I just love it when God reveals His word to me, and He has given me a message from Daniel 4:27-37 that helps give great insight into the minds of our prodigals; and it also shows the awesome sovereignty of God and how He brings those who have gone astray back to their senses.

Daniel 4:27-33 says:
Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

In verse 27, Daniel pleads with King Nebuchadnezzar to “break away from his sins and to do righteousness…” But Nebuchadnezzar was full of foolish pride. He was living his life his way and boasting in what “he” had accomplished. The text implies that he was living in sin and not walking according to the will of God. So, God in His mercy sends him a message through his prophet, Daniel, to turn from his ways….or else….

But Nebuchadnezzar, like our spouses, refused to listen to God and a year later, he was standing on his rooftop bragging, and while he was in the midst of his speech, heaven came to witness against him and he was met with judgment. And then, just as prophesied, King Nebuchadnezzar, as some theologians say, became “a mad man.” And he was dwelling in the fields as a beast, eating grass, and hairy, with nails like claws. What a vivid picture!

Our spouses may have spurned warnings from the Holy Spirit; a sermon or a messenger from God, and right now they may be unwilling to turn and repent. But, God has a plan! He will allow them to wander around aimlessly, live in the pigpen of life, roll in the dirt and eat grass, and even live without their senses for a while; but praise God; it’s not “forever!”

Right now our spouses may be living like a beast or someone totally out of their mind; they have taken on a new identity; a new look! The company they keep is different! They are living like the world, boasting on what they are doing and getting away with it; resulting in hearts full of pride. Don’t fret! We are to wait on God, because it is only for a fixed period of time! The bible said that “for seven years” God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to live like a crazy man. So don’t focus on the time, but rather praise God that “this trouble won’t last always” and that “this too shall pass!”

Look at what happens at the end of the seven years! Daniel 4:34-37 (NASB) says:
But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ At that time my reason returned to me and my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. Now, I Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all of His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.

I’m sure King Nebuchadnezzar’s loved ones and those looking on had a hard time dealing with it as they watched him live like that, just as we do when we see the lives our spouses are living; but it was and is all a necessary part of the perfect plan and will of God. And the day will come when our spouses, like King Nebuchadnezzar, will look up toward heaven and have their “reason” returned to them and they will cry aloud, blessing the name of our Most High God who lives forever and ever! Prior to his encounter with God, King Nebuchadnezzar would not recognize Him; so God had to help him out a bit! And He allowed all of that to happen to bring Nebuchadnezzar to his senses. Yes, God is most certainly able to HUMBLE those who walk in pride.

It was God who sent King Nebuchadnezzar out there to live like a beast, and only God could bring him back! We may not be able to fathom why God allows our spouses to go out and live as they do, but friends, remember that God is sovereign and we can trust him better than we can trust ourselves. He’s got it all under control. We can do nothing to change our spouses or turn the tide in our marriages. It’s all in God’s capable hands, so we need only watch and pray. All of what we’re going through is ultimately for God’s glory!

And you know what? After that experience and his conversion, King Nebuchadnezzar NEVER returned to that lifestyle. Better still, once his reason was restored, verse 36 says that God returned to him everything! Everything was RESTORED and not just to what it was before he lost his mind, but it surpassed what he had before. Whoo-hoo! God is creating circumstances for our spouses, just like he did for King Nebuchadnezzar, to bring them to repentance and to their senses. So instead of being sad, we really should REJOICE knowing that God is “causing all things to work together for good…”

God is saying to us if we can wait with patience and faith during this period and let him do what He needs to do in us and our spouses, we will be able to say as in verse 35, He does according to His will in the host of heaven….and no one can ward off his hand….

It’s hard sometimes, but I’m willing to wait! Are you?

So be blessed and encouraged by God’s Word and this message to us from King Nebuchadnezzar!

Love you all,
Paula

Since our congregation has recently moved into our new church, we have started a new series of messages titled “Here we are! Are we here?” It has been a great series and application as we step out in faith into our new building. Even greater and more powerful is that God is speaking to ME concerning the great and awesome journey of restoration He’s taking all of us on!

The first message in our series was on the passage of Exodus 14:10-14
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

The first verses are so much like many of us on our restoration journey. We tend to look at our circumstances (our Egyptians) instead of the Promises from God for deliverance. Using the entire story of Moses and the Israelites, we know that God DID come through on His promise! But when He originally brought the Israelites out of slavery, He did not take them directly to the Promise land, because He knew the WHOLE story. God knew that if He fully delivered them right then, when they faced opposition, they would crumble and run back to the things they knew best; they would run back to serving the Egyptians. But God had much better plans for the Israelites that they could not see. He knew that by taking them into the wilderness, He would take them through trials. And each trial they faced would refine and mold them into the people He had always planned for them to be as they entered the Promise land; people that would bring forth the greater Glory for Him. The same is true for all of us as we journey in the wilderness of our marriage restoration. God HAS promised us a great and glorious restoration. But He will take us through trials as we journey; none of them are meant to harm us, but are meant to perfect our future of hope and prosperity as He promises in Jeremiah 29:11. If God were to immediately bring forth our restorations; any time we faced a trial, we might revert back to our old ways. But God has a greater plan for us and He wants to bless and use us for His glory!!! So rather than grumble and be afraid that God will not come forth on His promises, we are to do just as Moses told the Israelites; we are NOT to be afraid! God has us COMPLETELY covered. We should “stand firm” and “be still” during this time. God has great and awesome things for us to learn and grow in. He sees our entire future and already has it all laid out, so HE KNOWS exactly how to get us right where He needs us to bring forth the restoration He promises to deliver!

Yesterday at church, the second part of our study was on Isaiah 43:16-19, which says This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. This is a different generation from that in the Exodus passage. These were not the people that God originally took out of Egypt and then took through the Red Sea. However, the parting of the Red Sea was a miracle that had been talked about and handed down through the generations, and these people knew of God’s awesome miracle. So God begins to speak directly to the Israelites by calling to their attention the power and glory He had previously displayed. And then He tells them to forget it; “forget the past.” With such an awesome and powerful miracle, why would God want them to forget it? Then God tells them why. What He had previously done is nothing in comparison to the NEW THING He was bringing forth.

Picking back up on the comparison of these passages to our restoration journey, God has told us that we were to “stand firm” and “be still” as He leads us through our Red Sea of trials while He “extinguished snuffed out like a wick” our Egyptians of circumstances. Now God is telling us to forget our past; that the past marriage and the miracle of the union between us, our spouse and God should be forgotten. It is in the past and it is no longer attainable. As we see glimpses of what “use to be,” we must remember that it isn’t and we shouldn’t react in the same way! God tells us to forget it because what He is bringing forth new is going to be better than we could ever imagine!!! God has and is taking us through our trials so we will be better equipped to see, receive and glorify Him in the miracle He has waiting for us. As God delivers us, He will bring forth a new and better miracle of union between us, our spouse and God; one that is so wonderful and glorious that we couldn’t even begin to imagine it! So as we get excited when reading all of the wonderful Praise reports from FAM members about how God is moving, that is NOTHING compared to the great, awesome and glorious new thing He is bringing forth! It will only get better and better!!!

