Saturday, April 21, 2007

House of Prayer

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: I Kings 7, 8, 9; Psalm 65

I Kings 9:3 (NIV)
3 [The Lord said to Solomon] “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

Psalm 65:1-4 (NIV)
1 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 2 O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. 3 When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. 4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

I Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.


Good morning!

Whenever I visit neighboring churches, I find myself drawn to their prayer rooms. There is something very special in these tiny spaces of grace, where our tears and whispered prayers rise up to the Father in heaven. Prayer rooms are designated spaces where one can pray for pastors and the congregation during worship services. Many sit in prayer rooms each weekend, begging for the Holy Spirit to open the hearts and minds of worshippers and their worship leaders to the life-saving message of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Prayer rooms are places of quiet confession, redemption and healing. It is a safe space to listen for the Lord to speak. Have you ever experienced a holy moment inside the prayer room at your church?

Prayer rooms can be established anywhere. I have a special place in my home where I go to study scripture and pray each day. It is a sacred space, a place where I connect intimately with my Savior. I assure you – this room does not look like a sacred space. When you visit the prayer room in our parsonage, I pray that the Holy Spirit will be so very real that you will find Him there, in spite of the clutter and funky décor. This space is also a very special place for my husband, where he enjoys displaying his collection of unusual memorabilia. When you come to visit our family, be sure to stop by our prayer closet, also affectionately known as the Simpsons’ room.

When Solomon finished the temple and dedicated it to the Lord, he went to Gibeon to pray. There, the Lord spoke to Solomon. God heard the prayers of His people, and had seen the amazing craftsmanship and intricate detail of the temple which was built to honor His holy name forever. The Lord said that His eyes and His heart would always be there. Isn’t that the prayer of every congregation? We build church buildings to honor and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. We create sacred space to welcome His presence into our lives. The sanctuary is a holy place where prayers leave our lips and fly to the heart of our Father. The Holy Spirit moves freely in and among worshippers who pray in spirit and in truth. Our churches should always be dedicated to prayer, for it is through our heartfelt petitions that the Lord sees, hears, and answers us. We pray for His will in all things; placing our faith in His Word that He will be with us always. We pray that His eyes and His heart will become our vision and our love.

The Lord has created a precious space within my body where His Word resonates and my love for Him is expressed. I have dedicated my body to the glory of God as His temple - where worship, praise, adoration, confession, repentance, and self-discipline abound. Every morning, I invite the Lord into my life through the power of prayer. I know He is here with me. I can feel His pulse in the beating of my heart. I can see His face when I look at His Word leaping off of the printed page and finding its way into the recesses of my mind. I experience the power that only He can give as I sit and wait in His presence. Have you created a sacred space in your life for the Lord? Has your body become a living prayer closet where you find intimate and fulfilling relationship with Jesus? May we seek His face, hear His voice, and purpose to live out our life according to His good will and direction. Come into the presence of Almighty God and experience the pleasure of His company in your life every day.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: God to create a temple of prayer within your heart. Find a sacred space to commune with your Savior. I’ll see you in the prayer room this weekend at church!
____________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Temple Construction

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: I Kings 4, 5, 6

I Kings 5:5-6 (NIV)
5 “I intend, therefore, to build the temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when He said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’” 6 “So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”


Good morning!

Our boy Benjamin loved playing with Lego erector sets when he was just a tiny little guy. I was sure this kid was going to grow up to be an architect – he had an eye for the unusual. When we were expecting our youngest son, David, Benjamin was only four years old – not quite old enough to be in school like his older sister. Because I had to take it easy during this pregnancy, Ben spent many days on the floor in front of the sofa building villages while I lay on the sofa watching him in awe.

How can a four year old figure out how to snap these tiny little pieces together with meticulous ease? Benjamin would erect entire cities, with movable doors and open windows and skylights for every ceiling. His imagination would take him places that I could only begin to grasp. Busy little hands spent hours popping tiny pieces together forming an entire community, simply by vision. If Mommy touched it, the structure was sure to fall. “Don’t touch it, Mommy!” Benjamin would exclaim in emphatic tones. He knew what would happen if I tried to help. I confess that I am not gifted in Lego Building 101.

King Solomon had a job to do, and he wasted no time getting started. It was Solomon’s dream to finish David’s vision by building a temple to honor the name of the Lord God Almighty. Solomon looked to Hiram, King of Tyre, for the building materials. In exchange for cedar and pine logs, Solomon gave the King twenty thousand cors of wheat as food and twenty thousand baths of pressed oil, year after year. Solomon knew that by feeding his neighbor, he could obtain the materials he needed to fulfill his father’s work. And the bond of brotherly love brought peace and harmony to their land.

