Category: Trust

My little plastic god

2/10/2016

We had just returned from being on the mission field. It didn't turn out as positively as we had hoped (see: When something turns on you, you kill it). It was a wonderful time and full of many positive experiences, new friendships and outstanding cultural opportunities.

However, it ended a year earlier than we had anticipated.

I received a call from a mennonite psychologist while we were in Ecuador. He called and asked me to work for him, back at the same area where we had left. So, that meant that we could go back to our sending church. Yet, I fell into somewhat of a depression and had many doubts about whether I had heard God accurately about being a missionary.

So, there was depression in my life. There was also pride. I didn't want people thinking that we "couldn't make it" as missionaries. I also was angry with God for "putting us through" this experience as His call to go to Ecuador seemed so clear.

That's when a little plastic god entered my life.

Upon coming home, and being employed, we started to get credit card offers in the mail. We really did not believe in debt but with my depression, pride, and anger, I felt justified in using a credit card to get my family what they needed. We moved back home without any belongings except for what was in our suitcases. My thinking was, "we gave everything up for this call that God placed on our lives, and He didn't come through; therefore, I'm gonna have to do this myself."

Do you see the mistakes in my thinking there? GOD DIDN'T COME THRU (lack of trust) and I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS MYSELF (self-sufficiency).

What's ironic though was that I wasn't self-sufficient. I was, instead, relying on a god made of plastic: Need a couch? Have the plastic god pay for it. Wanna go out to eat? Have the plastic god pay for it.

Did you know that "plastic" and "god" mean roughly the same thing? Plastic means, "false or superficial." Little "g" god mean "fake, not real, an idol. Something made with human hands." Jeremiah 10:5 says, "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk."

My little plastic god couldn't speak or walk but I certainly became its servant. Proverbs 22:7b reminds us, "the borrower is servant to the lender." Moreover, by relying on my little plastic god, I was squeezing God out of my life. I was also squeezing myself out of opportunities for God to bless and care for me and my family.

My first thought could have been, "God we need a couch. We are counting on you to provide this for us."

Instead, my first thought was, "I can pay for that with my credit card and pay the bill over time."

For me, that was where the problem came. I learned to trust a piece of plastic rather than the God who made the universe who has all the resources I need.

James 4:2b is very clear, "You do not have because you do not ask God."

Over time, I came to see that I was not trusting God. However, it was too late. The card was maxed out. So, that meant that we had a long road to pay off this card.

As we came to the closing payoff, God drove the point home...

I called the credit card company to get a payoff. They told me the amount, and I put a check in the mail the next day. Well, a month later, we got a little surprise from the credit card company. We got another bill. Evidently, there was interest accrued between the time we were told the payoff and the time they received the payoff.

God was saying, "now that I got your attention, you will never be free unless you trust Me. Remember this."

So, we paid the interest and we were finally free from my little plastic god. Thank God.

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I don't know

2/16/2015

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Almost everyone loves to hear stories of God “showing up.” We feel trapped by circumstances, we pray in desperation, and a providential answer arrives just in time. We know it’s God, and it’s easy to praise Him--for a while.

But so much of life is lived in the “idk” (“I don’t know”)—those in-between times when our problems proliferate and threaten to obscure God’s goodness. We wonder where He is.

A cluster of psalms attributed to Asaph (Psalms 73:1–83:18) deal with life in the “idk.” Again and again, the psalmist revealed the raw honesty of his heart as he saw his people violated and tyrants prospering.

In Psalm 77:1-20 he wrote, “All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted” (Psalm 77:2). That anguish soon slipped into resignation: “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me” (Psalm 77:10).

“But then . . .” (Psalm 77:11).

For those who trust in God, every moment living in the “idk” has a corresponding “but then.” Asaph continued, “But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago” (Psalm 77:11). He then celebrated the “God of great wonders” who displays “awesome power among the nations” (Psalm 77:14). The conclusion is one of triumphant memories, not despair over the present.

Despite the fear that permeates many of Asaph’s psalms, the focus is on God, His past goodness, and His promise to be ourGod. We anticipate a day when justice will reign. Then we will look back and see how God was near us every step of the way.