As we left church yesterday, our Pastor indicated what passage He would finish out our series with, but all I can remember is that it was in 1 Corinthians; perhaps chapter 2. I was going to wait until then to finish this post; however, I felt a nudge to finish it today. So as I looked in 1 Corinthians 2, I asked God to bring to my attention the verse that completed all that He wanted me to share. within moments, God answered that prayer; the entire chapter sums it all up. Verse 1-5 speaks of how he is just a man that came to them with no knowledge. And that’s probably the truth for all of us as we began our journey of restoration. We knew nothing as to what it truly meant to be married and to serve God and nothing about standing and marriage restoration. Then, just as the chapter continues, the Spirit of God comes forth and teaches us things in our trials, making us one in the mind of Christ. We all share our trials, teachings and the glorious Praises with each other in our posts as we travel the journey. But it is not our words that cause things to move; it is the Spirit of God that is so evident here in FAM that ultimately teaches us and leads us. So as we turn our eyes, ears and hearts toward God, we all must “stand firm,” “be still,” know that God is “doing a new thing” and that it will be just as it says in 1 Corinthians 2:9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”

I just want to share an article that I came across today. It’s nothing new, but this author sure does an excellent job of saying it clearly.

When Satan comes against your mind with wrong thoughts, you don’t have to concede defeat. Use these practical actions to confront loose thoughts by securing them with the belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14).

Action 1: Refuse to feel guilty for wrong thoughts
Imagine you are awakened at 3 a.m. by someone pounding on your front door. More than likely, before you open the door, you’ll look through the peephole to see who is causing the commotion. If it were a neighbor, a friend, or a family member, you would probably open the door and invite him in. However, if it were a stranger wearing a ski mask and carrying a pistol, you would hopefully refuse them entry.

If you were certain the person seeking entry into your home intended to harm you, would you feel guilty over his wanting to assault you? Would you lament to yourself, What is wrong with me that would cause this person to want to hurt me? No, you would call the police immediately to apprehend the would-be assailant.

We are not always responsible for the harmful thoughts that come knocking on the doors of our minds. Although allowing outside stimuli such as certain TV programs, reading material, or internet sites to fill our minds can incite thoughts of immorality or greed, we are not always to blame for the first assault of these ideas. If you were stranded on a deserted island, you would still battle against wrong thoughts.

How do I know that? Consider Jesus’ experience in the wilderness immediately following His baptism. For 40 days Christ was completely isolated. No other people, no newspapers, no e-mail. Yet during those 40 days, Jesus was tempted with thoughts of discontent, greed, and pride.

“Since God hasn’t provided you with what you need to survive, turn these stones into bread.”

“You don’t need to wait to reign over the kingdoms of the world; they can be yours now if you are willing to worship me.”

“You don’t need to follow God’s timetable. Demonstrate you are the Messiah now! Put on a spiritual circus to demonstrate you are the Son of God.”

Where did these thoughts originate? “The devil said to Him” (Luke 4:3) — nowhere in the biblical account of Jesus’ temptation does Luke record that the devil appeared to Jesus. Possibly, Satan spoke to the Lord the same way he often communicates with us: through the mind.

Yet did these ungodly thoughts make Jesus a sinner? Of course not! He remained the perfect Lamb of God whose blamelessness qualified Him to be our Savior. If you and I are going to win the mind games, we need to first stop feeling guilty when evil thoughts invade our lives and, instead, learn how to deal with those unwelcome intrusions.

Action 2: Refuse to allow wrong thoughts to linger
If we entertain and embellish wrong thoughts for any period of time, those ideas have a way of transforming into obsessions. These, in turn, result in overt actions or attitudes of disobedience. Pastor and author Charles Stanley vividly demonstrates:

“The initial thoughts the devil sends to us may be just a toehold the first time we entertain those thoughts and dwell on them or fantasize about them. The longer we entertain the thoughts, however, the more likely we are to start making mental plans about how we might act on them.

“It is then the toehold of an idea becomes a foothold. The more we develop plans for acting on a sinful idea or temptation, the more we find that the foothold has become a stronghold. We come to the place where we feel compelled to try out the idea in our behavior. We come to the place where we want to act on that idea more than we want to banish the idea.”

When we reach that point, we are in trouble. How can we prevent our thoughts from turning into strongholds for the devil?

Action 3: Recognize and replace wrong thoughts with God’s thoughts
My analogy concerning a burglar attempting entry into your home is flawed in one respect. While we may be successful in preventing an intruder from coming into our home, we cannot keep unwanted thoughts out of our minds. The fact that we are thinking about something means that the alien idea has already gained entry.

Nevertheless, we do not need to allow the intruder to sit down in our favorite chair, engage us in an extended conversation, and announce that since he has been so welcomed, he is taking up residence in our spare bedroom! Instead, we need to follow the Apostle Paul’s advice for dealing with an undesirable guest:

“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Remembering the words recognize and replace will help you seize control over wrong thoughts. Use the questions we discussed previously to help recognize whether or not a thought could have satanic origin.

Is this thought true? Does this thought motivate me to fear more or to trust God more? Does this thought contradict God’s Word?

But know that simply labeling a thought as harmful and attempting to dismiss it from your mind is not enough. In fact, the more you try to reject an unwanted thought, the more you will find yourself obsessing over it.

To dismiss Satan’s thoughts we must replace them with God’s thoughts, just as Jesus did.

When Satan attempted to plant seeds of discontent, Jesus responded by quoting a verse from the Old Testament. “Man shall not live on bread alone” (Luke 4:4).

When Satan enticed the Lord with thoughts of power and riches, Jesus recited God’s greatest commandment: “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Luke 4:8).

When Satan tempted Jesus to act independently from God, the Lord quoted: “You shall not put the lord your God to the test” (Luke 4:12).

Jesus understood that the best way to dismiss an unwelcome thought is to replace it with another, more-powerful thought. The best way to dispel darkness is to confront it with light!

When fearful thoughts try to seize control of your life, you can replace those thoughts with, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV).

When you are tempted with thoughts of discontent, you can replace those thoughts with, “We have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:7-8).

When you are tempted by fantasies of sex with someone other than your mate, you can replace those thoughts with, “The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; he who would destroy himself does it” (Proverbs 6:32).

I believe it is this process Paul has in mind when he encourages us to gird our loins with truth (Ephesians 6:14). Our success in spiritual battle depends on confronting any loose thoughts with the truth of God’s Word.

(Adapted from THE DIVINE DEFENSE by Robert Jeffress, Waterbrook Press, 2006)

• Pathway to Victory (Wednesday, November 01, 2006)

The above article is available on OnePlace.com at this link.

Based on conversations with some new FAM Fellowship members and others I’ve talked to recently, I’m saddened to discover how many newly married couples have never truly experienced joy or happiness, because their marriages were fraught with petty arguments and disagreements almost from the very beginning. And even though all of these situations center on different issues, the root causes are the same in each; pride and failure to take their issues and concerns to God in prayer.

Unfortunately, few of us fully recognize and understand the absolute truth and wisdom found in Proverbs 16:18, which says Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. And 2 Samuel 22:28 says You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

Since pride was what got Satan in trouble in the first place, it’s no wonder that he’s so adept when it comes to using it to steal, kill and destroy our marriages and families. Pride is something Satan knows ALL about, and he knows how to push the buttons in each of us that cause us to lose sight of the things that are REALLY important; which we will often do just for the sake of self preservation and self justification. So it is by no means just a coincidence that the Bible tells us to submit to the Lord and humble ourselves before Him in order to resist the devil and make him flee from us, as we see in James 4:6-7 , which says But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And then James 4:10 says Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. And that’s further confirmed and amplified in 1 Peter 5:5-11, which says Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Sadly, way too many times (if not most or all), When we find ourselves in a dispute over anything, even totally inconsequential things, for the sake of our pride we refuse to give up and demand to be acknowledged as right. But how often do we take the time to actually consider the cost of such a demand? Unfortunately, when we let pride drive us into battle mode against our spouses, we MAY well win the battle, but we will also very likely lose the war; the spiritual warfare Satan is waging to steal, kill and destroy our marriages and families. Yet, we have God’s Word that if we will humble ourselves under HIS mighty hand, HE will lift us up and restore us in due time. That’s why it is so important to fully understand the significance of the passage of scripture Peter refers to in the instructions to husbands and wives in 1 Peter 3:1-12 (NASB) as follows:
1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.
3 Your adornment must not be merely external–braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;
6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
10 For, “THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.
11 HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.
12 FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.”