We can make a difference when we reach out to each other in love. We are stronger together. The Lord calls every one of us into action every day. He enlists our help to share the love of Jesus with people of every faith and nation. You may be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the task that has been passed on from generation to generation. I am only one person – what can I possibly do to effect kingdom work? You have no idea what God can do inside of you until you reach out your hand and try. If the Lord is pressing upon you to speak, to act, to pray, and to love, allow the Holy Spirit to fill your imagination with the endless possibilities that Jesus can give to a humble believer with mustard-seed faith and a desire to make a difference.

Where can you plug in today? Will He send you to visit your next-door neighbor? Will you offer to watch the children across the street for an hour while their mom runs to the store? Can you provide a carpool for your neighbor’s school-aged children to and from class? Maybe you’ll share a sandwich with a co-worker who forgot their lunch (or maybe doesn’t have the money to go grocery shopping.) You can be a hero to someone by the tiny acts of kindness that you offer in faith through Jesus Christ. There are many ways to tell His story. How will you share the love of Christ this morning?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: mustard seed faith to explode in your heart and mind today. God planted something very special inside of you. Reach up today and ask Jesus to send you out on a mission. If you trust Him, He will use you to construct a place where people can find His saving love. Are you willing to try?
____________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

The imprint of Christ's love

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: I Kings 1, 2, 3

I Kings 3:8-9 (NIV)
8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?

James 1:5 (NIV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)
12 Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and pressing toward what is ahead. 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.


Good morning!

Have you ever made thumbprint cookies? These tasty morsels are one of my favorite sweet treats. There is a personal touch to every thumbprint cookie, because each one bears the unique thumbprint of the master chef. Select your favorite sugar cookie dough recipe, and knead the dough into quarter size balls. Crush slivered almonds into tiny morsels with a rolling pin. Roll each of the sugar cookie balls in the crushed almond mixture, placing each dough ball approximately two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Pressing their thumb firmly into each dough ball, the baker creates a hollow boat-like shape that can be filled with chocolate kisses or raspberry jam. Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes, and a personalized sweet treat is ready to share with family and friends. Be careful not to over bake this fragile confection; for the bottom will burn and stick to the cookie sheet. The dough will crack and be crunchy to the taste.

Like a thumbprint, our hearts have a unique shape and design, lovingly formed by the master artist. Every heart is precious to our Heavenly Father. He created you in His image, with gifting and attributes that only you can share with the world around you. His will for your life is revealed as you seek His wisdom and learn of His love. The Lord has carefully sculpted your heart with the capacity to love and be loved. Hearts of stone can become softened in the master designer’s hand. You have been given an extraordinary gift. You bear the unique and precious thumbprint of your Savior.

When the Lord Jesus Christ took hold of my heart, I had absolutely nothing else to offer Him. My heart was about as imperfect as any human heart could be. Like a burned thumbprint cookie, my heart was cracked and blackened by the hard exterior shell. The interior of my heart was charred from sins committed and lack of spiritual discernment. Right and wrong seemed gray and cloudy. I got burned in the fire. There was nothing I could do to fix my heart except to hand it back to the one who gave it to me. What Jesus did is nothing less than miraculous. He took that stinky, burned smell away, removed the ashes and melted my hard shell. He held my broken heart in the palm of his nail-scarred hand and healed it with His blood. His thumbprint became my priceless treasure, and I thank Him for restoring my life and granting me intimate fellowship with the master designer. He is the sculptor of my soul.

When we ask, the Lord gives us discernment and wisdom to hear His still, small voice. Like the imprint of the Father’s thumb, we can press on toward perfection, as He continues to mold the masterpiece He has created in each of us. His portion is more than generous. His love is all you will everneed. Won’t you leave that which is behind, and press on toward the perfect thumbprint He has designed just for you? Press Him for His gift of discernment today. If you ask Him, Jesus will heal your heart, wash away your sin, and leave His mark upon your life.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: wisdom to move toward perfection through Christ Jesus the King. He has created an amazing masterpiece in you, and like the thumbprint He leaves on your heart, God can use your life to reach the people who are broken and burned. Won’t you share the sweet gift of salvation today with someone who desperately needs the Lord?
____________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Go deep

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 22, 23, 24; Psalm 64

II Samuel 22:17-20 (NIV)

17 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

20 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Matthew 14:28-31 (NIV)

28 “Lord, if it is you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Good morning!

