Being Mrs. Mom™

Woman, Wife, Mother

You are here: Home / Archives for Faith

Faith

What to do when you want a painful spiritual wound removed

By 2 Comments

I hope that you are having a good week.  I’ve been thinking about you and your experiences.  Not only have I been thinking about your experiences, but I’ve also been thinking about the effect that your experiences have had on you.  

I’ve had some of my own…well, truthfully, my life has been jammed packed with experiences that left me spiritually wounded.  At every step of the way, I had to pull through or else, I’d be numb to life and dead spiritually, maybe even naturally too.  

When I’ve spoken to women in the past about how I have overcome, they often tell me that they think I’m strong, different, and somehow more blessed than they are.  They believe that this is the reason why I have overcome as I have.  Well, I beg to differ.  

We all have God-given mechanisms

I mentioned, previously, that there are mechanisms built into us, as humans, by God, that cause us to heal and survive.  The thing about this is that those mechanisms are only activated when necessary.  If you have lived a life where you didn’t need to heal and survive on a constant basis, this process is new for your life’s ecosystem.  You have to begin healing from every new injury, as they come.  This is especially true of spiritual wounds, but even more so of wounds that transcend across the natural and spiritual boundary.  

Recently, it has been made clear to the public that professional football players that have sustained head injuries for long periods, since childhood, have a layer of tissue that develops around their brain, as a protective mechanism.  Because they have sustained numerous concussions, their brain is attempting to prepare for the lifestyle that they live, by developing a cushion.  Although this is how the brain is attempting to protect itself, it also ends up causing a bit of brain damage, which is why we see football players involved in so many situations where they should have used better judgement.  However, there may be a lack of ability to do so because of the current structure of their brain.  Many doctors have overlooked their injuries, unaware of the trauma that was occurring during each and every football game. 

Dealing with emotional hurts

When I was growing up, as an only child, I dealt with certain emotional  hurts that caused me to develop ways of surviving.  My mother was a single parent and, although I saw my father, I dealt with feeling rejected many times because of his absence from my home.  There is more to this story, but what I want you to understand is that when you live with an injury, your brain, body, and spirit attempt to develop ways of making you immune to the injury.  It develops cushions that buff the fall, so that the next time that you are injured, the pain isn’t so bad.  That being said, that cushion can sometimes have a side effect.  

For me, I was an emotional child.  I wasn’t sure how to handle the things that were coming at me and causing me pain.  I couldn’t figure out why everyone else had their father in the home, but I didn’t.  Why did my mother and I experience such friction in our relationship.  I understood that they both loved me, but as a child, I was an emotional wreck.  I longed to just be happy, like all of my other friends, but no matter how hard I tried, I was hurt.  

As I grew up and began to develop relationships with people outside of my home, I learned that all relationships are not traumatizing.  I learned to trust and love, in spite of my fear, but I was still emotional.  My wounds just kept opening up.  I don’t know how I kept myself from crying in front of my friends, but on the inside, I was a mess.  Then once my husband and I got married, my emotions were so jumbled up and confused.  I had to figure out how to maintain my emotions and allow my heart to heal.  

I really did not want to go through the process, but it was unavoidable.  You can’t escape your healing process and make it out alive.  You have to choose to heal in order to heal effectively.  

As I started going through the process of healing, there were times when my pain was simply unbearable.  I got to the point where I could literally feel the emotional pain in my chest, like a physical pain.  I didn’t want to go through the process, but I really wanted to heal.  I wanted to stop crying.  I wanted to stop being afraid that I was not truly loved.

I dove in to fictional books, trying to run away from my problems and found that the problems where there too, they just had solutions of how they could be fixed.  Every morning, I’d get up before my husband and my son.  I’d go in to a room and give my heart to God.  I’d sit down with my journal and discuss everything that was happening within me.  With every stroke of the pen, I gave my problem, my pain, and my worries to the Lord.  As I wrote, I began to process the injuries.  I read my bible in search of the answers and day by day, I was healed a little bit more.  

I didn’t know it at the time, but I now know that I was seeking God for strength.