Since this is such a VITALLY important passage of scripture for everyone standing for marriage restoration, here’s a link to it in The Amplified Bible. I STRONGLY encourage every husband and wife to read and seriously study this passage of scripture and put it into practice, especially those seeking marriage restoration. Truly understanding these very specific instructions from God for wives and husbands AND putting them into practice has the power to TOTALLY transform and turn around ANY marriage, which is why it is SO important! I have often said that if there were only one instructional passage of scripture available for marriage restoration, this is the one I’d want. But, praise the Lord, we have so much more! However, we can’t possibly fully understand the significance and impact of this passage without reading it in the context of the preceding passage of scripture. Before the instructions for both wives and husbands, we are told “In the same way….” In the same way as what? We tend to forget that the original text of the Bible didn’t have chapter and verse notations, so we often have to read the preceding chapters and verses to fully understand the context of what we’re reading, and in some cases, such as this, that’s very important. So I recommend reading all of 1 Peter 2. But in the particular context of avoiding strife, arguments and disagreements in marriage, there’s no doubt that 1 Peter 2:18-25 applies; making its reference very relevant to the instructions Peter gives wives and husbands. It says:
18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.
20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Well, that sure does fly in the face of what the world considers “politically correct” these days, doesn’t it? Yet, it’s very much in keeping with what Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:38-45, which says:
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Surely, if God sets such a high standard for interaction with our enemies and those who persecute us; He certainly does not expect les when it comes to our one flesh mates. But there’s NO denying that doing what God expects, especially when our marriages are falling apart and our spouses are determined to leave, requires a boat load of humility! But we only have two choices; we can do things the way of the world and end up with the world’s results, which we know is divorce and a lot of pain and devastation, especially for the children of divorced parents who really suffer the most according to all available statistical data. Or we can DO things God’s way and stand on the power and promise of His Word and get His results, which we know is the restoration of our marriages according to Malachi 2 and many other passages of scripture. And Malachi 2:11-17 (NASB) particularly makes it very clear that it is God Almighty who will uphold the covenant of our marriages when we are faithful, because it says:
11 “Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12 “As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the LORD of hosts.
13 “This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.
14 “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
15 “But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth.
16 “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the LORD of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
17 You have wearied the LORD with your words Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”

So it is my earnest hope and prayer that something in this message will reach the hearts and minds of every husband and wife, young and old alike, and make us all realize and consider the very high cost of insisting on being right, or of trying to make our spouses see, accept or acknowledge that we are right or that they are wrong. Our stand for marriage restoration is much better served if we would just find a place of resting in the knowledge that God knows we are right and that HE will judge all things in our favor IF we’d just humble ourselves before our spouses and under His MIGHTY hand! But when we fail to do that and are controlled by our pride, God has to actually OPPOSE us, because that’s what His Word says and He will NEVER let His Word be mocked! That’s why it is SO important for us to get this. He’s the one who will vindicate us and lift us up and restore us in due time, so we have to learn to put our faith, confidence and trust in the power and promise of God’s Word and know that He will judge us and those who oppose us justly. If that was good enough for Jesus, surely it is good enough for us, which we know it was according to 1 peter 2:23; When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. Oh, what a place to be in our walk and relationship with the Lord when we can TRULY do that! And while I’ve seen and we all know the awesome power of praise, prayer and fasting; I have to say that one of the most surprising and amazing things my experience in marriage restoration ministry has taught me is that NOTHING compares to the supernatural power I’ve witnessed at work when men and women standing for marriage restoration really do humble themselves before the Lord and their spouses. So take time to study all of the scripture verses here, line by line, and learn to put them into practice, because when we truly understand that insisting on having our mates acknowledge or agree that we are right or that they are wrong, we may well be doing so at the cost of our own happiness and a LOT more! When we truly understand how important and powerful the message of humility really is, we WILL BE blessed and encouraged beyond belief!

One of the highest and greatest goals for all Believers, especially those standing for marriage restoration, is living to please God. Unfortunately, most of us are guilty, or have been guilty of living to please just about anyone and everyone BUT God; ourselves for many of us and our spouses for most of us. And living to please anyone other than God can only bring frustration and disappointment when we have truly given our hearts and lives to Jesus. Yet, IF we please God by seeking FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, delighting in Him, trusting Him with all of our hearts and obeying Him; He will bless us with all of the material things we need and give us the desires of our hearts as He makes our paths straight and our righteousness shine like the dawn, and the justice of our cause like the noon day sun! (Matthew 6:32-33, Psalm 37:4-6 and Proverbs 3:5-6)

When the Lord first put this on my heart earlier this week, I was a bit surprised by the verse He gave me, which was Luke 22:42, which says “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” And then verses 43 and 44 say An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. But that tells me that the only way to truly please God is to be like Jesus and to submit and surrender our own will and wishes to His, even when it requires great personal sacrifice. So that old saying that used to be a lot more popular than today really provides the simplest key to living to please God; which is to ask ourselves “What would Jesus do?”…AND THEN DOING IT.

And Romans 12:1-2 tells us Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. But it’s not possible to know the will of God or what Jesus would do without spending a LOT of QUALITY time reading and studying His Word, which is the ONLY way to gain knowledge of God and “renew” our minds. And Colossians 1:9-12 reveals the importance of that, because it says For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Psalm 146:3 clearly warns Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Yet when we seek to please our spouses or anyone other than God, we are in effect putting our trust in them; why else are we seeking to please them? And in Galatians 1:10 Paul makes it just as clear that we can not truly serve God and seek to please men at the same time. He said Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. And then 1 Thessalonians 2:4 saysOn the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. Unfortunately, it’s very easy for men and women standing for marriage restoration to get too caught up in pleasing their spouses or in being overly concerned with what they think or how they will react to this or that; when the most important thing to be concerned with is what pleases God; what does He think and how does He feel. God has the power to do anything He wants to and He WILL do what His Word promises, so when our focus is on pleasing Him and in delighting Him and in Him; HE will deal with ALL things concerning our spouses, including giving them undivided hearts and changing their hearts of stone to hearts of flesh, and turning their hearts back to us. ( Ezekiel 11:19Proverbs 21:1) When we live in fear of how our spouses will react when we do what we know the Lord wants us to do, we are not pleasing God. In fact, 1 Peter 3:5-6 very specifically tells women desiring to see their spouses won to the Lord not to give way to fear. It says For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

And a verse I’ve read many times before, which certainly took on a much greater meaning as I studied it this time is Ecclesiastes 2:26, which says To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.… And putting that with 1 Peter 2:23 should give us great confidence that God will make EVERYTHING right for us if we just TRUST Him, because it says When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

Since the Bible is full of promises and blessings for those who please the Lord, we need to know HOW to please Him. Matthew 3:15-17 says Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” And Matthew 17:4 says While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” That’s why we know we will please God if we follow the example set before us by Jesus. And in Matthew 7:24-28, Jesus Himself told us how to please God and afford ourselves His blessings and protection. He said:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

So the surest way to please God is to LISTEN to His Son and DO as He tells us to do. And a simple way to know what pleases God is to ask ourselves what Jesus would do and then do our best to do it. We can not live to please both man and God, but when we live to please God, God assures us that even though we might not think so, we will also be approved by men. Romans 14:17-18 says For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. So when we are not experiencing the righteousness, peace and joy Jesus told us we should have in the Holy Spirit, we are probably NOT living to please God, because we’re too focused on pleasing ourselves, our spouses or others. And when we do that, we are allowing the devil to do exactly what he always comes to do, which is to steal, kill and destroy. And we can not experience the abundant life Jesus came to give us according to John 10:10, which says The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. So let’s all heed the warning in Hebrews 11:6, which says And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. So when we dare to live for God, as the above passages of scripture promise, we WILL definitely please God and most assuredly be blessed and encouraged!

