Isaiah 54:11-12

Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted, I will set your stones in black mortar, and lay your foundations in sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling stones, and all your walls of precious stones.

I love jewelry and gemstones, so, naturally, I’m attracted to these verses. In this passage, God looks upon Jerusalem in her ravaged, exiled state and promises to rebuild her. In her current condition, she is not valued and has been ravaged by the enemy. No one looks in pity upon her to comfort her or to try to make things better for her. The enemy has taken from her and now that she is storm-tossed with nothing to offer, she is of no use to anyone of influence or means to help her.

I think most of us have felt that way at some point. Regardless of our ability, passion, desire, or efforts, we don’t feel valued, and no one seems to care. Doors are closed, and no one is concerned for our well-being. We may feel alone and on our own to survive in a cruel world that sees no value in what we have to offer. God, however, chose Jerusalem for His own, and He has chosen us. He promised to rebuild Jerusalem with sapphires, rubies, and precious stones. He would make her valuable once again. He can make our life valuable once again when we let Him rebuild us and are willing to become someone new for His glory.

God promised to lay Jerusalem’s foundations with sapphires. In ancient times, blue sapphires held the promise of honesty, loyalty, purity, and trust. They were and still are popular stones used for engagement rings. When we turn to God, He rebuilds us after our storms with a foundation of honesty, loyalty, purity, and trust. We must remember that He is the builder, and these are symbols of His loyalty to us.

Built upon such a solid foundation, God promised to make Jerusalem’s battlements of rubies. Battlements were like towers in the wall that had open windows from which to shoot an approaching enemy. Rubies were a symbol of love, passion, courage, and emotion. God’s heart is toward us, and He will defend us against any enemy that threatens our relationship with Him or our well-being. We have His great love for us as our defense!

God takes what is not valued and makes it something of great value. He takes what is used and thrown away and makes something beautiful of it. He takes what has been ravaged by the enemy and clothes it with His great love. Turn to Him and let Him rebuild you into a fortress of great value in His kingdom. He gives us our worth, and we must find it in Him.

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 43:25

It is I who sweep away your transgressions for My own sake and remember your sins no more.

While God is most holy and just, He reveals His forgiving nature in this verse. Jesus taught us to forgive and not to let a root of bitterness take hold of our hearts. Here we see that God forgives us for His own sake. If He does not let a root of bitterness take hold, neither should we. Such a root contaminates our thinking, our motives, and our actions. To stay pure, we must be willing to forgive.

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself when you have been hurt or offended. Forgiving the person who hurt you does not mean the offense was right or even acceptable. Neither is forgiveness the same thing as reconciliation. Forgiveness means you let go of the right to get even and release the person from any debt owed you in the situation. Trust may have been damaged and in need of rebuilding. Reconciliation may very well mean the relationship takes a different form than the past in order to remain healthy. Forgiveness, however, is the start to your own healing.

God swept our transgressions away through Christ, who took the full punishment for our sins. Our relationship with Him is a journey of building trust and reconciliation to a full and proper relationship with the Father. One who realizes she has been forgiven much forgives much.

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 57:18-19

“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and comfort him and his mourners, creating words of praise.” The LORD says, “Peace, peace to the one who is far or near, and I will heal him.”

I once had a kitten that I fully intended to be an outdoor cat. I kept him in the garage, where he seemed to be quite at home until he wanted to wander. Occasionally, when the garage door opened, he would sneak out to venture around the yard, which was fine as long as I was at home to watch for him. One Wednesday night, however, I returned from church to find no kitten in the garage, and it had been raining rather hard. As I began to call him, I heard his loud meow coming from across the street. I quickly followed the sound of his cries through the dark to find him frantically screaming and soaking wet in the ditch.

Through the night and all the next day, he seemed to be in pain and had completely lost his friendly, playful, mischievous personality. He was certainly traumatized by whatever happened, and the cuddly kitten who normally craved attention did not want anyone to touch him. In the evening, however, he jumped in my lap for a much needed head rub and climbed right under my chin, where he liked to plant himself anytime I sat down. I knew he was feeling better. The second morning, I woke to the usual demanding meows from the garage that let me know he wanted inside, and I saw more of his playful personality emerge as he purposefully stole my attention.

This passage from Isaiah reminds me how my natural inclination was to try to comfort and heal this wayward kitten who had obviously gotten into way more trouble than he could handle. I did not judge him or leave him to fend for himself in that cold, wet ditch, even though he deliberately did what he knew better than to do. I’m so very thankful that God does not leave us in the ditches of our own mess, either. He lovingly scoops us up, watches over us in our pain, nurses us back to health, and comforts our traumatized spirit until we can sing a song of praise to Him once again.