The times when we don’t know what to do are the times to let God build our faith. When we don’t have anywhere else to go, He has us exactly where He wants us.

This post was written by Tim Gustafson of Our Daily Journey.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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We are becoming toxic

12/6/2014

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Do you remember the TV show “Captain Planet”? I sure do. This show came on right after I woke up every weekday morning. It was the show I watched after I had gotten ready for school and I waited to go out to the bus stop. If you have never seen this show, I invite you to grab a DVD (or VHS) of the various episodes from your local library. The premise of the show centered around a group of friends who were each given a magical ring by Mother Earth (Gaia) that had a certain unique power. The rings had the power of wind, water, fire, earth, and heart (or love). The kids who possessed these rings had the ability to battle against enemies who desired to destroy the world through pollution. When these powers were combined, they created a powerful nature-conscience superhero called “Captain Planet”. As kids, we knew that this show was really a commercial for “living green”, but whatever the agenda of the show, it was definitely entertaining.

In this show, the most powerful foe that Captain Planet faced was the supervillian “Captain Pollution”. This villian was created through the combination of powers from evil rings called the “rings of pollution” that were created to be the antitheses of the good rings possessed by these children mentioned above. The powers included smog, toxins, radiation, deforestation, and hate. Got it? Ok…I am done with your nerdy superhero history lesson…let’s move on.

Besides the obvious themes of recycling and protecting nature, I think this show can give us an illustration of the way, I believe, humanity tends to lean in regards to the gifts God has given us. Our gracious Heavenly Father has gifted us with so many great things in life, and for some reason, we have tendency to distort them to their antithesis. Those things that were intended for good; humanity has always found a way to pervert.

When we look at things like sex, stewardship, love, loyalty, joy, and even worship, for example, we can see the “rings of pollution” that were created by us in response. These responses, such as immorality, greed, selfishness, control, worry, and legalism, were all created when God had been abandoned out of insecurity. Think about it, even death was created from our disobedience and rejection of life.

In the Old Testament, when Moses went up on Mt. Sinai to speak with God, the people who were left at the base of the mountain, were encouraged to worship and trust in God while they waited for their leader to return. By the time Moses had returned they already had fashioned a golden idol to worship. Their insecurity drove them to the antithesis of what they were called to do. They had taken the golden gifts they were given and melted them down to create something they could control, but nothing that could help them.

Christians are not exempt from this concept. I know, for me, there have been many times in which I have felt as if God were far away. When I have reflected on these instances, I have found that a large reason why I felt this way was because, at some point, I began to rely on my own resources or power to get me through a situation. With great intentions, I fashioned an idol that looked strikingly similar to my own reflection. Worship became about me.

I think we need to repent. We need to repent of the gifts that we have “melted down” for the purpose of turning them into idols. The gifts that God gives are always God. Keep God at the center and we can access His power through the gratitude we give Him for these gifts.

Operate out of love and trust today.

This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. You can find his original post here: http://other-words.net/2014/12/02/we-are-becoming-toxic/

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We are at war

6/23/2014

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The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

Have you ever wondered why Jesus married those two statements? Did you even know he spoke them at the same time? I mean, he says them in one breath. And he has his reasons. By all means, God intends life for you. But right now that life is opposed. It doesn't just roll in on a tray. There is a thief. He comes to steal and kill and destroy. Why won't we face this? I know so few people who will face this. The offer is life, but you're going to have to fight for it, because there's an Enemy in your life with a different agenda.

There is something set against us.

We are at war.

I don't like that fact any more than you do, but the sooner we come to terms with it, the better hope we have of making it through to the life we do want. This is not Eden. You probably figured that out. This is not Mayberry, this is not Seinfeld's world, this is not Survivor. The world in which we live is a combat zone, a violent clash of kingdoms, a bitter struggle unto the death. I am sorry if I'm the one to break this news to you: you were born into a world at war, and you will live all your days in the midst of a great battle, involving all the forces of heaven and hell and played out here on earth.

Where did you think all this opposition was coming from?