It’s not at all uncommon to receive many wonderful messages and devotionals that FAM Fellowship members want to share, but today I actually received two messages from two different members from the same source and I really loved both of them. And since they are very important messages for all of us, especially for everyone standing for marriage restoration, I want to share them here as well. They are The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional messages for yesterday and today, and they’re both written by John walker. They can be accessed at the following links, where archived messages are also available, as well as an option to sign up to receive them by email. So be blessed and encouraged! They’re both great!

The Holy Nudge – By Jon Walker

Anger Management – By Jon Walker

When I read Glenn Jackson’s awesome Walking In The Fullness Of Our Inheritance message today, I immediately knew that I wanted to include it in a SOF post I’m working on, but I wasn’t able to get that completed. So I was quite pleased to see that someone else really appreciated it as much as I did when one of the FAM Fellowship members shared it with the above title and the following note. And since this is a very powerful message about the Word of God in our lives as Christians, I hope everyone will take it to heart and be blessed and encouraged!:

“I was really blessed today by the message from Glenn Jackson in his daily Walking in the Fullness of Our Inheritance series and feel that it is worthy of being shared. It just confirms that God wants us to claim the restoration and healing of our marriages, so here it is:”

“WALKING IN THE FULLNESS OF OUR INHERITANCE- October 16th

WITHOUT THE CONTINUAL RENEWING OF THE MIND, AND HAVING THEIR HEART ESTABLISHED IN THE REVELATION KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ONE TO THINK THE WAY THAT THE FATHER THINKS – OR ENTER INTO AN UNDERSTANDING OF HIS WAYS [WILL], AND TRUE PURPOSES….”be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is”…. Romans 12:2b NASB

….”you shall meditate on it [God’s Word] day and night, so that you may take heed to do according to all that is written in it; for THEN you will make your way prosperous, and THEN you shall have success”…. Joshua 1:8 NASB

The first step to one’s mind being renewed is for them to give the Word of God preeminence in their life. Confusion and darkness will never enter or remain in the heart and mind of a believer who has truly put the Word of God first place in their life. For in their pure devotion and obedience their mind will be continually renewed and their heart will be constantly “purified” – and, thus, be found in a “state of readiness” to receive the true, or exact, knowledge [revelation] of God – in and by the power of Holy Spirit [Who is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation]. It should be clearly understood by every child of God that without the renewing of the mind, and having their heart established in the revelation knowledge of God’s Word it is impossible to think the way the Father thinks – or enter into an understanding of His ways, and true purposes. Meditating on the Word of God causes one to rise above the distractions of the world and, thus, enter into the place wherein they can hear clearly the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. As the child of God continually feeds on the “proper” spiritual food they will develop a strong appetite for the Word of God [the Will of God] alone and, thus, as this process of renewal continues, their mind and their thoughts will be continually brought captive to a perfect obedience, and any speculations [lies] raised up against the revealed knowledge of God will be destroyed [cast down] – with a vengeance! Bringing EVERY thought captive to a revelation of the Word is a very important key to one “maintaining” the walk of faith, love, and obedience but it must be clearly understood that one brings every thought captive not just by “thinking” the revelation of the Word, but by SPEAKING it out loud – whenever necessary. When the mouth speaks, the mind ALWAYS has to stop and listen to what it is saying and, eventually – as one is diligent in this practice of bringing EVERY thought captive – the mind is renewed in every area, and they are transformed into the image of Christ in their inner man and, thus, come to abide in the mind of Christ.

How blessed are the children of God who “choose” – through an act of their will – to meditate day and night in His Word! For this is the first step to receiving [appropriating] all of the blessings [spiritual and otherwise] that the Father has for us, in Christ, and it is certain that continual obedience to this command will enable us to walk and live in His “best” here in this earth. As we are faithful to enter into intimate fellowship with the Father and His Word – day in and day out – then we shall be found continually imparting the “essence” of His character and, thus, the minds and hearts of all those who cross our path shall come to be renewed to the reality of the “tenderness and affection” [love] that He has for His precious ones – and also to the fact that all of His instruction and reproof are for our greatest eternal good, that we may share His holiness [become partakers of the divine nature].

Related Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 10:5; 1 Corinthians 2:16b; Hebrews 12:10; 2 Peter 1:2-4
*****
Glenn H. Jackson
P.O. Box 1032
Kremmling, CO 80459”

You can sign up to receive these messages by email at www.jtlmin.com, where you can also access archives and audio messages.

Many, if not most, FAM Fellowship members receive the Spirit of Prophecy Bulletin from Bill and Marsha Burns, and I have a feeling that today’s message might provide a special word of encouragement for someone who may be struggling today, so here it is:

“The Trumpet by Bill Burns
— October 15, 2007: Come! Come and I will give you rest. Come and I will remove the burdens that you carry. Come and I will heal your brokenness. Come and I will give understanding, revelation and inspiration for these days. Indeed, I am with you and I am for you. I am bringing you into a new spiritual dimension, and I will increase your faith. I will bestow upon you a revelation of the Father’s heart towards you. I will demonstrate My love, My mercy, and My grace to those who believe. You have struggled, but I have watched over you. Even though the enemy has desired to kill you, you are still with Me, you are still alive and you are still here because you have determined to be an overcomer. I have seen the difficulty of your struggle and hardship. You have endured trials, but I tell you that resurrection life awaits. The power of My kingdom will be demonstrated, and I encourage and touch you to bring life to the weariness of your heart and soul, says the Lord. Arise now and walk forth. Walk over the power of death and over the power of the enemy. Arise and come to the trysting place that I have prepared for you in this time. It is a place of communion and a place of the finishing rains. The refreshing has begun, and the rain is falling. Now is the day of My power, says the Lord.”

“Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
– – October 15, 2007: I keep hearing the Lord say, “Don’t give up!” And, the Lord God Almighty says, I see the great effort that you have put forth to break through and come through, to be where I want you to be and to do what I want you to do. The devil is doing all he can to keep you from moving forward, but I tell you, My people, do not give up. Do not give up!
Hebrews 10:35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.”

You can sign up to receive these awesome messages of encouragement from Bill and Marshah Burns at this link, where you can also find many other prophetic messages and years of archives.

Yesterday, Dan reminded the FAM Fellowship members of the following quote from Watchman Nee: “When God desires to perform a small miracle He places us in difficult circumstances; when He desires to perform a mighty miracle with far-reaching effects, the circumstances in which He places us are impossible.” Oh what a difference it would make in the life of all standers, if we’d just keep the truth of that firmly planted in our hearts and minds as we stand on the power and promise of God’s Word for the restoration of our marriages and families!

