Okay, is that just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen or what? That’s not what I’m going to write about, but I just had to share that photo. I was caring for a little kitten for someone, as her leg healed from an injury. I had moved my centerpiece to another table and left that spot empty. My son called me and said, “Mom, you’ve gotta come see this.” That precious little kitten had climbed up onto my table and laid down right in the middle of the “centerpiece decor.” How cute is that.
Anyway, what I really wanted to share about today is the power of the Precious Word of God. I witnessed the beauty of forgiveness yesterday and the power of restoration. In contrast, I am also witnessing the ongoing decline of someone who refuses to accept responsibility for his/her actions. In the first case, a harsh thing was said and someone’s feelings were hurt really bad, but when the one came to the other and said, “I’m sorry,” there was immediate forgiveness, hugs and restoration. They soon went off together and were laughing and talking as if nothing happened. In the other case, there is blame-shifting, arrogance, a lack of repentance, and a refusal to admit wrong. Everyone around this person sees the ill fruits of the bad choices; but this person cannot see. He/she is blinded by the need to be right, the refusal to admit wrong and seek forgiveness. One resulted in restoration, the other…separation, isolation and more pain.
When I was teaching a group of teens, we were talking about why the Word of God is true. One of them asked me, “Why do you believe that the Bible is God’s Word?” Well, I told them that I could quote all the data, proving it, like, fulfilled prophesies, how many authors had written it, over ____________ many years, with no contradictions. But for me, the strongest argument is the way following the Word of God, putting it into practice, and believing what it says…works. It just works! I have been walking with God for a long time now, about 40 years, and I have watched him take a head-strong, self-righteous, insecure mess, and transform her in so many ways. There are still many things to work on in my life, change comes in stages, not all at once. But I have found that if you listen when God brings something to mind He wants to change, and if you follow what He points out in His Word, it works. It just works. I have learned to discern between when God is bringing up and issue to set me free from, and when the enemy, Satan, is just accusing me and trying to thwart God’s good work. God promises us that He will finish the work that He has started in all of us who believe in Him, through Jesus Christ.
Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
I have always found this to be true. I have experienced so much forgiveness, restoration, freedom, peace and joy in my life through God’s good work, His good Word.
I am filled with sadness when I see someone I care about refusing to admit wrong, I’ve been there, and it is an awful, horrible place to be. It’s like being in the middle of a “mental storm,” with anger flashing like lightning in our minds. But when we come to God with our confusion, our hurt, our pain, our wounds, our fears, etc. He calms that storm, and shows us the way of escape
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” God’s Word works, his ways are triumphant, He is who He says He is and He can show us the way out of anything. He is God and He loves us. Following Him works, it just works.
- May you trust Him today and find peace and joy in following Him.
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