by David Brenneman
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit. “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:7-10.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalms 23:1-6.
"Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:13-14.
"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12.
A life in Christ and a life outside of Christ is going to be fraught with scars. What you remember about these will forever change your way of life going forward in life.
Perhaps one of the greatest passages known throughout the world is Psalms 23. The one in Jeremiah perhaps not as much as a whole but in part.
I have scars that people can see. I have hundreds if not thousands of scars that only Jesus knows about. Those things hidden from the world that only He is aware of, besides what Satan's seen or heard.
But it is Jesus who searches my heart and mind. It is He who searches yours as well. It's extremely important to keep this in mind when we're complaining to God about life.
There's nothing hidden from Him with whom we have to do. Not the real thoughts we had not the real intention behind what we did or said. My Dear Reader you cannot stretch the truth you cannot lie to Jesus to make yourself feel better and have that last.
My internal scars are a burden that the Spirit carries with me. Through the years of my life many have been healed but the memories remain. Can't remember important things to save my life but my scars and failures seem to stay forever.
Your life is laid bare before Jesus.
There is nothing about you that will cause you to be pushed away by Jesus. That person beaten and left by the side of the road in the parable of the Good Samaritan? That's you.
Only you can keep pushing Jesus out of your walk with Him or if you're not saved in Christ Jesus yet only you can reject His love for you.
Hell is only occupied by human beings who rejected Jesus Christ's free gift of salvation. Nobody there is there for the deeds they have done save that one. There are condemned demons there as well.
You cannot let your scars keep you separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus said to come to Him all who are weary and He will give you rest. It may not look like rest but you will find rest as He says that it is.
My scars will someday be erased. When Jesus returned to take others and myself home to Heaven, I will be given a new body. Healed of everything seen and unseen by myself and the world.
You do not need to bear your scars alone. Jesus is ready and willing to come to you. He knows everything about you and loves you unconditionally anyway. It was for all your sins that He stayed on the cross and died. It was for all of that that He arose from the dead 3 days later, defeating sin, death and the grave. To give you a new life in Christ.
Some of my scars I will admit I am sort of proud of. Most, however, I am not. Such has been my life.
You are not alone if you choose not to be. Jesus is ready, standing at the door of your heart waiting to be let in. He is ready for whatever is going on within you.
This life is but a temporary construct of human history. As the passage that I love says "This too shall pass". It didn't come to stay.
Jesus waits on both the Believer and the unbelieving to do His work in their lives. The cross of Jesus Christ brought choice. You to choose, not for Him to push or impose. Choice. We who are in Christ choose to obey or choose to live in disobedience and pay the consequences for our choices. Those living outside the will of God for them...deal with a lot more consequences to their choices because of try to do life alone apart from Jesus.
Your scars do not have to define you. They may have shaped your present but do not have to be your future.
Jesus knows you intimately and loves you. What will you do with your today knowing this truth?
Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus says to all who call on Him for salvation...low I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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