Thursday, February 7, 2013 -- The Better Foundation
The foundation of brokenness and pain in many of us was established in that part of our lives that we experienced as unsafe or unfulfilling. Others harmed us and we didn’t know what to do with the pain, the humiliation, the sense of being dirty and stained. We lived in fear. Anger built within us because of our feelings of helplessness to deal with these experiences. Layered on this were our own actions and reactions which led us to experience guilt and shame as well. Answers and solutions seemed clouded in confusion and problems and burdens were just too much to bear. The mixture of injustice done to us and then by us was too complicated. All we knew to do was to hide in destructive and addictive life practices.
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:6-8 NLT)
To believe is to come to accept something as true or real. That’s a simple choice. Or is it? Most of us have been too scared or too angry to be willing to put the power to affect our lives into the hands of anyone at all. We made a choice to deal with our problems, on our own, and that did not work for it led only to addictive behaviours. The evil spirits of darkness gladly came alongside us to help us run down the road towards destruction. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NLT)
Today God offers us a choice for a better foundation upon which to build a wonderful future. God offers life. 7 So Jesus said again, “What I’m about to tell you is true. I am like a gate for the sheep. 8 All those who ever came before me were thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I’m like a gate. Anyone who enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out. And he will find plenty of food. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way. (John 10:7-10 NIRV)
Let's return to God today. Here's a helpful prayer of surrender and invitation to God as we take steps in that direction:
Loving Heavenly Father, We are grateful that You care about us. We’ve run so long not knowing that there was a loving God in heaven who cared enough about us to send His Son to die. Thank you for sending Jesus to show us Your love. Thank you that Jesus was willing to die for our sins and offers us new life today. We turn away from looking for any other higher power and we turn to You. We surrender our lives, past, present, and future to You. Forgive us. Heal us. Show us more and more who You are and who we are as we allow You to live in us. Thank you for your promise that greater are You in us than He that is in the world. We give You control of the agenda of our lives. We’ll follow your instructions. We’ll walk in the new way You show us. Thank You for new life that is good, and perfect, and pleasing as we live according to Your will. Amen.
Audio for Thursday, February 7, 2013 -- The Better Foundation
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