And since we know that the devil is hurled down and defeated by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:9-12), I just want to share some of the many ways God has been PROVING that in the lives of FAM Fellowship members this week!

In the past couple of months, we saw three divorces finalized, which to the natural eye would seem to be very bad news indeed, especially when we were all standing in faith and agreement that these marriages would be saved! But all three ladies kept their eyes on the Lord and did not let the devil steal, kill, or destroy their peace and the faith and confidence they have in the power and promise of God’s Word! And I am very pleased to report just what God has done in all three cases SINCE the ink on those useless divorce papers has had time to dry!

Most dramatically, one husband left the country soon after the final hearing two months ago and the divorce was finalized less than one month ago. But ALL of his plans for a new life and new beginning were TOTALLY turned on their head (the details of which make quite an awesome testimony to be sure!), BUT he’s on his way home as I type this! And even though they have not officially lived together for several years, he will be staying with his wife and kids! Of course, he thinks this is just temporary, but we’ll have to see what GOD has to SAY about that! After all, Proverbs 16:1 tells us To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. And He sure has done an outstanding job of PROVING that so far!!!

And one of our other ladies actually experienced great improvement in her relationship with her husband BEFORE the divorce was final, but the process was not stopped. Even when most people would have given up in distress and despair; she continued to stand on the power and promise of God’s Word and didn’t throw in the towel just because things didn’t go the way she had hoped and even believed. BUT ever since their divorce was final, they’ve been “dating” and this past week, her husband even helped her pick out a new dining set and told her that she probably wouldn’t be needing it very long! So it looks like God is PROVING His Word in Isaiah 49:23, which says …Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

And the third FAM Fellowship member who stood strong on the power and promise of God’s Word even as her husband planned to move the NCP (non-covenant person) into his home and the divorce was finalized, amazed all of us with her quite assurance that God was STILL in control! She even shared how she had been enjoying flirtatious encounters with her husband and really just enjoying his company when he came around! And he started coming around an awful lot right after the divorce was final. In fact, immediately after the NCP moved in, he started calling and making excuses to see her a LOT more; BUT that’s not all! They just had their first REAL date in a VERY long time this past week when he took her out to dinner at a very nice restaurant! And I have NO doubt she would agree totally that God has most certainly been PROVING Ephesians 3:20-21, which says Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. And she’s looking forward to her husband going to church with her and her daughter SOON, which he also agreed to do!

I could go on and on with things like this to describe some of the most awesome things we’ve seen the Lord doing in our midst just this past week; but just these three testimonies are by far more than enough to make the point that we all HAVE to learn to PRAISE GOD EVEN WHEN THINGS LOOK IMPOSSIBLE! That just means there’s a greater opportunity for the Lord to receive more glory when He does exactly what His Word promises He will do! So we all need to be sure that we’re NOT walking by site, because when we refuse to walk in the weakness of our flesh and instead walk in the power of the Spirit; just as so many of our praise reports and testimonies PROVED this week; we won’t be able to avoid being blessed and encouraged! So, let’s praise the Lord for every seemingly impossible circumstance, because we KNOW that WITH GOD…NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!

Having been so fully delivered from fear, it truly broke my heart to learn that a false doctrine of fear could ever take hold in the heart of a believer as last Friday night’s FAM Chat revealed. So I hope that by sharing some of my story, the Holy Spirit can open all of our hearts to understand that God’s desire is to deliver us from fear rather than enslave us to it. In fact, Romans 8:15 says For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear… And 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP) also says For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

My mother was an untreated schizophrenic, and my father was unable to protect us from her rages and paranoia. And her behavior was worsened by an obsession with the occult. At times the abuse became physical; even though it was always mental and emotional. At the age of twelve, I experienced sexual abuse by a family friend and never spoke of it, because I was afraid I would hear that I deserved it, which would not have been uncommon from my mother. I only share these details, because they’re necessary to provide a full understanding of the impact fear had in my life.

So I experienced and understand the fear defined by Webster’s dictionary as: “a dread or anxiety caused by impending danger or pain.” And I can personally attest that fear is not capable of producing joy or any peaceable fruit in our lives. It is only capable of producing Cain’s fruit, which were jealousy, anger, murder and rebellion. My fear was so intense and so constant that I became very angry, particularly towards my parents. And my anger led me to rebel against them and any authority. Yes, I continued to be a straight A student; I never broke curfew; I never drank or did drugs; and I even continued to do all of my household chores. I obeyed the letter of the law because I was afraid to do otherwise. But my anger had turned inward and I was bent on self-destruction.

As a young adult, my fear-inspired choices even brought me to homelessness at one point. And my anger really manifested itself in the early part of my marriage. I honestly believed that God was watching me; just waiting for me to make a mistake so He could punish me. But obviously, something wonderful happened between that time and the present and that something wonderful was God’s GRACE.

Webster’s defines grace as: “Goodwill or favor, a divine sanctifying, regenerating and preserving influence.” And anyone who knows my testimony knows that it is that influence that has been operating in my life. His preservation of my spirit has seen the restoration of my marriage, and the new peace in my home. His regeneration has brought about my reconciliation with my sister and my father’s salvation. His divine sanctification has led me to work in the mental health field and offer my clients the same thing He offered me–compassion and a belief in new beginnings.

So what is my life a testimony of, if not grace itself? As the Bible tells us, a tree is known by its fruit, and only God’s grace could yield such a harvest of peace and righteousness in a life as tumultuous as mine. So my life really confirms Jesus’ words to the Pharisees in Matthew 9:13, when He saidBut go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’…

As evidenced by my past, fear of God had no power to bring about positive change in my life. In fact, it only perpetuated the cycle of anger and abuse. For those who say that we must only fear God and that grace is useless, I ask the question, how was fear not able to produce good fruit in my life? If God intended us to be ruled by fear, then why does Jesus tell us again and again to cleanse ourselves from fear?

Romans 9:16 says It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. So this verse makes it clear that our obedience, whether of pure or impure motives, is not enough to fulfill God’s promises; nor to bring about His perfect will. If fear was a part of God’s ultimate plan for believers, wouldn’t this verse then tell us that all things depended on us fearing God rather than the mercy of God toward humankind? What was the purpose of the crucified Christ, if not to show that God’s very nature is one of love, mercy and grace? The prayers of Jesus in Gethsemane clearly show that He was dedicated to accomplishing the will of the Father rather than spare his own life. What was the need for such a sacrifice if all God required of us was to dread Him? Remember when Moses went to the mountain in order to receive the 10 Commandments and the people were afraid to go near the mountain? Doesn’t Jesus’ appearance on the scene and his ministry clearly indicate that God was not satisfied just to have His people live only in fear of Him? As humans we fear the unknown; but God sent Jesus for the very purpose of revealing the full nature and character of a loving, compassionate God so that our fear could be replaced by love. God doesn’t want us to be afraid of him in that sense.

Proverbs 1:7 in the Amplified Bible says The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline. And Webster defines reverence as a feeling of respect, affection and awe. Worship is defined as a feeling of reverence, respect and admiration, a sense of devotion. These definitions clearly describe God’s will when it comes to proper fear of Him. So our fear of the Lord should not be motivated by a desire to avoid danger or pain by His hand; our fear of the Lord is an act of devotion, born out of love, affection and respect for our Creator.

