Going through Hell with Help from Heaven

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; 
and sayeth such as be of a contrite spirit.
- Psalm 34:18

Being brokenhearted can leave you in the dumps.  The damage done to you can leave you feeling like totally damaged goods and all out of sorts.  It happens to a lot of us.

Fortunately, the Scriptures assure us that the Lord is near to those of us who feel broken and contrite.

Can you imagine going through hell without any help from heaven?

It is hard enough to catch hell as a Christian.  We have fellowship with the Lord and communion with Him.  We have fellow saints, brothers and sisters worldwide praying for us and fasting for us in unity.  We have the Lord's Spirit indwelling within us due to our conversion.  We have all that, but we still catch hell and it can break us down.

We can have all of these things to our advantage and still remain vulnerable to satanic attacks and demonic forces that seek to do all sorts of damage to us and our relationship with the Lord.  Yet, we still have more than those who have no relationship with God.  We can catch hell and still know that God is watching over us and He still loves and cares for us.

Though we may catch hell here on earth, we still have:

• Hope: We have the Lord's will on our hearts.  His will being fulfilled gives us hope that what we may go through is part of the bigger picture that will lead to us having a better perspective and bolder praise.  We go through hell, but we have HOPE.
• Help:  We have the Lord's Word to provide us with His words of comfort and displays of His miraculous power and lovingkindness as well as longsuffering throughout time.  He extends his hand of mercy and grace to help us when we least deserve it, especially since we cannot earn anything from Him on the merit of our own goodness.  It is good to know that we have His HELP.
• Heaven: We have heaven on our side.  We have the Lord and His angelic forces, His almighty power that encompasses all things created on earth and in heaven.  I oftentimes wondered why God and the "sons of God" did not launch a full court press on Satan when he walked into the heavenly realm in the Book of Job.  However, as I learn more and more about the attributes of God, I realize that Satan (Lucifer) was summoned just like all of God's other angels in order to stand before Him.  He was subject to God, even in his fallen state. God has all power over all things, even the hell that we go through with help from heaven.

Keep this in mind as you endure what you have to face in this life.  it could be at work or school, in your home or your family.  No matter where you go through hell here on earth, you can depend on help from heaven.

# # # # # # # #

Discover more about the type of help that God offers us all.  Read my article Praying with Trust and find some simple ways to continue in Christ with deeper faith.  Also, view facing Your Fears in Faith.  I believe that both of these articles can help those who are hurting and are in need of healing that only the Lord Himself can provide.

From Eden to Egypt Day 51

And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”- Genesis 48:11 (NKJV)

The father who had shown Joseph favoritism was old and sick.  That was the report that had reached Joseph.  Joseph gathered up his two sons and took them to Grandpa Israel (Papa Jacob).  The words in verse 11 are Joseph's father's words to his son.

Keep in mind that Joseph had been presumed dead for years.  Al of his time in Potiphar's house, prison and even the palace, Joseph was presumed dead by his father.  Upon coming to Egypt, Jacob reunited with his son. 

Joy must have captivated his heart.  He must have be overjoyed to some degree.  Not only was Joseph alive but he was doing quite well for himself as he worked under the king of Egypt.  Jacob must have been both happy and proud of his son.  However, Jacob blesses both of Joseph's sons after Joseph gets the news of his father's illness.

There are just somethings that we have to face in life, but when we can regain some other things it gives us our unique purpose. The are some defining moments that come about in our lives. They stick out in our memories.  We cling to them for one reason or another.  These are the very moments that serve as reminders to us all of how precious life is to each and every one of us.  How much did that moment of those two boys being blessed help Joseph recall how much he loved and missed his father?

Most probably, you have reflected on some moments that stood out for you in life and with your family and friends.  Live on and make more memories.  Live on and enjoy it.  Make memories as you go along.  Everyone will not be here forever, so make as many memories as you can now and be at peace among each other.  God bless.

Beauty to Behold

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. - Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJV)

The Word of God offers us vivid word pictures painted with imagery and descriptions that touch our very hearts as we hear them read aloud. His Word offers us an explosive collision of senses and emotions as He describes the coming of the Savior in Isaiah's prophecy.  Yet, look deeply at what the Lord says through this man of God.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me...
It is as if the Spirit of the Lord is a fragrant oil or balm that is ceremoniously anointed upon the head.  It reads almost like Psalm 133:2 where it speaks of the pleasantness and joy of unity among the brothers: It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard.  The imagery of the oil comes up again where the prophecy speaks of oil of joy for mourning.  The oil serves as an ointment, and if it is oil of joy, it should help and aid us to deal with and heal from our mourning.

To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion. . .
The prophecy speaks clearly about comforting and consoling all who mourn and those who mourn.  The prophecy has something special for those dealing with mourning.

• beauty for ashes
• The oil of joy for mourning
• The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness

Just hear those words speak to your heart.  God doesn't just send us someone to "save" us and set things in order in Jesus Christ.  He sends someone who restores mankind into a refueled and refreshed fellowship with God the Father by faith and grace.   The words themselves paint the picture for us.

Ashes are usually a sign of mourning.  Job and David exemplified this as it was customary during a period of mourning.  Mourning? What was dead? We were dead, lost in the darkness of our own sin.  Oil was used to anoint for special purposes and to help purify and cleanse wounds.  How much did we need to become cleansed? His blood covers us and cleanses us, making what was once scarlet become as white as snow.  The garment of praise has been fitted for each believer.  It fits right over all of the stuff that seems to weigh us down and keep us from moving forward.  These garments allow us to become wrapped and clothedin the very praise that arises from within us due to God hearing our cry and plea.

Listen to the words.  Hear them speak to your heart.  Allow them to create new images in your mind.  Let them help you discover new ways to picture how much God loves you today.

Making Peace Both Near and Far

Some of us need to make peace with family. No matter how far that you have come, you still need to make peace. Someone just needs to bury the hatchet ASAP. There is no more time to waste. Friendships have lied in ruin because of the failure of one side to approach making peace and settling the matter. Presidents and foreign magistrates need to get together and have more "peace talks" and summits. We need to settle some old unresolved matters and start making peace both near and far.