Deleted

"He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."  Micah 7:19

I wrote an email last Tuesday.

It's still in my Outbox.  For some unknown reason, it did not get to the Recipient.  In frustration, I clicked on this email to move to another folder.  That didn't work, so I chose to delete it.

It would not delete.

Now there is an email that I wrote last Tuesday with a red X inside a red circle.  I do not have a clue what that means.  I only know that I cannot move this email, I cannot delete this email and I cannot open this email to forward.

My husband came to my rescue and was able to delete this email; we celebrated in victory...

until it popped back into my Outbox thirty seconds later.

It reminded me that sometimes I will do that with my already confessed sin.

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  God reveals a sin in our life, we confess it and forsake it, but then we allow Satan to bring it back to the forefront of our minds.

So, then we confess it again, and again and again, thinking that God didn't hear us the first time.

My friend, God forgave us the first time we confessed.

That sin is deleted.

Forever.

So, the next time Satan reminds you of your past sin,

Remind Satan that you have been forgiven!

    But that's just me!

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.  Psalm 103:12

"The voice of sin is loud, but the Voice of forgiveness is louder." Dwight L Moody

Feelings

" Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."  Words of Jesus, Matthew 7:24,25

"Feelings are like chemicals; the more you analyze them the worse they smell."  Charles Kingsley

When I was a little girl, my parents would take me to the State Fair.  One of my favorite rides there, was the Rollercoaster!  We would get into one of the joined cars, fasten our seat belts and allow the safety bar to rest down upon our laps.  Then we would hold on tight!  The steady climb up the first hill, hearing the 'click, click, click' of the wheels on the track, the anticipation of speeding down the hill, around the sudden twists, and turns!  Exhilarated, I couldn't wait to go again!  As an adult, I don't find them quite as fun as when I was a child.

Feelings remind me a lot of Rollercoasters.  Depending on what blows our way in life, we are either up or down.  On the mountain top of victory, or in the valley of defeated despair.

Christian, it's time to get off the Rollercoaster of our emotions and stand on The Rock!  Put our feet back on our Solid Foundation.

I want to encourage you today to live by the Fact of God's Word, and not your feelings.  Instead of reacting to a situation or a person by your feelings, react by quoting a verse from God's Word.

Purpose in your heart NOT to be emotional or make decisions based upon what you are feeling at that moment.

Emotions tend to be the driving force behind what we think and how we feel.  It will lead to many wrong decisions.

The foundation for daily living should not be how we feel, but rather our foundation should be God's Word.

"When you cannot rejoice in feelings, circumstances or conditions, rejoice in the Lord" A.B. Simpson

Feelings cause doubt and confusion,

    God's Word will cause clarity and assurance...

        But that's just me!

"There is nothing so deluding as feelings.  Christians cannot live by feelings.  Let me further tell you these feelings are the work of Satan, for they are not right feelings.  What right have you to set up your feelings against the Word of Christ?"  Charles Spurgeon

Remember, then Run!

I love the story of David and Goliath!  You can find the account in 1 Samuel 17. 

Every morning and evening clad in his helmet of brass, and his coat of mail that weighed five thousand shekels of brass, greaves of brass upon his legs, a target of brass between his shoulders, his shield and his spear that weighed six hundred shekels of iron, Goliath, this giant man of Gath, taunted the armies of Israel and defied God.

For forty days, the Army of Israel forgot the power of their God and feared a man.

And then a shepherd boy, by the request of his father, was sent out with food supplies to check on his brothers.

While there, David heard the blasphemous challenge of this Giant.

Let me pause here for a minute and ask you a couple of questions.

What's your battle?

Who's your Giant?

What are you going to do about it?

Who are you going to trust?

David saw the giant and REMEMBERED what God had done for him in the past.  In verses 35-37 David remembered how God had delivered him out from the paw of the lion and the bear, and because God had delivered David before, David trusted God to deliver him again.

And after he remembered what God had done, He RAN toward the army to meet the Philistine (Verse 48)

David prevailed over Goliath, slew him with one smooth stone, and RAN and stood upon the Philistine.  (Verse 51)

David REMEMBERED then RAN-

and in Victory, stood upon his enemy.

David wasn't worried about the size or strength of this Giant,

because He already knew God's!  He didn't run from this giant, he ran towards this giant, all because He remembered Who God was, and What God had already done!

I want to face my future giants by remembering what giants God delivered me from in the past...

    But that's just me!

"Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation."  Andrew Murray

Cemeteries

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.  Matthew 28:1

A friend of mine recently shared with me the one-year anniversary death of her father.  She had gone to his gravesite to see him.  She told me that being able to 'talk' with him there, was very therapeutic. 

I find cemeteries comforting as well.  Even Mary went to visit the tomb of Jesus.  There is a connection by heart to the loved ones we have lost, and their grave is evidence that they existed. 

When I walk the rows of tombstones in a cemetery, I often stop to read what was written.  Names, dates, what they were best known for.  And then I wonder if I will meet them one day?

I think we will be surprised to see who is in heaven, and we will be surprised by who is not there.  My dad died when I was 20 years old.  He had left my mom for another woman and converted to Mormonism.  He died a slow death from cancer, and even though I don't believe I will ever see him again, I do not know what conspired between him and The Creator moments before he left this earth.

I saved a letter from a missionary who lost his mother nine months ago because I found his words very comforting.  He wrote, "How do I handle losing her and not knowing the state of her soul?

    1-I trust God

    2-I am comforted that I was consistent in witnessing and know she heard the gospel many, many times.  Without this I would be tormented.

    3-I focus my attention on the multitudes around me who still need to hear."

God has promised to give EVERY man the opportunity to turn to Him for salvation.  We have a just and fair God.

I, too, take comfort in His Truth.  My dad had his opportunity to choose Christ and regardless of his choice, it was his choice to make.

And so, when I visit the grave of a loved one now gone, I will choose hope until my faith is turned to sight.

    But that's just me!