There are days when I feel really brave for Jesus. There are other days, when I simply wimp out. Do you know what I’m talking about? There are times when I believe with all my heart that if I can just see His face, I know I won’t drown. But if I take my eyes off of the Lord, for even a moment; if I doubt His ability to do what He has promised to do in me, I’m going to sink!

Sink or swim! Some mothers teach their children how to swim by letting them sink a little bit. Have you ever talked your little one into going back on the stage during a Christmas or Easter pageant after they ran to you in tears? How many times did you have to encourage your child to get on that school bus, or leave a sad little face crying in the arms of a daycare provider, because they just did not want you to leave them? One of the daycare programs we selected for our children had a plate glass window installed by the front door. We could see inside the room, but the children could not see outside. There were a few mornings when our babies did not want to let go of their Daddy’s hand or Mommy’s neck. They screamed and cried and clung to us like little wet noodles. The day care provider would gently take them from us and whisper, “Stay and watch. They will be fine.” And so, we would stay by the window, shaking our heads and choking back tears, as we watched our children suddenly calm down, and go play with their friends. Their reluctance for us to leave would dissipate as quickly as it came. As soon as we left the room, everything changed. What happened?

It wasn’t that our children had suddenly forgotten us. They knew that we would be back to get them at the end of the day. They knew that we were with them, even when they could not physically see us. And their fears began to subside. There are times in my life when I would rather sit at the foot of the cross than leave it to go out into the world. There are moments when I worry whether my faith will fold if I look away and forget to seek His face. Sometimes, we do end up on the deep end of life. We find ourselves barely treading water in a rough and windblown sea. You may feel like you are drowning today in a sea of sin. You’ve let your faith slide and now it’s beginning to pull you under, and you don’t know what to do. Or maybe you are having trouble breathing because of some pain gripping your heart today – maybe it is chronic, physical illness, or maybe you are grieving the loss of someone you do not want to live another moment without. There are many times we find ourselves out in the deep water, wondering if this is where our life will meet its end.

Did you notice how Jesus grabbed Peter and pulled him up just as he was sinking away? Can you see how the Lord brought David up, took hold of his life, and placed him in a spacious place of security? I am here to tell you today that God sees you. He knows you. He understands the pain you are in. And He will not let you sink. Cry out to Jesus today. We do not have to doubt His Word. When Peter doubted, and began to sink. Jesus saved him, just like he saves you and me.

If you find yourself out in the deep, do not doubt the power of Christ in you. Even when his face is hard to see, hold on to your faith. Go deep! And the let the Lord of life be your anchor, your rescuer, your Savior, and your friend.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: courage to venture out into the deep, knowing that He will be with you. If you find yourself sinking today, cry out to Jesus. He will not let you drown, no matter where you are – He will find you if you seek Him.

____________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The prayer of faith

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 19, 20, 21

II Samuel 19:4 (NIV)
4 The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Luke 15:6b-7 (NIV)
6b “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven, over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Luke 15:31-32 (NIV)
31 “My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”


Good morning!

Becoming a parent is one of the most joyful and fearful experiences we encounter in life. When Jeff and I learned that we were expecting a baby girl, I began to worry. I worried about everything! Will she be healthy? Will I know what to do to take good care of her? Who will Rachel be when she grows up? Will we succeed in giving her the desire to pursue a lifelong relationship with the Lord? Will I be able to convey to her just how much God loves her and that He has a special plan for her life?

I remember Jeff sitting next to me on the sofa with a box of Kleenex in one hand and chocolate in the other. [Thank God for chocolate!] He would put his arm around my shoulder and say, “Don’t worry, honey. Everything is going to be all right.” I’m not so sure that he really believed what he was saying at the time. If I were to take an educated guess, I imagine he was having the very same doubts and fears about parenthood that I was feeling. It sure sounded good, and his words always brought me comfort and hope. Even if he wasn’t completely convinced, I am thankful he chose to repeat words of hope to me every day while we waited for Rachel’s birth.

