

TRUE FORGIVENESS

I had been lied to, betrayed, and hurt. I was angry and felt I had every right to be. Anger crushed my desire to forgive. Although I’d asked God to fill my heart with mercy, I kept a running mental list of justifications for my anger that overrode my empty prayers.

My internal dialogue was one big argument. One voice tried to convince me I was justified in remaining angry; another voice tried to persuade me that mercy was the right choice.

For months, the loudest voice was the one that indulged my damaged emotions:Yes, I have a right to be angry. Anyone would agree.

Listening to the voice of bitterness and unforgiveness, I often lashed out with impatience and meanness. I could play the good Christian woman for short periods of time, but if something triggered my suppressed emotions, hostility and resentment catapulted to the surface.

Reading Scripture one morning, I sensed God inviting me to consider the direction my anger was taking me and the damage it was doing. As I read the words from James 1, I couldn’t help but notice how it says “everyone” should be slow to speak and slow to anger. This truth from God’s Word left no room for my excuses or righteous indignation, even though I felt like my anger was justified. And then a few verses later, I read this:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. — James 1:22

From a worldly perspective, I knew I had every right to be angry. But from God’s perspective, my anger only added to the sin of the situation. My refusal to extend the same mercy and forgiveness God had given me was preventing me from living out the Gospel.

Through the words of James, God softened my heart. I acknowledged that although I said I’d forgiven this person with my words, I had not forgiven with my heart — and it was time to do so and move on.

In every area of life, including managing our most powerful emotions, God tells us to be quick to listen (to Him and others), slow to speak, and slow to become angry. As we apply these practices in our relationships, we become doers of His Word, not just hearers, and that leads to the righteousness God desires.

Dear Lord, please forgive me for harboring anger. Equip me with a supernatural ability to forgive those who have hurt me. Guard my heart when old emotions threaten to surface. Strip my heart of anger and replace it with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

REMEMBER

Anger only worsens any situation, but selfless forgiveness brings freedom. We are all called to forgive even when wronged, just as God forgives us.

REFLECT

Whom have you been harboring anger toward or withholding forgiveness from? Have these feelings caused you to feel bitter?

RESPOND

Pour out your heart to God today, telling Him how you feel. Then write out a prayer of forgiveness for the one who hurt you, surrendering that burden to God, and asking Him to replace your feelings of bitterness with peace and joy.

POWER VERSES

Ephesians 4:26–27; Ephesians 4:30–31

LIVE FOR GOD RATHER THAN FOR YOURSELF

Sermon on the Mount: A model prayer and some perplexing advice
==============================================================
Matthew 6

Matthew 6:33 “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6, a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount, contains the Lord’s
Prayer, perhaps the most famous prayer of all time. This model prayer by Jesus
captures well the message of the kingdom: “Your kingdom come, your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus seeks to bring the two
worlds together, and the Sermon on the Mount explains how.

At first glance, some of Jesus’ advice may seem downright foolish: Give to
everyone who asks, love your enemies, turn the other cheek, grant
interest-free loans, don’t worry about clothes or food. Can such idealism ever
work in the “real,” or visible, world? That is precisely Jesus’ point: Break
your obsession with safety, security, thriftiness, self-righteousness. Depend
instead on the Father, letting God take care of the personal injustices that
come your way, trusting God to look after your daily needs. In a nutshell, the
message of the kingdom is this: LIVE FOR GOD RATHER THAN FOR YOURSELF.

The message applies to rewards as well. Most of us look to friends and
colleagues for our rewards: a slap on the back, a raise, applause, a generous
compliment. According to Jesus, far more important rewards will come in God’s
heavenly kingdom. Therefore, the most significant acts may be carried out in
secret, seen and rewarded by no one but God.

Future Savings Account

As Jesus explains it, we are accumulating a kind of savings account, storing
up treasures in heaven rather than on Earth—treasures great enough to pay back
any amount of suffering in this life (see Matthew 6:19). The Old Testament has
dropped a few scant hints about an afterlife, but Jesus speaks plainly about a
place where “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their
Father” (Matthew 13:43).

In their quest for a kingdom, the Jews of Jesus’ day have been looking for
signs of God’s approval in this life, primarily through prosperity and
political power. Beginning with this speech, Jesus changes the focus to the
life to come. He discounts success in this visible world. Invest in the future
life, he cautions; for rust, a burglar or even an insect can destroy all the
accumulated things of this present one.

GOD SAID, “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.”

Many years were spent regretting sins from my past. These sins had hurt others
and me. Day after day I would replay my decisions. Two decades later, the
sting of past sin still had a hold on me.

God had forgiven me; I'd told Him about my sin and asked Him to pardon me. So
why couldn't I accept the freedom of His forgiveness?

I wanted so badly to believe I was the person David mentions in Psalm 32:2,
"Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose
spirit is no deceit." Yet I struggled with accepting that God's grace could
erase my sin, wiping it away as if it never happened.

This can be a hard thing to accept for many of us. It sounds all well and
good, but in reality, the weight of sin makes it difficult to believe a
perfect God can forgive us.

Yet, His Word assures us that God does not count our sin against us. So how
can we live in this truth?

The first step is to acknowledge our sin: to ourselves and to God. This opens
up the door for honest conversations with the Lord and helps us stop hiding
from the fear of being found out.