If you find yourself in your own ditch today, turn to your loving heavenly Father and hear His voice calling, “Peace, peace,” to you. He knows exactly why you wandered, and He is waiting to comfort and heal that part of you that seeks something other than Him. He has seen your ways, and He is determined to heal you if you turn to Him. Sometimes, we just have to see that our own way doesn’t work and can even be hazardous to us before we are willing to obey and move forward in His will. He can certainly take us from ditches to destiny when we cry out to Him. Hallelujah!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 68:11

The Lord gave the command; a great company of women brought the good news.

Please note that these women were called by the Lord to speak for Him. They were to declare God’s works among the people. I find it sad and discouraging that many in the church still do not recognize the gifts and callings of women. They accept those gifts and callings as long as it is working with children or possibly teaching a woman’s class but recognize leadership gifts and callings as reserved for men only. This view is not biblical when compared against the whole of Scripture. 

God is raising up women in this day to speak for Him. In biblical times, men would go to war and send a messenger to the camp to announce victory. The women would run throughout the village announcing that victory. I believe we are living in a day that is so close to the coming of Christ that God is sending forth the word to His women to declare the victory He has already won for us! 

As a woman, you have a calling. God has gifted you in some way to advance His kingdom. Don’t let anyone degrade you in the work of God because you are a woman. Those who refuse to acknowledge the gifts and callings of women in the church may soon find their own numbers dwindling as God calls women into places where He can use them to proclaim His mighty works and advance His kingdom. God gives the command. Don’t let the fact that you are a woman stop you!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 37:3-4

Trust in the LORD and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

I know most of you are very familiar with this passage. I’ve quoted it many times and have taken it as one of God’s many promises to us. Today as I read the passage for about the gazillionth time, I noticed it is placed right smack dab in the middle of chapters and verses that contrast the schemes of the wicked and their fate with the hope of those who seek refuge in the LORD. I see two very important things to remember regarding the God-given longings of our heart and receiving His promises.

First, a part of trusting God is doing what is good. To say we trust God and then contrive to carry out wicked schemes is an oxy-moron. Dwelling securely in the land requires that we trust God to do what He said He will do and to keep our hands from doing evil to those we know are against us. Our job is to do good to others  – to do the good God has called us to do.

Secondly, be very aware that the enemy’s goal is to steal what God has promised you – your inheritance. When God is bringing you into your Promised Land, you will encounter wicked people who will try to destroy you. The enemy will attack the hardest when he sees you are about to gain victory. If you let anger consume you, you have played into his trap. Seek refuge in the LORD, and let Him fight your battles for you. Remember that He is the one that is giving you the land, and He will exalt you to inherit it. God fights for those who place their hope in Him, and He has promised that those who do will not be punished, ashamed, disgraced, or disappointed.

Continue to do good and trust in the LORD today. Know that the wicked schemes of the Devil will not prevail over what God has promised you. God cares about the well-being of His servants, and He will exalt you to inherit the promises He has given you – the very desires of your heart.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 12:6-8

The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. You, LORD, will guard us, You will protect us from this generation forever. The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted.

These times should not confuse us. They are mentioned throughout Scripture for our forewarning and encouragement. Without doubt, we live in a generation that does not honor God, but God does honor His people. Let that be your assurance.

The world honors superstars who have no real substance and whose lives are in shambles. In fact, we’ve seen evidence of this displayed vividly on our news channels as of late. Many of the people the world exalts are drug addicted, alcoholic, depressed Hollywood elites who have had difficulty managing their own fame and fortune. Some of those same “stars” ridicule our God and our government. Obviously, they have no real answers but use their influence to try to convince us to accept sinful and compromising lifestyles as normal. Such people should never be considered heroes but people who are desperately in need of salvation. God will protect us from this Hollywood influenced generation. We need only to remain steadfast in Him.

The words of the LORD are pure. Contemplate on that this morning. If God said it, we can trust it. If He promised it, He will bring it to pass. Don’t let the unbelieving words of family, friends, the media, or anyone else cause you to doubt the pure words God has spoken to us in His word. 

Notice that God’s words are like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. If He has given a word to us, we can expect that word to face some fire on earth. It must be tested to be found pure as silver. As His word is tested, so are we if we allow that word to take anchor in our heart. Fine silver, however, is worth the testing it endures. 

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 30:2

LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.