God’s Word brings comfort and hope into our hearts each day. There are moments when we may try to second guess a loved one’s heart, especially when we focus in on a particular situation or circumstance. We begin to wonder whether our repeated prayers for a lost child to be saved will ever be answered. We struggle in our grief as we pray for a parent to be freed from an addiction or disease, and to find ultimate release from their suffering and pain. God plants a mustard seed of faith in each of us. That seed can burst forth into new life at any given moment when Jesus Christ becomes real to a sinner’s heart. As Christians, we need to learn to repeat God’s promises over and over again, even when we are unable to see tangible evidence of our prayers prayed in faith. Standing on the Word of God by faith helps root our trust in Jesus Christ, and brings hope and assurance to the people who surround us.

Our daughter Rachel did grow up, thank you Jesus! She is a spunky, spirit-filled child of the living God, who continues to grow in grace as she walks with Christ day by day. I watch in wonder as she and her husband Dave prepare to welcome their third child into their family. I realize now that my prayers for her were answered long before I could see its fruition in our daughter’s life. God heard and answered every prayer I prayed for our family – and I know He hears and answers my prayers today.

If you find yourself weeping over a lost child this morning, or wondering whether you will ever see the fruit of answered prayer for an unsaved spouse or parent - take your Bible, place it on the floor, and stand on the Word today. Claim His promises over and over again. He is faithful to hear and answer your every prayer. God’s timing is perfect in all things. Trust Him, and don’t stop praying. Do not give up or give in to doubt and fear. Claim your inheritance through Jesus Christ today!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: faith to trust in His Word, even when it is difficult to see. The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. Know that God hears you, loves you, and answers your every prayer humbly offered in faith.

____________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Monday, April 16, 2007

The face of Jesus

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 16, 17, 18

Matthew 25:31-40 (NIV)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on His left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” 40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”


Good morning!

It was a chilly, rainy morning when we saw Him pushing a shopping cart down the street nor far from our church. He moved slowly, maneuvering his body against the strong gusts of wind and rain. I noticed that His jogging pants were soaked through. The fabric clung to his thin legs like dripping ice cream melting in a child’s hand on a hot summer’s day. The intense rain dripped from his eyebrows and collected on the thin scarf wrapped around his neck. My friend Penelope saw him before I did. “Oh my,” she exclaimed, “What is this?” Slowing down, she pulled her automobile toward this person, so that we could offer some assistance. At that point, neither of us were sure whether this person was a man or a woman. We simply could not tell in the pouring rain.

Penelope rolled the passenger window down and said, “Honey, can I give you a ride home?” Both of us gasped for breath when he looked into our eyes. There was something about His face – there was no doubt in my mind that we were looking at the face of Jesus. The light radiating from His face was incredibly disarming. This gentle soul possessed a peace that day that neither Penelope nor I could even begin to comprehend. She asked again, “Honey, can I give you a ride home?” “I am home,” he replied, pointing to his rain-soaked shopping cart. Looking into his wet face, I could see that he had something to offer me. More than anything else, I wanted to share His sweet spirit and the peace that He obviously possessed.

Penelope continued, “Can I get you something warm to eat? May we take you to breakfast?” He grinned and said, “I have my breakfast right here, thank you.” I looked at Penelope. We shook our heads in disbelief. Who were we talking to? Where did this man come from? Neither of us had seen him on the streets before today. We were only a ¼ mile away from our warm church building. Penelope looked at him and said, “Can we take you someplace warm, where you can dry off? May I offer you some money?” By this time, the stranger was grinning from ear to ear. “No, thank you, ladies,” he replied in a gentle tone. “I have everything I need.” That was more than apparent to me. He had everything a person could ever hope for – He was walking with God. And then it happened. This beautiful, amazing soul reached out toward us and said, “May the Lord bless you today!”

Have you ever seen the face of Jesus up close and personal? He was standing just a few feet away from my me. His eyes were filled with love. Even in the blinding wind and rain, He could see me so much better than I could see myself. I’ve never experienced such love flow from a person’s face, and I’ve met some incredibly loving people along life’s journey. As we drove away, I turned to my dear friend Penelope and said, “I am convinced we have seen the risen Christ today.”

We just wanted to help this man get warm, even if it was only for a little while. He warmed our hearts in ways we will never begin to understand. Our Savior is alive! He is here – on the streets where we live! He resides in the shelters for the homeless! He is eating in the soup kitchen down the block. He is sleeping underneath a cardboard box in the alley behind the bar. He is in the face of every child who sleeps in the backseat of an abandoned automobile because he has no bed to lay his body on.