How brokenness can prepare you for healing

Living broken, prepared me for a lifetime of healing.  Some women don’t understand this because they didn’t grow up broken.  Maybe you are one of those women.  Maybe your brokenness happened when you hit a certain age and traumatized you.  Maybe you were hurt at a young age, but blocked out the pain.  

I think that’s the thing that you have to understand though, you can’t just decide that you aren’t going to feel the pain.  Not feeling the pain tells your body that there is no need for healing.  When you do that, the signals aren’t sent for the healing process to begin. 

I couldn’t escape my pain.  I almost always felt it.  In some ways, my pain taught me that love is real, but so is pain, and we all feel it, but when we choose to feel and process it, we can overcome it.  

Those women that tell me that I am somehow different, more blessed, stronger than they are have not walked with me through my weakest moments.  They have not felt what I felt as I tried to stay alive emotionally.  They have not known the need that I have had to stay alive daily as the words of another human being attempted to destroy me daily.  Feeling rejected caused me to crave love and I knew, somehow that I could not survive without it.  

I did not escape my process of healing because it was God-given.  It was what kept me alive as I grew and matured.  It was also what allowed me to see the pain of others and have compassion on them.  

Why did I say all of this? 

Well, as I was thinking about the next phase of this healing journey, I realized that there are going to be some of you, maybe even you, specifically, that will attempt to run out on the process.  You might be thinking that you don’t need to do all of this.  You might feel that you can just take steps 2 and on because all of this other stuff is just excessive and unnecessary.  

I need you to understand that it’s not unnecessary, it is imperative to your well-being.  You have to choose to go through the process.  As you journal and think about what you experienced, you have to journal about the pain.  Identifying what you experienced, will allow you to properly evaluate your needs. 

Now, I’m not a doctor.  I’m a woman who has been through some experiences that I’ve learned from.  God has also brought me multiple women that have needed to heal and I’ve helped them through this process.  Everyone’s process is different, you have to choose to follow God through the process.  

When you understand how you feel and think about the things that I mentioned in my last post, then you can move on to the next step.  

My childhood pain allowed me to be stronger as a woman, wife, and mother.  Without my experiences, I believe that I would be a different woman.  However, those experiences alone were not what made me who I am.  I had to trust God, go through the process, and allow myself to heal.  There are somethings that I’ve had to let go of.  Yet there are others, that I have had to decided to give myself time to process .

So, ask yourself a few questions today, right now.  Do you really want to heal?  Are you willing to go through the process of healing?  How bad could the pain really be?  Do you believe that God is bigger that your pain?  Do you believe that He is capable of healing you? 

If you answer is yes, please make a committment to yourself and to the Lord to go through the healing the process.  Decide that you are not going to avoid doing what is necessary to be healed.  

Share this post

Please take a moment to share this post with someone who may find it helpful. Repost it to your Facebook or Twitter. Many of our friends are hurting too and need assistance healing from wounds. Let’s not do this alone, we all need each other. 

Leave me a comment sharing your thoughts with me or send me a message telling me how this post impacted you. Would you like to see more topics like these? 

Taking another step towards healing

If you found this post helpful, preorder my second book.  It’s all about finding strength in God.  I will be available on kindle version at the end of this month.  Soon after, it will be available in paperback version. 

 

Do you have a spiritual wound that won’t seem to go away? 

By 2 Comments

As a mom of four, I’ve seen quite a few booboos.  We have to keep a box of band aids in the house because my children are always getting injured in one way or another. They come to me when they get hurt, feeling like the world is over and, nine times out of ten, I’m able to tell them that it’s ok. They don’t always believe me initially, but I just tell them again that they got hurt and it’s going to be alright. 

My thought process

When I think about this as a parent, especially a parent of four, I know that this is just apart of growing. When learning a new skill, like riding a bike, in order to get better at it, children fall. They scrape their knees and end up needing hugs, band-aids, and pep talks in order to calm their nerves, ease their pain and try again.  

