Healing The Hurt // Renew Your Mindset نموونە

How you Feel About God

There is so much beauty. All that I have made—its original plan, its intention, was beauty. It was good, complete, carefully designed. I made this world to be the place where you could live and thrive. I made it as a gift, all things a gift from Me. What you do in this world can be beautiful. How you can work. How you can play. How you can love. How you can rest. There is so much for your to explore and do, even if your circumstances don’t allow it right now. Someday you will have no limits. Someday you will have nothing to hold you back. No hardship. No disease. No financial pressure. (What limits could there possibly be?) 

Right now, where do you feel limited? Where do you feel held back? Where do you feel your desires are being thwarted? Where do you feel limited in receiving love, or in experiencing play, exploration and adventure? What do you feel I haven’t given you that you need? What resources do you lack? How do you feel held back in what you can do?

Someday you will not feel these limits on you. This world will be made whole, and you will be made whole. There will be no sadness, no evil, no hurt. People will not make you feel unworthy, ashamed of who you are—of what you have and what you do. And right now, as you wait for this kingdom to be whole, you can ask Me what I have for you. You an ask Me for what you need. Your deepest desires. Your greatest dreams. Allow yourself to dream, son, daughter. I want to hear your dreams. I want to hear from you how you have been hurt. I want to hear from you how you are disappointed. I want to hear from you how you hesitate to mourn, feel angry, to grieve.

Do you know I can take all your pain? Do you know I can take all your suffering? Do you know I can bear all of your sadness?  I am tender toward you. My heart is not hard. I am not resistant to loving you. I am not more willing to be present with someone else than I am with you. I am willing to love you. I am willing to be with  you. I am willing to rescue you. I am willing to come and hold you, shepherd you, guide you toward greener pastures. I am willing to give you rest, restoration, comfort, shelter for your heart. You belong under my wings. You belong under my care. I am your Father, and I have everything you need.

Do you know I love to give you good gifts? Do you know I love to love you? Do you know I love to be with you? Do you know I love to wrap my arms around you, hold you close, and tell you who you are to me—who your identity is—all truth, all love, no lies?

You are never forgotten. You are never not known by me. I know all your struggles right now. All your worries. All your fears. I am your light in the darkness now. I am your hiding place. I am who you can count on. I am who chases you down when you feel lost. I am who knows what words to say when your heart is heavy, when you are hurting, when you struggle to lift your head. Remember that I am a God who is good. Do you believe that? Do you know that? Do you want to know that more?

Let me uncover all your reservations about Me—all your doubts about who I am. There are some things you believe about Me you don’t even let yourself recognize. Let Me reveal to your heart what is getting in the way of knowing Me more. Let’s start with misconceptions you have about who I am.

Exercise:

God wants to help us identify what’s getting in the way of knowing Him more. Specifically, He wants to help us recognize any and all misconceptions we hold about who He is. I love this invitation. Because thinking rightly about God matters—it matters a lot. “The most portentous fact about any man [or any woman],” wrote A.W. Tozer, “is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.”

Our thoughts about who He is—his personality and character and values, and how He thinks about us and the world—those thoughts define our relationship with Him, because they govern how much life and how much love we can receive from Him. The fewer misconceptions we hold, the more life and love we can receive. So, this is an invitation from God that is too good to pass up.

In the message you just read, Holy Spirit asked us some questions about how we feel about our lives right now. He asked, “where do you feel limited? Where do you feel held back? Where do you feel your desires are being thwarted? Where do you feel limited in receiving love, or in experiencing play, exploration and adventure? What do you feel I haven’t given you that you need? What resources do you lack? How do you feel held back in what you can do?”

Underneath all these questions there are some larger, deeper questions, questions about who God is: Do you believe He is powerful? Do you believe He cares about you? Do you believe He is good?

Now, you will read a few verses from Scripture. These will reveal characteristics of God. And after you read them, sit with them for a few moments, and then tell your heavenly Dad what you think about them. For instance, if a particular verse speaks of His goodness, tell Him how He’s been good to you, in your life. Be as specific as possible. Name the ways—say them out loud, if you can.

And if you haven’t seen His goodness in your life, tell Him that too!

And, then, after you’ve read a particular verse or set of verses, and after you’ve told Him what you think about them, I want you to do something else. I want you to listen to what He says to you, about your thoughts and beliefs.

Here is John chapter 1, verses 3-4 : “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” And here is Isaiah chapter 45, verse 7 : “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.”

Have you experienced God’s awesome power? Do you know that, with Him, anything is possible?

If you have experienced His power, tell Him how. And if you haven’t, tell Him that too.

And then be still and listen for His voice. Listen for the quiet, inner voice. Listen not with your physical ears, but with your heart. Notice your thoughts as they come. Notice which thoughts might have been originated by Holy Spirit—God in you.

Here is Nahum chapter 1, verse 7 :  “God is good, a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help, No matter how desperate the trouble.”

Have you seen God’s goodness in your life? Has He ever been your refuge? If so, how? Tell Him. And if not, tell Him that too.

And then listen for what He might want to tell you, in response.

Here is 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 13 : “But even if we are faithless, he will still be full of faith, for he never wavers in his faithfulness to us!” And here is 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 9 : “contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his ‘delay’ simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.”

Have you experienced His faithfulness and patience? If you have, tell Him how. And if you haven’t, go ahead and tell Him that too.

And then listen for His reply.

Here is Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16 : “So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.”

Have you experienced God’s mercy? If you have, tell Him about it. If you haven’t tell Him that too.

And then listen for what He might want to say to you, in response.

Father, I see your awesome power. I know that nothing is too big for You. And I see, in that awesome power, that you . . . are . . . good. You are the source of all goodness. And I see your faithfulness and patience and mercy. I know You never forget me. And your heart is never hard; it is soft toward me. You see what I’m going though. And You understand. And You never give up on me—not ever, no matter what. When I struggle and when I’m lost, again, instead of anger or frustration, you chase me down and offer protection and healing and restoration.

You are amazing. I believe all these things about You. I know these things, and I want to know You more.

In your Son’s name, Amen.