Grace is God’s unmerited favor to those whom HE loves; not those who fear Him. Galatians 5:6 says …The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. How can faith be expressed through fear? And Romans 5:1-2 says Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

And there’s another important point we cannot ignore when considering the power and authority given to us by God. As it says in 2 Timothy 1:7, quoted above, we have received a spirit of power and love in order that we may be equipped to overcome all evil and bring glory to our Father. Can power be trusted in the hands of those who become angry and mutinous due to sustained dread and anxiety? Let me again use my own childhood as an example. There was no love in my home at all. My parents did not seek to win affection or trust from their children. Instead, they expected us to fear them and obey out of fear. My mother would ignore us for weeks on end if we did something that displeased her, such as leaving a towel on the bathroom floor. Initially, we obeyed only because we hoped one day to win her love. But when it became clear to my sister and me that we would never succeed in doing so, I rebelled and my sister became suicidal. I hate to admit it, but I will be very honest just to reveal the negative impact of fear upon a person’s mind and spirit. If I had believed that I had ANY power as a child, I would have used that power against them to hurt them and to protect myself from them. God can trust us with power and authority when we are in a right relationship with him, because our words and actions are motivated by the trust and love that we have for Him. If we were to fear God as some say we should, wouldn’t we eventually try to use that power to bring Him down? We don’t have to look far into history to see that that is exactly what human nature does; when it feels threatened, it fights back.

So I hope and pray that it’s obvious that my motivation for writing this is love. I long for others to experience the peace and quality of life I now have since being delivered from fear. The evidence is clear; when my heart was full of anger and fear, I led a miserable life and produced no good thing. But when God cleansed me of that fear and brought me to understand love, I was no longer a victim or a victimizer. I was freed to “walk in the land of the living.” As it says in Luke 7:47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Love is the simple answer for everyone, so I pray that everyone chooses to embrace it rather than fear.

Warm Regards,
Alex

When we think of fear, we usually equate it with fright, dread, panic, terror or perhaps trepidation. However, fear is also defined as having a reverential awe of someone or something, a profound reverence and awe – especially towards God. If we think of fear in terms of the latter definition, we can understand the importance of fearing God.

My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. (Isaiah 66:2 NLT)

This past Sunday, Pastor Eric shared four points to keep in mind when we think of fearing God. And he introduced his message with this quote from Oswald Chambers: It is the most natural thing in the world to be scared, and the clearest evidence that God’s grace is at work in our hearts is when we do not get into panics…. The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else.

The first point is that when we fear God, He becomes our first response in a crisis. That includes avoiding the familiar pathway of faith in human strength. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) says Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.So when we learn to make God our first response in every situation, we can avoid those paths that lead us into the wilderness and uncertainty. But that involves putting ourselves in a position to hear God’s directions. So we must strive for knowledge and understanding of His Word.

Secondly, when we fear God we let God fight for us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT) makes the point; Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body”. God purchased us at a price and put the Holy Spirit within us. So we can live daily with discernment and the understanding that our battle is not against people (especially our spouses). Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) states For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. So we must allow God’s strength to work through our fears and weaknesses.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT)
Our fear will be lifted when we make sure that we are pursuing God’s interests and not just our own selfish desires. We cannot expect God to answer our prayers and bless us in our disobedience. So we must align our prayer requests with the Word of God.

The third point is that when we fear God we make praise and thanksgiving a priority in our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) says Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

And finally, when we fear God it will lead others to fear God. As we stand for what God has called us to do in our marriages, being obedient to His Word, we must always be aware that people are watching us to see if we are real. And through God’s awesomeness and faithfulness, they will see what our God can and will do. So we have a huge responsibility to demonstrate our reverence and awe of God to our family, friends and others. As Romans 5:19 (NLT) reminds us, Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Although in our obedience to God, we may be criticized or thought to be crazy, even by other believers, we can fear and reverence the Lord with total confidence in His unfailing and unconditional love. So reverential fear of God is essential in our spiritual growth and walk; when we fear God, He will not allow any other fear to consume us.

Note from Linda: As a mental health professional, I requested that Alex personally and privately respond to a post I pulled from the private website from one of our members who recently returned to the fellowship after a long absence, because of their obvious struggle with issues of doubt, discouragement and apparent symptoms of depression. I was so touched by Alex’s response that I asked her to use excerpts from it to write a post for puvlication here, because I know her experience as she struggled to stand for the restoration of her marriage is something many can relate to. And the wise counsel she provided for this member is something ALL of us can really benefit from as we stand for our marriages, especially those who still struggle to let go and surrender EVERYTHING to God. Thank you, Alex. You are such a blessing and FAMM is very fortunate to have you as a member of our family, and I have no doubt that the Lord uses your powerful testimony for His glory in ways beyond what we may ever know. Thank you for your faithfulness and obedience to the Lord’s call!

As per Linda’s request, I replied privately to a member of our fellowship who is struggling with issues of doubt and depression, with the hope of providing comfort and encouragement. And since Linda felt excerpts of my private communication with this particular stander would be helpful to others, she asked me to share them with everyone, so here goes:

I joke about it now, but the cold truth is that I stood for my marriage for six years ONLY because of my stubbornness. My stand could have been much shorter had I submitted sooner. During the first three years of my stand, I just kept telling God what to do and I was frustrated when He didn’t fix it. I still wanted to be in control, even though I didn’t have the best track record when it came to making good choices! So I really struggled to let my marriage go.

But God doesn’t work like Burger King. It’s not “our way, right away”…but I wanted it to be! So I had to learn to trust myself to God’s processes, rather than be results oriented. True change began to happen in my household and in my marriage only when I began to draw closer to God and submit to the changes He wanted to bring about it me. It’s a hard word, but it’s the truth. We are told to seek first the kingdom of God and then all else shall be added unto us. That was very difficult for me. My past had shaped me to want control; it had given me a sense that I was owed something for all my pain and it had also made me very afraid of experiencing pain again.

My husband was my idol; more important to me than God at that time. In the fourth year of my stand, the Lord spoke very clearly to me about Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac because of his faith and that’s when a light bulb went off in my spirit. I realized that God was asking me to surrender back to Him all the promises of restoration; all my dreams for our family. He needed to know that He meant more to me than those promises. So I made that decision to surrender it all back to Him, and from that time on, I began to experience God in relationship. My trust began to grow; my knowledge of God’s love became more important to me than His promises. He became first in my life. Psalm 73:21-26 tells the story When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

And yes, my husband had a heart of stone. There were times when he couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with me. I heard all of the usual “I don’t love you anymore.” etc. I went through the stages where he would begin to draw close and then back even farther away. But as you see by my recent post, God softens the hardest of hearts. Go back and read that post again and remember, I had committed adultery and even my husband was sure that he could never recover from that. But as Romans 9:16 says It does not therefore depend on man’s desire or effort but on God’s mercy. So our spouses’ behavior during this time has no power to defeat God’s ultimate plan of restoration. The best thing we can do for our spouses is to allow them to make their own choices and let God speak to them through the consequences. God promises to uphold them as it says in Romans 14:4 …To his own master a man stands or falls. And he will stand because the Lord is able to make him stand.

When I went to my pastor for counseling, I was told that I didn’t need a counselor; I needed a divorce lawyer…and that from a pastor! But, who was proved right in the end…God or man? So we have to be careful about who we seek counsel from. Even among Christians, there are many who wade into their faith only “ankle deep.” But anyone called by God to stand for marriage restoration and bring Him glory by such a powerful testimony, can only do so by plunging in completely. Just as Linda’s post says, God requires radical faith.