Little lessons like these, combined with my own growing pains have caused me to realize that we are no different. We grow and as we learn new skills, mature in life, and learn to be better, we get a few booboos along the way. 

Be here’s the thing, some wounds are deeper than others. Some require more care than others and more bandages to protect from infection. 

Small reminders

Not only do I have to remind my children not to pick at their wounds, I have to make sure to keep the wound clean and covered. On top of this necessary and obvious care needed for my children’s wounds, I have to remind them that no matter where we are in the process, the wound is healing. It has to, that’s how we were made. With the proper care and time, that scrape will get better because it wasn’t a fatal injury. 

See the way that God built our bodies was to give us protective layers and barriers that make sure our inner parts, the more necessary ones, are not harmed. These are the parts that keep us alive, breathing, eating, and moving. When we are hurt by falling and scuffing up our knees, our skin begins to heal, but our minds remember the event and learns from it. We begin to process that being off-balance on a bike leads to falling. Touching a hot stove leads to being burned. Touching an aggressive dog leads to being bitten or snapped at. These lessons prepare us for bigger tasks and allow us to remember that although there are great things we want to experience, we should use our skills, use wisdom, and proceed with caution. 

That’s what happens with the little scrapes and bumps that our children get. It’s also what happens when we are growing in life and growing spiritually. 

The Timing of the Wound

We have all encountered situations that have caused us pain. Something has happened to us or we had an experience that opened a wound. Normally, these wounds, no matter their situation, came at some pivotal point in our lives. They came when we were at a certain season of life and began to progress through that season. 

It could have been a spiritual, emotional, relational, or physical experience. No matter what it was, these experience have an effect on us spiritually, whether we know it or not. 

Prayer for healing in the process

Now, I know that you knew we were going to discuss something that would make you a bit less comfortable than normal and we are, but first, let’s pray. 

Father, we love you. We come to you humbly Lord, first and foremost asking you to forgive us for sins that we have committed, both knowingly and unknowingly. Give us peace, Lord. We desire wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. We ask you to provide what we need to explore this topic without fear, because You’re perfect love casts out all fear. Help us to grow and see that the wounds are not the end, but instead a part of the process. Open our hearts and give us what we need to live this life to the fullest.  Help us to heal from both spiritual and emotional wounds that we have experienced.  Cause our broken hearts to be reminded that you do not despise us, but instead you love us.  Wrap us in your arms of love and bring healing to our wounded souls in the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. 

The process of healing

When you think about your wound, I want to ask yourself a few questions. When the wound was first opened, did you take the time to assess the damage? I ask this because it is very important. Remember when I was talking about my children, I mentioned scrapes and bruises that were not fatal. 

Did you clean the wound and cover it with the proper dressing or band-aid? Did you make sure to go back occasionally, clean it up, and redress the bandage? 

If you are honest, in most cases, the answer is no. We get hurt and we normally do one or two things immediately. We cry, cover it up, and either never go back on the spiritual bike again out of fear, or we try to push past the obstacle to master the challenge. There’s a problem with this though. 

Wounds that are not well cared for can get infected, seep deeper into our bodies, and never completely heal.  Remember, the way that we are built. There is a mechanism to overcome built within us by God. Whether we want to or not, we are always in the process of healing. The problem comes in when we don’t properly care for the wound. It can leave a residue, develop puss, and a stench. It can become more that a growing pain because of a lack of care. 

Do you have wounds that just won’t seem to heal?

At this point, I am going to assume that the answer is yes. 

I want to help you heal, but first there are a few things that we have to do. 

We have to clean the wound up, by taking and thinking about what happened. That’s how you begin to assess the situation, determine the type of damage that could have been done, and decide how to treat the wound. 

Second we have to find the proper tools to assist you in the healing process. We have to gather all of the tools that are needed for the type of wound that you have. There are big bandages and small ones. They all work, but we have to find the one that you need. 

Third, we have to properly dress the wound and you can’t pick at it.  If you do, it could open back up. 