Who will be Jesus to them? When did we see our Lord hungry and give Him food to eat? When did we see Jesus thirsting for something to drink, and offered Him clean water? When did we see our Lord shamefully naked and cold, and offered Him something warm to wear? When did we see our Savior in shackles? Were we willing to go and visit Him, locked behind the barbed-wire fence inside His concrete cage?

Jesus said, “Whatever you do for one of the least of these, you have done unto me.” Have you seen the face of Jesus today? Look around. He may be pushing a shopping cart along the sidewalk near your church. Will you stop and offer to help? Turn around and take a long, hard look with your spirit. Do not miss an opportunity to see the face of the Lord this morning. Reach out in love today as you look into the eyes of His children. You may find yourself face-to-face with the Lord.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: eyes to see and ears to hear! Will you help feed the hungry, offer water to the thirsty, provide shelter for the homeless, and visit the captive ones in prison? Will you be Jesus to them? Will they be Jesus to you?

____________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Forgiving the Unforgivable

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 13, 14, 15

2 Samuel 13:10-14 (NIV)
10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here in my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. 11 But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.” 12 “Don’t, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. 13 What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” 14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.

2 Samuel 14:14 (NIV)
14 Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, He devises a way so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him.

Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)
14 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”


Good morning!

There are some things in life that truly seem unforgivable to me – I watch the news in horror every evening while listening to stories of murder/suicides, rape, abuse, and torture. Parents are hurting their children. Children are killing their parents in self-defense. Sisters and brothers war against each other, taking things that do not belong to them. Feelings of jealousy, lust and greed explode into evil acts of injustice all around us. The scars of sexual sin mark people for life. We do not have to go far to see the path of destruction sexual sin leaves behind. Look outside your front door this morning. Do you know what might be happening across the street in your neighbor’s home today? Do you know someone who has been raped? Are you friends with a family who lost a child to murder? How does the evil of this world impact your life?

All of us deal with sin and the scars it leaves on our hearts. A hurtful word, and unkind gesture, and an unfair decision can linger in our mind for years. People make choices every day as to how they will choose to live their lives. Selfishness and greed sprout up like the weeds growing in my back yard. Unattended, they spread like wild fire, overtaking healthy soil and infiltrating the good grass.

When I was a young girl growing up in the 1960s, I used to watch the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver with my little sister while playing with our Barbie dolls on the living room floor. We would have liked to have lived the idyllic life next door to the Cleavers. Oh, to have perfect parents – the mother who cooked and cleaned in beautiful dresses, never getting dirty or showing any signs of fatigue. A father who comes home from work each day in a suit and tie, genuinely happy to see his family and who cannot wait to spend quality time with his sons. Parents who administer discipline with love, who do not raise their voices in anger or rage. Yes, it would have been nice to have lived in a home like the Beaver’s. How many homes in your neighborhood do you think were actually like this?

The older I get, the more I realize that finding true peace in the journey has everything to do with the forgiveness we offer to the ones who have hurt us in life. Jesus said that when we choose to forgive, our Heavenly Father will forgive the hurts we have brought upon the people in our path. The pain caused by abuse, rape, and even murder can be forgiven when we take our pain to the foot of the cross. This is why Jesus chose to come and give His life up for all of us. He knew what torture was like, because He experienced it first-hand. He understands how one selfish act can cause such dissention in the home, between siblings and parents and grandparents. He knew how the cycle of sin, brought down to the third and fourth generation, needed to be broken once and for all. He bled and died for people who have suffered wrong acts by the hand of another. He died for the ones who inflicted that pain upon the innocent ones. He died for all of us - offering forgiveness to those who repent. He has the power to release us from every mistake we have ever made.

Do you know how it feels to be truly forgiven? The gift of living a forgiven life comes when we are able to truly forgive those hurts we have harbored in our heart. If you have been hurt by someone you love, and you don’t know how to go on with the pain you feel inside, ask Jesus to help you do what you cannot seem to do on your own steam. It does not matter whether you were the victim or the perpetrator – there is forgiveness for you at the cross of Christ. Ask Jesus to help you forgive the unforgivable in your life. If you trust Him to take your bruised and bleeding soul, HE WILL HEAL YOU. Jesus can set you forever free from your addictions, self-destructive behavior, and from the need to run from the things that are eating you alive. Come to the cross today. Allow the Lord to heal your heart, restore your broken home, and help you make peace with the ones who have hurt you along the way.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: help to forgive the unforgivable. My Jesus is big enough – He is able! He will help you forgive today, if you are willing to give it all up to Him. I’ll see you at church, dear friend.

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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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