Identity: Me, Through Your Eyes. (Part Four)
God has a Plan for your Restoration.
Dear Readers,
Thank you for walking with me through this series. Your presence here means so much. Wherever you are on your healing journey whether just beginning, in the middle of the storm, or already seeing God’s restoration know that He is with you and He loves you deeply. I pray these words bring you courage and hope today.
Coffee with Heavenly Dad, Let's dive into God's Word
The Altar, The Heart of Every Believer.
I remember when I was willing to heal from past wounds and be restored by God. At that moment, I was going through severe OCD, which led to anxiety and chronic fears. I felt awful, it was horrible. I wanted God to start by stopping the horrible feelings; the dreadful sensations, cold sweats, the overwhelming fear. I wanted all the noise to stop and vanish. But He did something I never thought I needed. He asked me to forgive, to let go, and to give Him back the reins of my heart, to abandon control and leadership. Honestly, this was a tough one! I wanted Him to help me feel better, to live better. “Why would You ask me to forgive and let go while I’m suffocating in my pain? I am being consumed by fear. Lord, please do something!” I pleaded and pleaded for it to stop... but His grace was sufficient for me, and His power was made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). That’s why I needed to forgive. I needed to let go and move on, even though the hook was tightly fastened. I didn’t wait for an emotional revelation; my decision to forgive was genuine, and the Holy Spirit led me through the entire process. The Bible says: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23, NIV) The heart is a very fertile soil, and anything planted in it will eventually germinate. I failed to guard my heart, and I was entangled with thorns and deep roots of plants that never had a place in my life. When the time came for God to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, He called Ezra and Nehemiah. They led the rebuilding of the city until its complete restoration. In the book of Ezra, it is written: Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices.” (Ezra 3:3, NIV) When God began the rebuilding of Jerusalem, He started with the altar; not the temple, not the walls or gates. The very first thing to be restored was the altar of burnt offerings, where the priests offered sacrifices for forgiveness and redemption. The altar represents our heart. God cannot work through our restoration without starting there. He needs to clean it up so that a new foundation can be laid and a new seed planted. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:10, ESV) Do you remember the call of Jeremiah? To pluck up, break down, destroy, and overthrow. That’s what God wants to do in our hearts. He wants to remove everything that goes against the knowledge of God. Only then can He plant and build. When you read the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4, you understand the importance of good soil. We can all receive the same word of healing, the same seed of restoration, but because of the difference in our heart’s disposition, we don’t all bear the same fruit. A heart full of hatred and unforgiveness cannot bear the fruit of healing and restoration. Even if the seed is perfect and unique, if the soil is bad, it will not germinate nor produce fruit. Now, you’ll probably still feel pain, fear, and anguish... but still do it. When Ezra returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the altar, the Bible says that despite their fear, they built the altar. They were fully aware of their fear, but they did not allow a feeling to keep them from obeying God’s Word. That’s why they did it despite! (Ezra 3:3) I want to encourage you to take the first step toward your own healing. It may shock you, but we are responsible for our healing. It is always God’s will for us to be healed. Don’t question whether or not He wants you healed. The answer is yes, He does! Stay Blessed!
Heavenly Father,
May your name be hallowed. We thank you for your unconditional love and the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus we are grateful for your constant presence in our lives. Father, we need your wisdom and revelation, speak to us throughout this series, speak to our hearts, we know that it's in you that we are complete, satisfied and enough. LORD, as we move forward with this series, Have your way in our hearts. Give us the strength to forgive and surrender to you. Heal our broken vessels. We know that only you can do something with our broken pieces. Others may break it further or be wounded by it. LORD, do what only You can Do. Thank you Jesus for your unwavering presence. We know and believe that Our Heavenly Father is still writing our story. We have faith for the next chapter because we trust the Writer.
Thank you LORD
In Jesus' name. Amen
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME TODAY!
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May the Lord Jesus guard your hearts and steps as you unfold every day of this week.
In Jesus' Name.
With Love and Blessings
Mathilde Julie.
❤️❤️ amazing