I want to remind you that all wounds have the potential to leave a scar, but that’s a different post. Just don’t be alarmed if you end up with a scar from this wound. It’s not always a bad thing. I actually think it’s a good reminder that you’re healed and have made it out of a painful situation that wasn’t tough enough to kill you. 

What’s next?

For now, here’s what I want you to do. Take a moment to think and journal about this wound that you have.  Ponder some to the things below

What is a natural wound that you have? Perhaps you fell and scraped your knee as a kid. Write about what happened. Give the details of the incident. Do you remember how it happened? Do you remember how it was cared for? If so, describe it. What lesson did you learn from this or where were you in the learning process? Finally realize that the wound did heal because you are still alive and breathing. 

Now for the spiritual wound. 

  1. What happened? You have to take sometime to really think and journal about this. You can’t avoid this process. It’s apart of accessing the damage that was done to you. 
  2. Write about the immediate care that was given to the treatment of the wound. What did you do after it happened to take care of yourself? Did someone else attempt to help you care for it? What type if pain did you experience? What type of discomfort are you still experiencing from the wound? 
  3. Did the wound get infected? Why isn’t it healing? Did that experience cause something else to happen in you? Did you develop bitterness, jealousy, anger, or something else? Be honest with yourself about this. It doesn’t do you any good to cover it up, if it isn’t cleaned up. 
  4. How bad do you want this wound to heal? Talk about what it did to you in the past and what it would mean for you to be healed. What type of fear have you experienced? What has it kept you from doing? Has it tormented you or kept you in bondage? What type of freedom would you experience, if this wound were to finally heal? 

Think journal and pray about this. Then comeback. I want to take you though the next step in this process, but this is the first step and one of the hardest, thinking about it. 

Share this post

Please take a moment to share this post with someone who may find it helpful. Repost it to your Facebook or Twitter. Many of our friends are hurting too and need assistance healing from wounds. Let’s not do this alone, we all need each other. 

Leave me a comment sharing your thoughts with me or send me a message telling me how this post impacted you. Would you like to see more topics like these? 

Also, if you found this post helpful, consider purchasing my book. In it, I discuss some of the things I’ve been though and how I’ve healed from them. It wasn’t easy to write, but I did it for you, so consider purchasing it.  It’s available on kindle and in paperback. 

I’m also in the process of writing my new book. Tell me what you would like to or need to read about. What types of topics would you like to see me discuss and find most helpful?  

Be encouraged and make sure to do the work. You’ll be surprised at the results the you get. 

3 Practical Things a 21st Century Woman Can Do to Make Sure She is Walking in the Spirit

By 2 Comments

In my last post, we discussed the problem of Walking In the Spirit as a 21st Century Woman.  If you didn’t get a chance to read that post, I’d like to encourage you to take a moment to read that post.  Once you have read it and thought about what we discussed, come back here so that we can look at the 3 Practical Things that I promised you.  

Before we dive into those 3 things, did you take the time to journal about those questions that I asked you?  If you did not, please take the time to do it now.  This post isn’t going anywhere and I know from experience that journaling helps process topic so much better that just thinking about them.  

If you did get to journal about the topics, what did you find out about yourself, your atmosphere, and your current spiritual standing?  If you are like me, you are not completely surprised.  You knew a while ago that there were things that you needed and could feel that the world was pulling on you more and more each day.  

This is normal.  There are going to be different seasons in our lives where we do an assessment and find things that need to go and other things that we want to implement into our lives. 

One important question that I asked you was if you actually believed that your problem could be fixed.  Do you really believe that there is hope in this situation.  I am going to assume that because you are still reading this, your answer is yes.  

Why does it matter what I believe?

Well, I’m glad that you asked.  The Bible says that those who come to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.  This means that what you and I believe is extremely important to the outcome of our situations.  If you are still doubting that God is able to bring you out of the place that you are currently in and that you can overcome this, I would advise you to stop and ask yourself why you are struggling with this in your faith.  

Do you think that the way that women live today is a obstacle to living in the Spirit?  If you don’t really see the problem yet, I would encourage you to take a few days and live your life as normal.  Journal each night about the problems that you face, the mindset that you find yourself in, and the things that influence you.  After about 3-5 days of this, go back and read what you wrote.  Make a list of the issues and then come back to this post, so that we can move forward. 