This post is an excerpt from the book, Waking the Dead, by John Eldredge.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Why I like "my" church

6/18/2014

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We discussed 10 reasons why people leave church. Then we discussed why people like going to church. It is so easy, nowadays to find things wrong with the church and here at Ironstrikes, we publish some criticisms of The Church in general.

Now, I want to turn to "my" church, specifically. When I say "my", I don't mean the church is mine. I mean it is the church that I claim as home for my family. These people are "my" family. It doesn't mean that we all look or act alike. It doesn't mean that we always agree. It does mean that we love and care for each other... We can get angry with each other or frustrated with each other but the love is no less.... Sounds like a real family, doesn't it?

First of all, we are church plant, a very young church with only about 60 people attending at any one time. It is a good mix of kids, teens, young people and older people. Our pastor is young, married and has children.

If you would attend, you would see a very simple, basic church service. We don't have a polished praise team, we don't have a modern, hip feel to our service. We have a few attendees of the church up front singing. They aren't always the same people. Sometimes, people from outside our church come and lead us in praise. You never know what to expect in terms of a praise team. Sometimes, our children will lead us in praise. That leads me to my first point...

1) I like "my" church because everyone is expected to be a part of the praise time. Sometimes, you are expected to be a participant, sometimes you are expected to be a leader. Even children as young as three have lead us in praise.

2) I like "my" church because everyone is expected to be a part of the worship time. You will see children praying with older people from the church. Yes, I said that in the correct order. Children will pray with adults. Children will pray for adults. That leads me to point three...

3) I like "my" church because everyone is considered to be a part of the church ministry. Children are the church. Teens are the church. Adults are the church. We don't have people wait until they get everything correct and polished: their theology, their attitude, their words, etc. If someone wants to do something, they do it. However, they just don't do it, they also have a church family that encourages and teaches while they are doing what they do...

4) Our leader, of course, is Jesus Christ. He is the cornerstone of our church, the very foundation. However, our Pastor, as he follows Jesus, teaches us God's Word from a humble stance. I like "my" church because it's refreshing to have a pastor say, during a sermon, "I'm glad to be a part of a church that is as messed up as I am!" (And his sermons are terrific, BTW.)

5) I like "my" church because sometimes, you may not know who the "leaders" are in the church. Leadership in our church requires humility. Since we are a church plant and rent a facility, you will see leaders in all aspects of the church and not realize that they are leaders. They will set up the sound system, work in the nursery, set up and remove chairs, bring muffins to share, care for children, collect the offering, etc. A leader in the church will do whatever it takes to help the church function.

6) I like "my" church because sometimes, we don't get to the sermon or to the sermon our pastor had planned. It is not uncommon for God's Holy Spirit to change what is planned. There may be spontaneous testimony. There may be spontaneous spoken prayer. There may be a child saying, "amen!" or someone may even stop the sermon and ask a question about what the pastor just said or what someone else just spoke about.

7) Finally, I like "my" church because we believe in healing. We believe that God cares about us emotionally, physically as well as spiritually. We have had spontaneous prayers of healing and have seen the results within just a few hours. Physical pain has been eliminated or lessened, emotional pain has been relieved, and spiritual growth has resulted.

Ok, one more finally.... Sometimes, our church will be nothing special. Nothing terribly exciting happens from our human perspective. Things go as planned, nothing spontaneous occurs. And that's ok too. That's another thing I like about "my" church. There is not a pressure to repeat past experiences, there is not a pressure to make something happen. It's just simply God's family getting together to remember what God has done, praise Him for what He will do and also to wait expectantly for God to do more.

Because, we have a long way to go... God's not done with us yet.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Earning Broken Trust

11/8/2013

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Why should anyone trust me, having broken the trust that others had placed in me, due to my public sin and offense? In one, ultimate sense, you should only trust Jesus and no one else. The LORD Himself knows full well: "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse -- who can understand it? I the LORD test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings." (Jer. 17:9, 10 NRSV) "Deceit is in the mind of those who plan evil" (Prov. 12:20 NRSV). Each one of us has a devious, deceitful heart, and often we are unaware of the depth or degree of our own depravity. We have the ability to deceive not only others but also our own selves. Our God, however, cannot lie or be deceptive (Titus 1:2 NASB; cf. Isa. 45:19; 53:9; John 14:6); He alone can be objectively trusted (Ps. 4:5; 9:10; 25:2; 31:6, 14; 32:10; 37:3; Isa. 26:4; 1 Pet. 1:21). But let us not over-react, either. Many people can be trusted, generally, without the potential of psychological, emotional, or physical harm.

