This past week, my feelings were hurt a few times. Each instance can be classified as insulting. I grew up very sensitive, always crying and getting emotional. Somewhere along the way, I have hardened my heart, so things don’t bother me as much. I have dulled my emotions to pain and hurt. Somehow, these hurts seeped into my heart. It is hard to deal with unexpected emotions. I felt disbelief and sadness at first. Then, I felt anger and bitterness. I think I was launching my own mini warfare this past weekend, with the words I was using. I don’t like how I have been acting. It is not me, and it is not nice. So, first I had to go to God and seek forgiveness from God. Then, I have to truly forgive those who hurt me intentionally or maybe are hurting so much themselves, that they wanted to blame me or crush my spirit. They didn’t ask to be forgiven, but I must forgive them anyway and pray for them. Bitterness is an ugly emotion to carry around. I don’t deserve it, but God forgives me. I prayed that God would fill me with the Holy Spirit and take away all the anger and bitterness and bless those who hurt me. If God can forgive me, I must forgive myself and move on knowing the one that matters has forgiven me, God.
Have you ever heard the phrase that money is the root of all evil? I think the love of money is the root of all evil. When you start valuing money over people, you will lose the really important things in life. God, Your family. Your true friends.
The bible invites us to an abundant life. “And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.” How can we buy and eat without money? I think God is telling us the really important things in life are free. The most important thing in our lives is our relationship with God. If we don’t have that, we will never find satisfaction. Without God, we will always feel empty. We can buy things, but things will never fill the void within us that God can fill. Why do we spend money on all these things? I don’t know, but I am guilty of it. The bible says “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.” I get a little spark of satisfaction when I buy something. Does that feeling last? No. If we seek God, he can fill our soul. We can be delighted at the abundance. Abundance of what? God gives us peace, happiness, joy, love, satisfaction and the feeling of being complete. These feelings will certainly give us an abundant life.
An Invitation to Abundant Life
Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
–Isaiah 55:1-2 (NKJV)
While we can, seek the Lord. “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.” Will the Lord go away? No. However, we can draw ourselves so far from the Lord, that it may be difficult to find our way back. So, seek the Lord. Everyday. Just a few hurts and a few days can send me in a downward spiral. I have to call on the Lord to pull me back up. I have to make a 911 call to God.
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
–Isaiah 55:6-8 (NKJV)
God’s ways are not our ways. Our thoughts are not God’s thoughts. God is higher than us, just as the heavens are higher than the earth. The rain and snow falls from the heavens but do not return there. God gives to us abundantly, just wanting our love and praise. Isn’t our God so good?
God speaks words to accomplish what he pleases. God sends words to prosper what he wants to prosper. We cannot think like God, so we cannot expect to understand his purpose. We can trust that it is good. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
“For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
—-Isaiah 55:9-13 (NKJV)
God will give us “joy” and ‘peace”. The mountains will sing before us. God’s plans for us are so beautiful. “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you”. God’s ways are higher than ours. God’s goodness reaches beyond the heavens.
Prayer
Dear God,
Help, God, I cannot do this alone! Take away my pain and burdens from me, for they are too much for me to carry. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Help me forgive those who hurt me, because they must be hurting inside. Bless those who hurt me. I know how hard it is to carry around the hurt, anger and bitterness. I pray that you free me of it and also free those that hurt me. Your ways are higher than mine. Thank you, God for being so good to us.
Amen
Embrace This Beautiful Life 