When you’re ready, I’m ready. So, Let’s go!

3 Practical Things You Can Do to Make Sure that You ARE Walking in the Spirit

Once again, let’s stop and glean from the word of God.

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Verse 16. I say then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  

Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts

Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  

As we look at the scriptures, we can see specific words being used.  This words indicate action.  They are verbs like live, walk, fulfill, let, obey, become, provoke, envy.  

Let’s take ownership of our actions and look at the 3 things you can do to make sure that you are walking in the Spirit. 

1.  Be conscious, tender hearted, and aware of what is happening in and around you.

Remember that the flesh wars against the spirit, constantly.  You have to know whats happening in you, as you are having various experiences in life.  This means that you cannot avoid being alone.  You can’t tell yourself that you don’t need to think and reflect on life.  You have to hold yourself accountable and journal out your feelings and thoughts.  You have to give yourself the freedom to tell the truth about what’s happening, as your journal.  Keep your heart tender and remain conscious, by not allowing yourself to spiritually die.  What happens in you when you experience life?  How does it affect you?  How can you protect your heart without building walls?  Are you able to set up boundaries that will act as fences in your life?

Proverbs 4:23  Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it

2.  Be Prayerful

This one is very easy, or so it may seem, but it requires persistence.  No matter what happens, you have to keep an open line of communication with the Lord. 

Talk to Him

Ask of Him

Seek Him for direction

Continually have a heart of prayer because it is a type of life line.  It keeps you connected to the Lord at all times.  You can speak to Him and know that He hears you.  Please do not forget that you can hear from Him as He answers the things that you inquire of Him about.  Even when you don’t know what to do, God does, so pray.  He cares about you, so give your problems to Him.  There is great power in prayer, so make sure to remain prayerful.  

3.  Listen & Do

You have to make a point to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in your life.  Listen to the Lord, as you hear His voice.  Make sure to do what you hear Him say or what He leads you to do.  Some things will come as unctions instead of words, you have to know that you have the ability to hear from the Lord, but you also have to choose to do the things that He calls you to do.  

When you stop listening your spirit can succumb to the flesh and disobedience can seep in.  It won’t come alone.  Bitterness, anger, jealousy, selfish ambitions, and all of the works of the flesh will attempt to overtake you, if you turn a deaf ear to the Lord.  

Though we live in the 21st century and there is a lot up against us, there is also a lot for us… GOD.  

Ephesians 6:10  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Pull though and force your character to be godly.  Remember those action words form earlier in this conversation? Make a decision to live, walk, and obey the Lord.   Become the woman that God has called you to be and overcome the works of darkness, by following these 3 practical steps.  At first it might feel hard to turn down the noise and focus, but the more you turn from evil, the more you will embrace the freedom that you were given in Christ Jesus.  

Do it today!  Just make a commitment to take these 3 practical steps each day of your life, at every opportunity that you get.

  1. Be conscious, tender hearted, and aware of what is happening in and around you.
  2. Be prayerful
  3. Listen & Do

If you have found this helpful, consider purchasing my book “Being Mrs. Mom: A Christian Woman, Wife and Mother Living in the 21st Century.”  It’s pact with my struggles and how I have overcome my past, myself, and my pain to become the woman that God calls me to be.  

If you have questions or topics that you’d like for me to discuss, just post it below or send me an email to info@beingmrsmom.com

 

The Trouble with Walking in the Spirit as a 21st Century Woman

By 2 Comments

Many, many, many years ago, women had a hard time living according to the word of God.  Their neighbors from villages around the city were living perversely, serving other gods and tasting the fruit of strange things.  

Women like Rahab, that desired to serve the Lord, had to leave their villages and all that they had ever known to become holy and sanctified.  Turning from all that she knew, she gave herself over to the ways of the Lord.  She learned how to live a life of holiness. 