In another sense, though, if someone who committed a horrible sin, offense or crime grieves over that sin and by the grace of God repents and makes perpetual and successful efforts at changing one's mind, which will affect one's emotions, which in turn will affect one's behavior, that person may regain his or her integrity and earn back and continue to gain the trust of others. Even so, however, I think that people ought to hold such a person to more stringent standards in demonstrating his or her integrity -- especially if the offense committed was sexual in nature.

First, the apostle Paul informs us that every sin a person commits is "outside the body; but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." (1 Cor. 6:18 NIV) Note the distinction the apostle renders sexual sin: it is set apart for its own category; it is a sin of the mind, the heart, and the body. Second, once a sexual offense has been committed, there will always -- always -- remain, even in a small measure, a potential for some sort of future offense, even if the potential offense does not mirror-image any prior offense committed. This reminds us to always perform good deeds, because whatever deeds we perform, whether good or bad, the likelihood of repeating those deeds becomes exponential once performed. Potential victims are to be protected and considered a priority over and above the feelings of a former offender. Third, what must be understood about those who have committed a sexual offense is that the offender is well trained at being deceptive. Think about this seriously: prior to my offense, no one knew that I was struggling with sexual desire for my seminary roommate, nor did anyone imagine that I was capable of behaving in any sexual or ungodly manner toward him. I learned how to hide my true feelings, my inner struggles, while maintaining the trust of others

So, how might one who has offended, whether sexually or otherwise, another human being created in the image of God regain his or her integrity and earn back the trust of others? I will give my amateur opinion, which I have learned from over a year and a half of therapy, and from much reading on the issue of offenses. Trust is always earned and rarely assumed. Once trust has been broken, earning or regaining trust can be very difficult, and in some circumstances can never again be achieved. Offenders of any stripe need to realize that people have a right to question our motives, our words, behaviors, actions, and to ask us difficult and pressing questions regarding our various interactions in any organization, whether societal or in the church. (This is especially true for anyone who has committed an offense against a minor.) What we really want people to see, however, is not that we can be trusted, as in some surface manner, but that we are daily striving toward making healthy choices mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally.

Moreover, our motive in this regard cannot be derived from an interest to maintain or be accepted in a leadership role, to serve on a committee where trust is a major component, or even so that others will think better of us. Certainly, we want others to not view us as monsters. However, what is most important for us is to consistently think, feel, and live a healthy, transparent, godly life. If this is our consistent experience then people will see the results for themselves; we will not incessantly cultivate a need for others to perceive us in a positive light, but will be satisfied within ourselves that we are living as we should, and trust the Lord that the results of godliness will shine through for His glory and for the edification of the Church. Through this long and arduous process we must daily remind ourselves that living a healthy and godly life is a process that will take many years and much striving. Our goal is always "no new victims."

In order to accomplish such a goal we must never fear or neglect the supporting structures in our life (Christ, prayer, Scripture, pastor, family, friends, the church); never fear transparency, since it is a helpful aid in the healing process; and never fear the time that cultivating a healthy mind and godliness takes.

Christ is more than willing to see us through on this journey to the end.

This post was written by William Birch. For the original post with comments, go to: http://classicalarminian.blogspot.com/2013/11/earning-broken-trust.html

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Sunday Meditation

10/6/2013

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For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handled down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-19

Change is not easy. It is a fierce battle. It can be difficult and discouraging.

Change often requires us to challenge the perspectives and rules which have sustained our family system for generations. The 'empty way of life' we are attempting to change was handed down from our parents and their parents before them and their parents before them. In a family committed to the 'don't talk' rule, for example, saying even a simple sentence may require overcoming distracting behaviors or other avoidance behaviors which have been refined over hundreds of years!. Talking honestly to a parent or sibling may be breaking family rules that have lasted for generations.