The next step is to fill our hearts and minds with truth. Throughout the
Bible, God teaches how an unaccepting heart can be changed and softened to
accept His forgiveness. The following verses are truth from a loving God who
longs to transform our lives through the grace of His forgiveness.

My God doesn't condemn. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

Are you lugging a load of sin that God has already forgiven? Are you ready to
stop living in shame, shackled by regret? Life is too short to exchange the
freedom of grace for the bondage of unbelief.

Today, allow God to wash the hurt and regret from past sins away with the
transforming power of His truth. And let's pray for an accepting heart that
lives in the freedom of God's grace and forgiveness.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, by faith I accept Your forgiveness and refuse to be a slave to sin
You've already forgiven. Today, I confess and move on! I commit to believe
Your transforming truths to live fully and freely in Your grace. In Jesus'
Name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond: /
"Do you struggle accepting God's forgiveness? Spend time talking with God and
ask for help to accept His forgiveness.

Use index cards to make several copies of the transforming truths above. Place
a copy in your purse, car, Bible, desk, and other places you often go. Read
them as long as it takes to experience the blessed life David speaks of in Psalm 32:2

TEMPTATION

It is not a sin to be tempted.

Temptation comes our way in all sorts of forms and sizes. Our minds are like a hotel. The manager cannot keep someone from entering the lobby. However, he can certainly keep that person from getting a room. Likewise, it is not a sin when a temptation passes through our mind. The sin comes when it does not do that, when it doesn’t pass through our mind. The sin comes when we give that thought a room in our mind and let it dwell there.

One should not confuse temptations with trials that come our way.

Most often, trials are allowed, or even sent, by God to cause the Christian to stand. Temptations are sent from the devil to cause the Christian to stumble.

Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. — James 1:13–14

The devil never made us do anything. He simply dangles the bait in front of us.

Then we are tempted; we are “drawn away by [our] own desires and enticed” by that which is outside the boundaries laid out for us in God’s Word.

Make no mistake about it: we will be tempted. As long as we are encased in human flesh, it desires to rebel against what is good and godly. We never have to teach our children to disobey. They pick right up on it. We have to teach them to obey. So it is with us and the issue of temptation. It is a reality that is not going to go away. Consequently, it behooves us to know how to deal with temptation when it comes.

Some people live with the erroneous concept that the longer we walk the Christian path and the deeper we go with God, the less we will be tempted. None of us will ever arrive at the place when temptation will not be looming before us in some form or fashion.

Most of the great heroes of the Bible faced their greatest temptations near the end of their pilgrimage rather than in the beginning.

This was certainly true of Moses, Elijah, and David. There is a word of assurance here for those who may feel a sort of pseudo guilt over being tempted: it is a reality. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man.” It is inevitable. Temptation is “common to man.”

Life may have its shadows, but one thing is certain: they are never caused by God’s turning or by His changing. He is faithful.

James reminded us that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

God provides a way of escape for us.

The word picture here is of a mountain pass. The idea is of an army that is apparently surrounded, and then suddenly they see an escape route to safety through a mountain pass.

None of us needs to succumb to the temptations that come our way. Jesus will make a way of escape. Many who have fallen into sin did so willfully because they refused to take the path of escape that the Lord put before them.

You say, “I am tempted.” The Lord says, “What else is new? I, too, was tempted in all points as you, yet I was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus taught us how to overcome our temptation.

For forty days He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness of Judea. On each occurrence, Jesus overcame by quoting Scripture.

The Word, hidden in our hearts, will also keep us from sin when applied by faith to our lives.

We should not be surprised when temptation comes our way. It is, after all, “common to man.” But Christ Himself is our way of escape. And one thing can certainly be said of Him — “He is faithful.”

Meditate on the words of James:

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. — James 1:12

* * *

Your Turn

Have you ever felt guilty for being tempted? Have you ever felt as though after years of walking with Christ you should not be tempted any more? Does your spirit feel cautioned at the reminder that so many of the Bible heroes faced their greatest temptations near the end? Spend some time with God today and ask Him what areas of your life you need to be particularly careful about, especially conscientious. 

CHRIST DIED THAT YOU WOULD BE FREE OF THE PAIN OF THE PAST

However, we must understand and accept that we are free from the penalty of our past because we trust Christ’s sacrifice as the ultimate and final payment for sin (see Hebrews 7:27).

Even so, sometimes the pain of our past comes
calling. Many women have an emotional disposition or personality type that lends itself to dwelling on bitter memories. Our adversary, the devil, often misuses this sensitivity to accuse and discourage us. He tempts our thoughts with guilt over past deeds. He calls into question the penalty of our past as if it is somehow unpaid—an outstanding debt he convinces us we must pay ourselves. We respond to his perverse persuasion by feeling as if we don’t deserve the love of family or friends, much less God’s love. After what you’ve done? Who are you kidding? This is the language of lies—a familiar tongue to anyone who longs to be free from a shameful past.

Satan tries to slip the chains of guilt back on our shoulders. And sometimes we again pick up those old familiar chains—our guilt feels so comfortable that we revert to it out of habit. But Christ has set us free! He paid the FULL penalty for our sins. Every wrong thought, word or action—all paid for.

Don’t believe the lie. God set you free; Christ died that you would be free—but you must choose to live that way.

“Christ’s call on our lives is a call to liberty. Freedom is the cornerstone of Christianity.”—Brennan Manning

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” / John 8:36

See also
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Romans 8:1–4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:1