Becoming meek was taught to the women by the old and elderly.  Loving husbands and children were skills that the aged found pride in teaching to the youth.  The fruit of the Spirit, while developed over time, came with commentary and was dwelled upon, as the women laid under the starry sky surrounded by the sounds of nature.  

Although not easy, being a woman of God, in the city of the Lord was not unheard of or strange.  

Fast forward at least 2,000 years and you find a completely different scenario.  Not only do women still have a hard time living for the Lord, it is almost impossible without total isolation.  The old are teaching the young that there is no value in being a wife or a mother; they are simply hindrances to obtaining life goals, obstacles placed in the way of the ambitious.  They urge the youth to consider that God is not real.  Tempted by the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, women today find themselves lost, struggling to understand how to live this life as a godly woman.  

The clothes, the songs, the entertainment all make it hard for her to hear the voice of God.  Blaring from the speakers of the 4K television in the bedroom are the voices of the world echoing in her head, pulling her towards what she doesn’t long for.  The pictures on her phone challenge her to compare herself to what she has seen.  Social media calls out to her with the constant rings and dings, causing her to lose focus on the things that are most important to her.  

The call of God on her life becomes drowned out and all she can think of are the words of the world. 

“Be more, do more, get more…”

Each message screams for her attention, her love, her worship. 

But really, she yearns for something else… someone that will fulfill her.  As the Holy Spirit calls on her, she finds it hard to live according to the Spirit.  She struggles within.  Love isn’t what she wants because she feels hate.  Peace is not what she craves because there is constantly conflict in and around her.  Joy is foreign because she just wants to be happy.  

Long-suffering…humph, what’s that?  You mean instant gratification.

Goodness is gone as she seeks her own good and for that alone, in the name of God.  Gentleness, meekness, and temperance (also known as self-control) are just words.  There are no examples.  They have lost their meanings.  Their good has now been made evil.  Turned to weakness, stupid, and foolish.  Faith has been thrown out the window and traded in for doubt…I mean logic.

What’s the problem? Can it be solved?

What’s the struggle.  The time, the era, the day that we are living it.  Its corrupt and if we are not careful, it will corrupt us.  

SO how do we stop ourselves from becoming this woman.

Honestly, we have to remain sensitive and recognize the benefits of walking according to the Spirit, but there is still a simpler way.  

Let’s stop for a moment and see what we can glean from the scriptures.  

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Verse 16. I say then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  

Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts

Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  

As we look at the scriptures, we can see specific words being used.  This words indicate action.  They are verbs like live, walk, fulfill, let, obey, become, provoke, envy.  

So what?!  Why should I care if it’s an action word?

I’m glad that you asked.  

These words tell us that we can do or not do them.  When we look at what the Lord is saying to us through the word, He is speaking very clearly about the way that we should be aiming to solve our problems.  

If we say that we are women of faith, then we are living in the Spirit.  If we live in the Spirit, we should also take it upon ourselves to walk in the Spirit as well.  This means that we have to choose to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit.  

Let’s look at it practically

Since we all struggle with this, we must recognize that this is nothing new.  Instead it is something that every believer must endure and push through to overcome.  We must admonish and encourage one another.  When no one else is around, we must listen to the unctions of the Holy Spirit and encourage ourselves.  

There are a few other things that we can do to solve this problem practically, but let’s take some time to think on this.  I recommend that you journal out your answers, so that you are able to really process where you stand before we move forward. 

What are some of the distractions that pull on you heart, requiring your worship, and all of your attention?

What stops you from having quiet time with the Lord, quiet time to think, time to rest in Him?

What songs, entertainment, and television shows cause you to struggle with walking in the Spirit and inspire you to walk in the lust of the flesh?

How does this effect you?  How does it make you feel? Do you really think that there is anything that you can do about it?  

After you have journaled about these topics, specifically answering these questions, take a moment to pray about this.  Ask the Lord to help you let go of the old and corrupt things that tug on you, so that you can grab hold of Him.  

Later on in the next week, I’ll be sharing with you 3 Practical Things You Can Do to Solve the Problem of Walking in the Spirit as a 21st Century Woman

Make sure to sign up for updates by subscribing below.  Each post will be delivered to your email and you won’t miss a thing.  