The Good News is that we have been redeemed from the empty way of life handed down by our forefathers. Jesus redeemed us so that we can be free from this kind of bondage. We can learn to talk honestly . We can learn to experience our emotions. We can learn to trust genuinely. We can engage in life. We can love and be loved.

We live in a battle between the empty way of life passed down to us and the new life that has been provided for us. Living in solidarity with our new life in Christ is a daily struggle, but as we practice this way of life we break the vicious cycle of family dysfunction.

Lord, it isn't just me that I am trying to change.
I am up against generations of dysfunction.
An empty way of life has dominated my family for a long time.
It has been passed down to me.
No wonder it seems so hard to change.
I need your help, Lord.
Help me to find hope in your understanding of my struggle.
Help me to find hope in your gift of redemption.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

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Forgiving yourself

10/5/2013

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Peter was one of Jesus' closest friends, one of only three that were invited into his innermost circle. In Gethsemane, at his hour of greatest need, Jesus again took Peter aside, poured his heart out to him; he looked to Peter for strength. Three years of this, and who knows how many other stories. Peter must have known, I have a special place in Jesus' heart. So, how do you suppose Peter felt after he denied Christ—not just once, but three times? It must have been devastating.

After the resurrection, Jesus is on the beach with Peter and the others. It's a touching reunion. Following a night of lousy fishing, Christ yells out to the guys to let their nets down for a catch—just as he did that morning he first called them three years earlier. Again, their nets are bursting with the load. Just like the good old days. Peter leaps from the boat and swims to Christ. They have breakfast together. Reunited, laughing about the catch, relaxed, warmed by the fire and stuffed from breakfast, Jesus then turns to Peter.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)

What a beautiful story. Notice first that Christ does not let Peter sweep the whole matter under the rug. If this issue doesn't get addressed, it will haunt the old fisherman for the rest of his life. No, this must be spoken to. Most of us simply try and "put things behind us," get past it, forget the pain as quickly as we can. Really—denial is a favorite method of coping. But not with Jesus. He wants truth in the inmost being, and to get it there he's got to take us into our inmost being. One way he'll do this is by bringing up an old memory. You'll be driving down the road and suddenly remember something from your childhood. Or maybe you'll have a dream about a long-forgotten person, or event, or place. However he brings it up, go with him there. He has something to say to you.

This is an excerpt from the book, Waking the Dead by John Eldredge

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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The church encourages me to trust Jesus

9/7/2013

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Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV)

One of the main reasons we need the Church is that the church encourages us to trust Jesus. The encouragement to hold fast is very important considering the opposition the original readers of Hebrews were facing. A part of what their opposition insisted they do was return to the ritual sacrifices of Judaism. This would have absolutely undermined the sufficiency of Jesus. The confession of their hope that they were to hold fast to was their confession about Jesus. Their confession about Jesus was the same as our confession about Jesus.

Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.

Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world.

Jesus physically rose from the tomb.

Jesus ascended into heaven.

Jesus sets at the Father’s right hand making intercession for us.

Jesus will one day return to take His church to heaven.

Jesus’ death and resurrection is the only hope we have in seeking the forgiveness of sins.

Their return to Judaism would have meant an abandonment of this hope. They are being encouraged not to do this but to instead hold fast to their confession of this hope in Jesus.

To hold fast means they would need to keep on keeping on in their confession about Jesus despite the opposition they were facing and would continue to face.

They must press on through persecution and abuse, through hardship and discouragement and through the lies of false teachers and the allurements of the world.

They were to hold fast to the confession of their hope in Jesus no matter what was thrown at them.

The reason they are to hold fast to our hope is that He who promised is faithful. The author was encouraging these believers to hold on to their hope because of the faithfulness of God.

God has promised that faith in Jesus’ sacrifice was all they needed.

God has promised that faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection was sufficient to pay the penalty for their sins and secure their salvation.

