TOUGH AS NAILS
As a child I thought like a child. Or did I? People tell me how wonderful my childhood was. Yet, all I can recall is the challenges. I mean, if I really sit and think hard I can remember a few times of LOVE and laughter. But, what stands out most is the false truth…LIE that the enemy told me about being TOUGH. My mom would tell me, “Don’t wear your emotions on your sleeve.” Yet, guess what my mother did? My father would never speak about strength. My parents LOVED the LORD, but in many ways had difficulty receiving LOVE from HIM. Yet, they hungered for it, as we ALL do.
I desperately wanted LOVE. From the time I was little, I had a deep desire for it. I came in almost mantled with rejection. It seems that I encountered it on every turn. I did not know then, what an honor that actually was. Because look at the LIFE of JESUS. Who has ever been more rejected than CHRIST? NO ONE. I slowly as I got older found more and more passion within for GOD and HIS purpose. I feel into the darkness thinking I had to stay as TOUGH as NAILS. BUT GOD, pursued me and sought my heart, patiently waiting on me to come and let HIM LOVE me.
THREE very different views of what we can only picture happened to CHRIST our SAVIOR. ~
When this topic fell into my spirit I was kind of not happy about it. On one hand it is an awesome topic. But, on the other, we get more persecution than anything for being vulnerable. Does anyone ever LOVE being persecuted? Jesus didn’t enjoy it, though He rejoiced. He kept praising GOD no matter the challenges. Because HE is GOD, He is tough as nails. YET, when He was here He was not, because HE lived out the human journey. It is part of why we MUST walk out that portion of the journey too.
These horrible things that happen should soften US not harden us. THAT is GOD’s plan. He wants us to have compassionate hearts. HIS heart is not a HARD heart. It is QUITE the opposite. But, how many are walking around literally bleeding out and not knowing? Because they fell they cannot show their hearts, for fear that it will lead to slaughter. Can you relate? I know I can. I know David can. I know when Sarah Beth walked this earth she hated to see suffering. This child of HIS was used and is still to teach us that GOD’s LOVE never fails.
We could stay hurt, angry, wounded, destroyed, couldn’t we? But, maybe when we choose NOT to, then THAT will multiply. We will know that because of the NAILS on the CROSS and what was done there. The way that JESUS took everything we can ever imagine against himself, and even unto DEATH, overcame is beyond inspiring. THINK for a moment about THAT LOVE. TO LOVE us so much that HE would be slaughtered, crucified, condemned, and you name it on our behalf.
http://www.openbible.info/topics/vulnerability
James 1:1-27 ESV
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Psalm 103:1-22 ESV
Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Matthew 6:33 ESV
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Luke 10:1-11 ESV
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’
Zechariah 14:3 ESV
Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.
Daniel 12:1-13 ESV
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream.
Jeremiah 7:8-10 ESV
“Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?
Ecclesiastes 1:7 ESV
All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
Proverbs 14:30 ESV
A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
Psalm 37:29 ESV
The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
Genesis 7:11 ESV
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 ESV
But test everything; hold fast what is good.
Galatians 3:25 ESV
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
Matthew 22:39 ESV
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Zechariah 14:2 ESV
For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Daniel 8:1-27 ESV
In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the capital, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.
Isaiah 40:22 ESV
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
Isaiah 11:1-16 ESV
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
I thought about little boys and how they are often taught NOT to cry. My husband was led to speak tonight about how tough that was. It was NOT until Sarah Beth, our butterfly, passed that DAVID began to shed tears from a place of healing. No more anger that had been held in for so long. NO more links to the enemy’s plots. All unholy ties CUT away. ONLY GOD can do this. I am not saying that we are 100% or perfect, but WE can say that because of GOD’s LOVE, Grace, MERCY, PEACE, HOPE, JOY, ENDURANCE and every other part of HIS HOLINESS WE can WALK in FREEDOM. WE can SEE HIS TRUTHS. WE CAN BECOME BULLETPROOF in HIM. GOD CAN and WILL SUCCEED. He will NOT FAIL. So therefore, when we are surrendered to HIM and HIS perspectives, neither will we. 😉
Today WE pray for the many families who are grieving LOSES. It feels like it SUCKS the LIFE out of us at times. GOD, you know. This is NO surprise to YOU. Father you watched your son literally conquer HELL. Thank you for the comfort which you are pouring out on US and ALL of these families. YOU LOVE to a degree that we can barely even fathom. You are GLORIOUS. You are tough as nails, so we don’t have to be. THANK you for never leaving us or forsaking us, never giving up on us and always encouraging us. Thank you that you ALMIGHTY GOD ARE not A god OF GUILT AND CONDEMNATION, BUT ARE A GOD OF LOVE AND ADORATION!!!!
In Jesus HOLY NAME and BLOOD,
Amen
LOVE to ALL of YOU. Know that WE do NOT have it ALL together, but we are grateful for GOD and for each of you. Thankful to be ALIVE. Grateful to LIVE in HIS LOVE.
In His Grace and GLORY,
E and FAM