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Send me updates”]

If you have found this helpful, consider purchasing my book “Being Mrs. Mom: A Christian Woman, Wife and Mother Living in the 21st Century.”  It’s pact with my struggles and how I have overcome  my past, myself, and my pain to become the woman that God calls me to be.  

If you have questions or topics that you’d like for me to discuss, just post it below or send me an email to info@beingmrsmom.com

I look forward to hearing from you and don’t forget to come back within the next week for those 3 Things.

 

 

The Trustworthiness of God: Psalm 115

By Leave a Comment

Today, I want to invite you to take a look at Psalm 115 with me.  Within it, we will find something that cannot be overlooked, the difference between who God is and who the idols are.

Believe it or not, people still worship idols today.  To some degree, we also have to be careful of the image that we have of God.  For if it is not the correct image, we too are creating an idol.  We must know who we worship and serve.  We must remember what He is like.  We must remind ourselves of His characteristics and when we are unsure, we must go back to the word of God.

When we have the right image of God, we will also recognize that we can trust Him.  We will give Him the glory that is due to Him and we will see Him at work in our lives; not because He has finally began to work, but because our eyes are open to the works of His hands.

Psalm 115

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because or Your truth.

Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?”

But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work men’s hands.

They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see;

They have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell;

They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat.

Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.

O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.

You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.

The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.

He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great.

May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children.

May you be blesses by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.

The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence.

But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

Having the correct image of God and knowing His character, helps us to trust in Him.  If you think about it, this is how we build trust with everyone.  Their past actions and understanding their character allow us to feel safe when we are around them.  If we know that someone can be relied upon, we know that they will do what they say that they are going to do.  When we know that a friend will not share a secret, we feel that we are able to reveal more to them.

It is the same way with God.  When we see Him provide for us and protect us on a daily basis, we will trust Him as a provider and a protector.  However, I also want to mention this.  When we don’t take the time to look at what God has done, it becomes easier to forget.  When we have experienced hardship in our lives or heard of those that have, it becomes harder to trust God; Not because He is less trustworthy, but because we do not see Him in relation to our circumstance correctly.

This is why it is important for us to take the time, everyday, to look into the word of God.  When we do, we receive a correct image of God, ourselves, and the world around us.

Our God is trustworthy!

[bctt tweet=”The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us ~Psalm 115:12″ username=”beingmrsmom”]

He is not an idol, made by man.  He hears our prayers and speaks to our hearts.  He reaches out to us and works on our behalf.  He dances over us with singing.(Zephaniah 3:17)  He is so much more than idol.  He is active.

Every morning when we wake up, it is the Lord that has given us another opportunity to live.  It is the Lord that has breathed breath into our lungs.  It is the Lord.

Looking at the world and our lives with this sense of His continual working for and doing, to bless us, changes how we view everything.  It also changes how we see Him.  It allows us to see that He has always been faithful and will continue to be faithful.  Having this view, changes us.  We come to see ourselves as loved and cared for.

Today I would like to challenge you to take the time to look at your life.  What has God done for you?  I want you to think about the simple things and the complex.  What do you have that you take for granted? Who has God blessed you with?  Count your blessings today and look to the One that has made it all possible.  Realize that He is working to protect us, even as we sleep.  He is always mindful of us.(Psalm 115:12)  Let’s attribute this to His character.  He is trustworthy.

[bctt tweet=”He can be trusted with all that we have and all that we are.” username=”beingmrsmom”]

Thanks for taking the time to read through Psalm 115 with me today.  I hope that you were blessed.  I pray that you are strengthened by the word and that God continues to make Himself know to you.

Allowing the Word of God to Change Your Mind & Renew It

By 2 Comments

If you are like me, living in the 21st century, which I assume by the fact that you are reading this, that you are, there are situations that come up all of the time that warrant your opinion.  This may not be a public warrant, but there is an inward conversation that takes place.

Just stop to think for a moment.