What they needed to do at this point was to continue to trust God and trust Jesus. They needed to do this despite the fact that the world at large attacked and undermined their faith and commitment to Jesus.

While the world we live in is very different from theirs, there are also great similarities. We live in a world that by its very nature is hostile toward Jesus and works to destroy faith in Him and commitment to Him. We face the same spiritual enemy that these Hebrew Christians did and his goal hasn’t changed in thousands of years. He still hates those that are made in the image of God and have been redeemed by Jesus. As Peter says Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet 5:8). As such he actively works to destroy faith and commitment to Jesus. We may not face the same physical attacks they did to maintain faith and commitment to Jesus, but the attacks are still there.

The affluence of America can be detrimental to our faith and commitment to Jesus. When Jesus told the parable of the soils He said that one of the soils became overrun with weeds that choked the good seed out and prevented it from bearing fruit. We know that the good seed represents the Word of God and the soil represents our hearts. What we often forget is that the thorns or the weeds that choked out the good seed was the cares, riches, pleasures and desires for the things of this life. One of the main problems with the Laodicean Church was that they rich and thought that they were in need of nothing. The fact is, it was their affluence that led to their becoming lukewarm. While the wealth and possessions we have are gifts from God they can, and often do, war against our faith in and commitment to Jesus.

These things don’t come as a shock to Jesus. He’s not in heaven wringing His hands saying, “Oh my goodness. I had no idea there would be such opposition to me and to people believing me and being committed to doing my will. I wish I would have created something to encourage them stay committed to me.” He did create something to encourage us to stay committed to Him. It’s called the Church.

How does the church do this? The church does this by reminding us of the greatness, power and faithfulness of Jesus. We are reminded of these things as we sing songs praising Jesus for His greatness, power and faithfulness. We are reminded of these things as we study His Word and see how Jesus has demonstrated His greatness, power and faithfulness in history. We are reminded of these things as we talk with other believers and listen to their testimonies of Jesus’ greatness, power and faithfulness in their lives. The church encourages us in our commitment to Jesus by reminding us of Jesus’ faithfulness in the past and encouraging us to trust Him in the present and with the future. We all need the Church to encourage us to trust Jesus.

For further study read Psalm 103.

Is the psalmist writing for himself or for others? What makes you say this?

What does the psalmist encourage us to do?

What are some things the psalmist says God has done?

How does the psalmist describe God?

How do we see this sort of encouragement in our church?

This post was written by Rev Ross. For the original post with comments, go to: http://stacyjross.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/the-church-encourages-me-to-trust-jesus/

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Sunday Meditation

5/26/2013

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Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

We receive messages about ourselves from the important people in our lives. We internalize these messages and carry them with us, repeating them to ourselves as if they were gospel truth. When the messages are shaming messages then the internal chorus chants "You are not lovable. You are beyond repair. Even God cannot help you."

This chorus is a chorus of lies. The psalmist rejects these lies. And we need to begin to reject these lies as well.

The Lord is a "shield around me", the psalmist says. A shield protects. It comes between the blows of an enemy and a person's vulnerable places. Most shields are small and can only protect a limited area from attack. But the shield which the Lord provides completely surrounds us. We can let this shield protect us from these attacking messages.

The psalmist also says that the Lord "bestows glory on me and lifts up my head". Heavy burdens of shame, neglect and abuse have bowed our heads. The Lord listens, pays attention and cares about us. God's love counters the voices of our internal shame-chorus so that we can lift our heads. God replaces our shame with glory. It is a picture of a ragged, neglected child whose head is bowed and shoulders are bent. A king sees the child and goes to him. The king gently lifts the child's chin until his eyes meet his own smiling eyes. He asks the child to come home and live as royalty with him. The child is loved, honored, protected. You are the child. God lifts your head and bestows glory.

God help me to stop listening to lies about you.
Help me to stop listening to lies about me.
Be a shield around me.
Bestow glory.
Lift up my head.
Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

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My little plastic god

I don't know

We are becoming toxic

We are at war

Why I like "my" church

Earning Broken Trust

Sunday Meditation

Forgiving yourself

The church encourages me to trust Jesus

Sunday Meditation

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