I found a lot of comfort in reading the story in Mark 5 about Jairus, the synagogue ruler. He came to Jesus seeking healing for his daughter who was deathly ill. On their way to Jairus’s home, they are intercepted and informed that Jairus’s daughter is dead. Jairus is then told not to bother Jesus anymore. But this was Jesus’ response as written in verse 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told Jairus, “Do not be afraid, just believe. Sometimes it is the simplest things that are the hardest to do. The only one we need to listen to about our restoration is God; we should ignore anyone who speaks contrary to the Word of God. And it’s important to surround ourselves with those people who can believe with us and support us in our stand. FAM is a wonderful place to do just that, and Romans 1:12 tells us to mutually encourage each other in our faith. I grew at a much faster rate when I got involved with FAM. I found truth, accountability, support, fellowship and encouragement; all of which I needed to dig in my heels and cross the finish line. Jesus performed miracles so that others would see and believe; the story of Lazarus is a wonderful example of that. In FAM, God has brought about restorations with the intention of strengthening the faith of others and bringing them comfort and hope for their own miracles. We then, in turn, go out into our jobs, our churches, wherever God plants us and share that good news with the world!

King David understood depression and anxiety and he cried out to God honestly about what He felt. I found honesty in my prayer time to be a release. So we have to share our hurt, our confusion, and our anger with God; He already knows it’s there. There is relief when we confess and then commit to doing things God’s way. And for immediate relief from sleeplessness and anxiety, we can read Psalms and ask God to make His Word alive for us; He will honor that prayer. And when we ask for discernment to better understand what we are reading, He will give that also. He delights in doing that. But these will be just words unless we activate our faith and actually believe them. Anxiety comes from fear, which comes from the fact that our faith is weak. And that indicates that we do not trust God to fulfill His promises. But this is what Romans 4:18-21 says about Abraham’s faith Abraham did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.

Praying and reading the Bible is ineffectual if we don’t receive what we read as complete, life-changing truth. And we get into trouble when we look at our circumstances as truth. One of the biggest struggles I had during my stand was that I am a deep-feeling person, so I constantly referred to my feelings as a gauge for truth. But feelings are not facts; neither are circumstances, and we can’t rely on them! So if you pray for peace, don’t wait until you “feel” peace to start claiming and believing that you have received it. Making time every day for God’s word has been key for me. As it says in Mark 6:31 Jesus said “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and rest.” During my stand, I continued to pray for my husband and marriage, but in the last year and a half, God led me to put an emphasis on praying for personal change and to cement my relationship with Him. And that must come before restoration can come.

I love Psalm 20 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion…May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God…Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand…we trust in the name of the Lord our God, we rise up and stand firm.

As I told this particular stander, I don’t just suggest these things for the sake of suggesting them. God has been faithful to me and everyone else I know who has had their marriage restored or who has overcome depression, because we all applied the same faith and made the same commitment to learn and trust God’s word. We made God first in our hearts and God is our ultimate guide. And it was only by seeking Him in His word that we found true peace and contentment. Sometimes people read personal testimonies and feel inadequate, as if they lack some quality of character that would enable them to overcome. But that isn’t true. Look at David, he was an adulterer; yet God loved him. Peter denied Jesus but God used him to build the church. God is in the before and after makeover business, but He does His work from the inside out. Before God got a hold of me, I was jealous, angry, insecure, selfish, and bitter. I was a people pleaser; needing others for validation. I used to hate myself so much that I couldn’t look in the mirror without wanting to throw something at the image. But my “after shot” is much different! I have a peace and joy; I smile at myself in the mirror; I no longer need to prove myself to others. Only God can do such a deep work in us. So if you feel that you don’t have what it takes, don’t worry, He will equip you! Joyce Meyer likes to say that she was just a big-mouthed housewife before God got hold of her, and look at her ministry now! Below are some scriptures that really helped me during my stand; there are countless more, but there isn’t enough space! Hugs, Alex

Ezekiel 34:25-31 I will make a covenant of peace with them, I will bless them…there will be showers of blessing…the people will be secure in their land…they will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who have enslaved them…they will live in safety and no one will make them afraid.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear.

Romans 4:17 We serve the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as if they are.

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Jeremiah 33:11& 14 There will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voice of bride and bridegroom…”the days are coming”, declares the Lord “when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made.

Psalm 33 and 34 are great for learning how to trust the Lord in times of trouble

Zephaniah 3:9-20 O Daughter, shout aloud, be glad and rejoice with all your heart, the Lord has taken away your punishment, He has turned back your enemy. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. “The sorrows” says the Lord, “I will remove from you; they are a burden and a reproach to you. I will rescue those that have been scattered. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.

Joshua 21:45 Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.

What a difference it makes in our lives as Christians when we finally realize and understand that we have to CHOOSE to be victorious or that by default we will remain victims. In fact, as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, without VERY intentionally and deliberately choosing to be victorious, we will most assuredly remain helpless and hopeless victims of our unfortunate circumstances. But when we choose to stand on the power and promise of God’s Word, WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS; just as Romans 8:28 32 says:
…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

By reading the above passage of scripture, we should understand the power and promise it holds, but the truth is that few really do, because it’s not reflected in the way we live our daily lives. For some reason, we just don’t grasp the importance of REALLY BELIEVING God’s Word and that we can stand on its power and promise, or that when we do, we CANAND WILL walk in victory through God’s provision and protection. But when we don’t believe God and when we don’t put our faith and confidence in the power and promise of His Word, completely relying on His ability and faithfulness to provide for our every need and to protect us in every circumstance, we are destined to remain victims of our circumstances and we risk being left to wander around in the wilderness and desolation of separation and divorce for the rest of our lives. One of the most powerful passages of scripture that really helps us understand the nature and character of God and how He works in our lives and in response to our attitudes and the words we speak, be they good or bad, is found in Numbers 13:26-14:45. So it’s very important to read and carefully study this passage to learn and understand how God reacted to the difference in the attitudes displayed by Joshua and Caleb and the others, and even how God responded when Moses reminded Him of the need to guard His own reputation and keep His Word! There’s so much to learn here if we would just apply the same principles to our own circumstances and attitudes as we stand against the world for the restoration of our marriages and families. All twelve men who went to explore the land saw and experienced the same thing, but oh what a difference in attitudes between the other ten men and that of Joshua and Caleb. And the reason they had such different attitudes was because they filtered what they saw and heard through the confidence and expectations they placed in the power and promise of their God; recognizing themselves as victorious and not victims! So instead of focusing on existing or potential problems, they focused on the power and promise of God’s Word, which led them to reap the victory of the Promised Land instead of reaping the destruction and disappointment experienced by the others. So we all have to choose whose report we’re going to believe; the lies Satan always tries to use to steal, kill and destroy, or the power and promise of God’s Word to save, restore and bless us, our spouses and our marriages and our families!

The choice IS ours to make. But one very important lesson it would NOT be wise to overlook from the above passage of scripture is how God responded to and dealt with the grumbling and complaining of the Israelites and nay sayers. And when we put Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV), which says Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (used by Joyce Meyer in her awesome TV message today), together with Luke 6:45, which says The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks., we see just how important our spoken words are and how accurately they reflect what is REALLY in our hearts. Studying how God responded to the negative attitudes and spoken words of the Israelites reveals that they literally kept them from realizing their dream of the Promised Land, and since we know that God changes not and that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, let’s hope that we all CHOOSE to follow the victorious example set for us by Joshua and Caleb, and not to follow in the footsteps of the “woe is me” victim mentality, grumbling and complaining, and fear mongering Israelites who NEVER made it out of the wilderness! But the choice IS ours to make. No one else can make it for us.