When changes are happening in your life, community, and the world, you have an opinion.  You may not clearly understand or express this opinion to anyone, but have it.  I want to ask you a question.  What is your opinion based on?  Is it based on facts, the past, your hurts, or the Word of God?

Some people would be inclined to say that their opinions are based on truth, but truth, unless godly is subjective.  There is THE truth, but most situations are base on an occurrence that can be understood differently depending on the perspective of the viewer.  This is now what I am asking you to consider.

I want you to think about the foundations of your opinions because I want to convince you that it is more prosperous to base your opinions on things that cannot be changed or shaken, like the Word of God…THE TRUTH.

I am currently working on a post to be published to this site because one of my readers asked me a question.  This question was an opinion based question, but the truth about me is that I try not to express my opinions unless I know the stand that the Bible takes on it.  Thus, I am taking a bit longer to write it, than I expected.

I have to research the topic and pray for guidance.  I learned this a long time ago.  When I had just gotten married and became a mother, I was full of my own opinions.  God was in the process of changing me and having my own opinions, based on my truth, made it hard for the change to transpire within me.  I found that I had to submit my will and opinions to the Lord, through the Word of God, in order for the change to happen.  That’s why I began to acknowledge my own opinions, but give myself permission to change them based on the word of God.

I found that I needed to have the authority of the unchanging Word to solidify my thoughts and beliefs.  No one can change God or the TRUTH of His Word.  When we stand on His solid foundation, we are strengthened and become confident in who He is and what He has said.  This in turn makes us better and renews our minds.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  ~Romans 12:2

This renewal process that takes place within our minds changes our entire being.  Our lives become proving ground for the perfect will of God.  We become His living examples of what He finds to be acceptable and good.  This is hard to do when we are stuck in our own ways.

Don’t want to let go of your opinion?  That is what is going to continue to lead you all the days of your life.

If you are being lead by your own opinion, someone may come to you with their own truth.  That person may be more confident, older, or more experienced.  They may have a strong presence that commands your attention and demands you to reconsider their perspectives.  If this happens, you are or can become completely shaken.  Do you know what happens when you and your thoughts are shaken?  You become a double minded man.

For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  ~James 1:7, 8

Do you remember that I was telling you about being more prosperous because of the fact that you have chosen to submit your opinions to the Lord?  Well this is where the prosperity comes in handy.  You can’t receive anything from God when you are double minded.

You are praying and praying.  Crying out to the Lord.  Yet, you see no fruit from your labor.

Do you wonder why? Well the Bible says that you ask amiss.  And a lot of times its because you asked, but you didn’t do what the Lord told you to do.  There is a prerequisite.  He tells you.  Do not be conformed to the world.  Renew your mind.  Do not expect anything from the Lord, when you have chosen to be double-minded and unstable in your ways.

You have to choose the Lord’s way.

Do you want Him to open doors for you or do you want to go beating down the doors yourself?

I would choose to allow the Lord to do it.  I’ve tried it the other way and it doesn’t work.  When you beat on doors, you hurt your hands and your feelings get hurt.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  ~Joshua 1:8

Do you see that?  You have to meditate on the word of God.  You have to keep it in your mouth, both day and night.  You have to watch and observe to do all that it says.  This is how you will prosper.  Not by following every wind of doctrine of every so called celebrity or successful guru that comes your way.  Not even from being strong and wise in your own eyes.

Start listening to people that base their foundational thoughts and lives upon the word of God.  People who don’t mind saying that they were wrong.  People who do as they believe.

As you fill your mind, time, and relationships according to the Word of God, doors will open.  You will see that your life will take a new turn.  You will be more satisfied and, I know, that you will be changed for the better.

If you are wondering how to get started with this process, I suggest that you simply spend time reading the word of God.  From there you can begin to hear and recognize the voice of God.  Then you will be ready to study the word.  Just remember that becoming the woman that God desires you to be is not a quick journey.  It is a lifetime full of experiences that change as you change and are obedient to the Lord.

Until next time, thanks for reading.  I hope you were encouraged.