Psalm 31:7-9

I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful love because You have seen my affliction. You have known the troubles of my life and have not handed me over to the enemy. You have set my feet in a spacious place. Be gracious to me, LORD, because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow – my whole being as well. 

Angry sorrow is hurt – a soul wound.  The anger serves as somewhat of a protective mechanism to cover a damaged, raw, bleeding and aching soul. Just like a wounded animal may fight you when you try to administer aid, so do we often fight the grace of God through people who try to help us when we harbor a soul wound. Many times, we get stuck and limited in life because we’ve been hurt, and we need a healing to move forward. David reminds us in the words of these Psalms that God’s grace has the healing power to overcome our wounds. We can take steps into the spacious place of God’s favor by fully submitting our hurts – our deepest soul wounds – to Him. God knows our afflictions and troubles, and He gives us grace instead of condemnation to experience victory and joy.

Verses 15-16 of Psalm 31 help us re-focus our attention. “The course of my life is in Your power; deliver me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors. Show Your favor to Your servant; save me by Your faithful love.” God’s power to deliver us and to bless us is much greater than any enemy power to destroy us! Choose to dwell upon the love He has for you today and not the jabs the enemy has taken at you. He is greater and stronger, so make Him greater in your focus, as well. Dare to look at the hurt beneath your anger, and submit that pain to the Father, knowing His grace has the power to heal completely and move you forward into victory.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled spirit.

In all of our pursuits to please God and to do great things for Him by advancing His kingdom, our self-efforts and sacrifices will get us nowhere if we are trying to gain His approval. What God wants to do is heal the wounds that cause us to seek His approval in the first place. If you are a child of God, you already have His approval. His desire is for you to believe in His love for you. Therefore, He may break us before He can bless us.

If you have ever hit a brick wall in your walk with God and felt completely helpless to move forward, take notice. What is God revealing to you? What hurt arises in you as a result of not being able to advance? What need faces you that you absolutely cannot meet on your own? What inside you is broken that you cannot fix? Chances are, that is where God is working in your life. 

Submit that broken place fully to God, and ask Him to heal you. Refuse to hold on to that hurt or hide it any longer. Such a sacrifice is pleasing to God. He will not despise a broken and humbled spirit, and He will heal whatever needs to be healed in order for you to move forward.

Verse 18 continues with yet more promise. “In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem.” A broken spirit fully submitted to God has the power to prosper you in the area you need it most. 

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 25:3

Not one person who waits for You will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.

Sometimes, our answers come only by waiting. If you are like me, you hate those times because you are inclined to try to do something to speed the process. No one likes to wait, and our longing or need to see the answer may only intensify. Some battles or provisions, however, can come only from God, and we must wait on His timing. Otherwise, we will get into serious trouble by trying to make something happen prematurely.

To act treacherously is to be guilty of betrayal of confidence or trust. Treacherous behavior takes insider information and tries to use it to manipulate a situation for personal gain, often at the expense of the person whose trust has been violated. God’s blessings never come by manipulation but by waiting patiently and with hopeful expectation for His favor. Those who wait for Him will never be disgraced but will enjoy His full blessing. The treacherous will suffer shame by their own guilt, and their schemes will prevent their blessing. They, too, must learn to wait upon God.

Choose to wait today, and know with full assurance that God is bringing your blessing to fruition. Don’t allow the Devil to cause you to miss what God has in store for you by trying to make things happen by your own hand. Reject the temptation to become jealous of someone else’s blessing, and rejoice that if God did it for someone else, He can do it for you, too. Those who wait for Him will never be disgraced, and they will rejoice in knowing God in a more personal, intimate way than ever before known.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 138:8

The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. LORD, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands.

At times, we have all felt like we have just blown it, didn’t quite measure up, or completely missed God’s direction on important things. We serve a God, however, that planned every one of our days and knew from the beginning where we would fall short, yet He created us for a purpose and chose to use us in His great plan, despite our flaws. Because of His great love for us, we can both rest and rejoice in knowing that God will not abandon the work He began in us, but He will be faithful to complete it!

Psalm 139:5 states, “You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me.” God acts as a shield around us to protect us from the enemy and from ourselves. As long as we are in Him, He will fulfill His purpose in us. Thank goodness He gives us Himself as a safety net when we fall!

Dear friend, you have not fallen so far that the grace of God cannot save you or redirect you. God is right there with you; in fact, He is all around you! His purpose for you is greater than your shortcomings and for a reason higher than you can imagine. Trust Him as your Creator and as the One who called you. You are not abandoned – just unfinished!

Have a blessed day!