As usual, Joyce Meyer’s TV broadcast messages today and tomorrow are packed with a great deal of wise and valuable counsel for all of us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, so be prepared to take notes as you watch What’s Been on Your Mind Lately? – Part 1 and What’s Been on Your Mind Lately? – Part 2. And as also very often happens, quite a few of the FAM Fellowship members will recognize God’s awesome confirmation of conversations we’ve had over the past couple of days on some of the very same topics; such as HOW to take every thought captive, how our thoughts lead to our emotions and actions, that through the power of the Holy Spirit we CAN exercise self control, and that we have to deny our flesh! So by carefully studying the above passages of scripture and by taking notes from Joyce’s messages, we’re bound to be blessed and encouraged as we CHOOSE to be victorious in Jesus Christ!

The FAM Fellowship is very blessed to have the continued participation of four of our members after the restoration of their marriages, because they provide so much encouragement and many awesome words of wisdom and support to all of us! And today one of them, Alex, shared the following praise report after finding little time to do so as the result of a change in her work schedule right after her marriage was restored. And there’s just no way to read Alex’s awesome testimony of what the Lord has done in her home and life without being very encouraged! And it sure seems to coincide well with today’s wonderful message from Pastor Doreen! So be blessed and encouraged! What God has done for Alex; He WILL DO FOR ALL who stand and put their faith and confidence in Him!

“First, I have to say that having the time and opportunity to spend time with God again is a blessing. And to get back to the things that God has placed in my life, this fellowship especially, is also a blessing. I’ve got the praise and worship music going and there is a wonderful song playing right now and the lyrics go “You make everything glorious….” And it is so true. My busyness at work prevented me from really giving my testimony about what God has done in my marriage.

When God restored my marriage back in April, he really got to work on every aspect of my relationship with SNO (spouse name omitted). The scripture from Zechariah 9:12 is true; “Return to your fortress O prisoners of hope, even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.” I cherished my “old marriage”, but my husband and I both agree that the “old” can’t come close to the new. God created an intimacy and established a trust that was never there before due to the insecurities that we both brought to the marriage. I have never been so vulnerable and so happy in a relationship before, but that’s because God brought me so much healing from the pain of my past. My husband confides in me now, because God removed my nagging tongue. He knows he will find support for his ideas and obedience to his decisions and he is now the decision maker in our household; and even better, he consults God for answers! My daughter was even joking about it the other day, because she asked for a cookie and I said “no”, but SNO said “yes” at the same time. She laughed and said, “Well Mom, Dad is the head of this household so I guess we have to do what he says.” And then a family tickle fight ensued. If you had spent any time in my house prior to restoration, you never would have guessed that such things could ever happen again. And just as Haggai 2:9 says, “the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house…and in this house I will grant peace.” Peace does reign in this house. Our home has become a safe haven, a place to find mutual comfort and support.

One of the biggest changes is in our daughter. She used to be very shy, afraid of the dark and clingy with me. Now she spends time with mommy and daddy and she is assured of our love her her and each other. She has confidence, she’s happy and she’s not afraid of the dark anymore. We’ve literally lived out Joel 2:12, which says “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” That scripture is dear to all standers and God is faithful to honor it.

SNO used to sing a song to me about being his “sunshine” and a month ago, he started singing it to me again. I went without kisses and hand holding for six years, but now, sweet affection is as natural as breathing. SNO grabs me and waltzes me across the floor. And I am not exaggerating when I say that I have laughed more in these six months than at any other point in my life. When God touches your home and your heart with His love and compassion; when restoration comes, it will overwhelm you-but in a good way. Jeremiah 33:6 says “I will bring health and healing…I will bring them back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before…they will bring Me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for them. And they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for them.” So I wanted to take this time to give God that renown and joy and praise and honor that He so deserves. And I want people to hear about the good things He does for us. As I write this, my faith is strengthened and I know that whatever job changes or financial hurdles are down the road; He will continue to give us that abundant prosperity and peace. As Romans 8:31 says; “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Hugs, Alex”

We all know the scriptures about reaping what we sow, not being negative and speaking things that aren’t as though they are; but do we really understand them? I have been reading my devotionals this week and they have all had the same focus and have just confirmed what was already in my spirit. God is so awesome to keep doing that!

In the past, when the devil seemed to be attacking members of this fellowship from every direction, it was after some kind of “negative planting” and we all seemed to reap negative in our lives. I truly believe that God is using this Ministry to bind us together, and with encouragement and praise, we all seem to be blessed. As a wise person told me, planting the negative stuff is like putting a drop of arsenic in water and not thinking it will affect everyone who drinks it…It is only a drop; it can’t affect us all…but it does! The bitterness and unforgiveness in our hearts comes through and it stops the flow of blessings the Father wants to give us all.

We get good in our lives when we plant seeds of praise, encouragement and things that honor God. When we hold onto the bitterness or anger or any other negative emotion instead of laying it at the foot of the cross, we start speaking it out; it may not seem to be bitterness or unforgiveness to us, but that is what our hearts are saying through our words.

I know that in my walk with this ministry, I receive encouragement and when I take that and plant more encouragement, the harvest flourishes. Hosea 10:12 says Sow for yourself according to righteousness; reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you.

God could obviously do anything at any time He wanted to in our lives, but it seems to be His life principle that says ” First you sow, and then you reap.” So it goes to say that if you sow trouble and unforgiveness, you reap the same. Those who sow righteousness reap mercy. Sow obedience to what God tells you and once you passed the test you reap a good harvest. We have certainly witnessed a lot of this in our spouses’ lives – some if not all are reaping trouble.

2 Corinthians 9:6 says Remember this : he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously (that blessings come to someone else) will reap generously and with blessings of righteousness. Be willing to stand the test to enjoy the harvest God promises. His Word says, ” In the morning sow your seed and in the evening withhold not your hands, for you know not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

When we sow good seed, somewhere down the road of life we will reap good things. But if trials come against us, we shouldn’t try to figure out if it’s because of bad seeds we’ve sown. God says trials will come; so just know that if we obey the Word of God long enough, we will come into the good life that God has prearranged for us to live. God has a good plan; a plan for hope, prosperity and abundance.

Plant purposefully as Galatians 6:7 says; Do not be deceived and misled: God will not be mocked. For whatever a man (woman) sows , that and only that is what they will reap. So choose carefully what you sow through your words and actions and plant only what you want to reap.”For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

Everything done and everything thought all day long is a chance to sow good seeds or bad ones. What are you sowing? These thoughts can drastically change your life or someone else’s. So start first thing in the morning, be positive, and sow only what you want to come back to you. Be encouraged and plant only good seeds. Leave the bitterness, resentment and any other negative emotion at the feet of Jesus. Do not water then. Stomp them out!! Lord, let the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths be acceptable to you.

I hope this helps and encourages everyone to sow GOOD, GOD things. I believe that praising, speaking positively (even when we don’t FEEL like it), and glorifying God with our actions will bring a great harvest to our lives. Even in the hardest of times, in the middle of our storms, we can plant good seeds and WAIT, and EXPECT to see a great harvest for God’s glory. Let Gods glory shine and His wonders be revealed. Let go and let God! Let go of the past, and forgive. Embrace a “nobody-owes-me-anything” attitude, and enjoy this journey with God. Let Him take you where He wants you to be at this time in your life.