A new impressive building, many stories high, was built for a large company.
Several years after moving into the building, a staff member came to the CEO and pointed out that there was a crack in the wall on the 42 floor.
The CEO immediately called the architect and made an appointment to meet him. The CEO left instructions to be notified of the architect’s arrival.
Dutifully, his staff alerted him the moment the architect stepped foot in the building and the CEO went up to the 42nd floor to meet him.
He waited, but the architect did not show up.
Finally, he called his staff and said, “The architect is not on the 42nd floor, where is he?”
He was informed that the architect was in the 6th floor basement.
The CEO went down to the basement and asked the architect why he wasn’t up on the 42nd floor where the crack was.
The architect answered “The crack may be on the 42nd floor but your problem is here in the foundation.”
In every building the most important part is the foundation, but then it is covered up and no one sees it again. Unless, an action manifests itself somewhere higher up in the building.
The condition of the invisible foundation will manifest itself as a symptom in the visible part of the building.
There is a wonderful lesson here.
The person we are is like a building.
What we believe is our foundation.
Our foundation cannot be seen, but our visible actions will reveal what our foundation is made of.
Characters we find in the bible illustrate this so precisely because we are given both their ‘actions’ and their heart ‘foundation’ beliefs.
We have Abraham who lifted the knife to kill his own son, and we marvel at his action.
What was his foundation belief that made his obedience to God’s Word such a natural thing?
Hebrews 11:19 tells us that Abraham’s foundation belief that God would be true to His promises was so strong that he knew if he did kill his son in obedience to God, God would simply raise him up from the dead.
His obedience was a natural action resulting from his core beliefs.
Admiring Abraham’s actions is much like admiring someone who walks to the edge of a roof and stops. His foundational belief is that if he takes one more step, gravity will have its way with him. So the fact that he stops is not amazing….it is the natural action of a strongly held foundational belief.
What we should admire is Abraham’s foundation belief that made his actions the actions of a faith giant.
Take the example of Moses.
He had been raised with every comfort and privilege, adopted by the Pharaoh’s own sister. He had a position of affluence and authority.
His life held every promise of earthly glory.
But then we see his ‘actions’ when he choses to take the side of the slaves that were his people.
Why was he willing to give everything up??
We are told why….because his foundational belief was that the temporary treasures of Egypt were not worth comparing to the eternal treasures of God. (Heb.11:26)
Moses gave up nothing; he simply chose what he believed to be the most valuable!
An easy, natural choice.
We have the example of Lucifer, who was heaven’s most beautiful angel; in fact he was the worship leader. We see his actions of rebellion against God. And wonder - Why?!?!?
We are told what his foundation was. Pride in himself was his core belief.
(Ez. 28:15,17)
His attempt to take over heaven was a natural action.
There is a verse that says, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.”
(Prov. 23:7)
Our heart is our 'basement', the foundation of our life, where our beliefs determine the strength of our life.
What you believe will determine how you act.
If you believe that as long as you have enough money, life will be worth living, then your actions will reflect this belief. Walking over people to get what you want, being dishonest in business practices, becoming a workaholic and neglecting the emotional needs of your family would all be natural actions coming out of your foundation belief.
If your foundational belief is that Jesus meant what He said, about God not forgiving you if you do not forgive others, then your actions will reveal that belief – you will be quick to forgive those who offend you, or hurt you. (Matt. 18:35)
People have asked me if I don’t get angry at the pain, angry that I struggle to do even simple things. I have thought about it and wondered why I really never do. Anger is not an emotion that I have ever felt regarding my RA.
I believe my ‘actions’ come naturally out of my very strong belief that God is in control of my life, what comes into my life was first cleared by Him, and I know that everything will work for good and for His purposes.
Do I enjoy the pain and disability? Of course not!
Do I want to be healthy again? Of course!!
Do I try to get better? Take medication? Of course!
But I am not anxious or upset because I know that God is with me…what more do I need?
I remember when I was first diagnosed and I saw my life as it had always been slipping away from me.
My first emotion was keen disappointment, “But Lord, I wanted to serve you! I wanted to do so much for you, and now I can’t!”
But immediately the answer came. "When my plans for your life were laid, I already knew that you would have RA.
You physical condition will not hinder you in serving me.”
Well, then of course, I will walk this path for as long as I need to walk it!
And pray that I be faithful in my glorifying Him.
Are there other ‘actions’ in my life that need some foundational repair?
Yes, I am not perfect --- yet!!
I say with Paul , .”“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:12)
Think about your actions…. Especially the ones you are not proud of and wish you could change….Check your foundation. Out of what beliefs do your actions spring? Trying to change the action will be futile, you need to go down into the basement and examine and change your core belief.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
The Word that Stands Alone
There is a word in our English language that is unique from all others.
It is unique in its limited usage.
It is a word for which we have no succinct definition.
It is a descriptive word that when used correctly can refer to only one thing.
As far as I know, there is only one word that fits the above criteria.
The word is Holy.
This word has no applicable use other than to be descriptive of God.
It has no easy definition. It is the word that connects our minds to the mysterious otherness of God – that part of God that man cannot touch or understand or define.
It is a word that I love.
The very sound of the word brings shivers of awe and other-world awareness through my body. It brings me into that Presence of the Eternal where God alone lives.
It is the word that the beasts before the throne of God repeat over and over , day and night, never ceasing….”Holy, Holy, Holy!” Their awe of the essence of God is never diminished…and forever expressed in this one unearthly word, “Holy!”
I think it will be the first word that will come to our lips when we step into God’s real Presence and look upon the One we worship. “Holy!”
In one of my July posts Glory of God , I appreciated a comment left by Pam from Colorado .
She said , “I do not use the word ‘awe’ very often as it represents to me, the very feelings I have for God. This picture is awe inspiring and instantly grabs my attention and turns it to the mightiness of God and all the beauty and wonder he represents.”
I know what she means and I agree…I don’t often use the word-awe’ either unless it in connection with God or His creation.
The word ‘awe’ however is understood – it means something so incredibly beautiful or mind-boggling that only God could have done it !!
The definition of ‘awe’ is written out in God’s glorious universe.
Holy…is the part of God that He did not display in His creation. It is the hidden part of God that our physical limitations do not allow us to embrace or even begin to understand.
We are, however, given some glimpses into the awesomeness of what this word speaks of...
When Moses drew near to the burning bush, when Joshua encountered the Commander of the Lord, both were told to remove their shoes for they stood on Holy ground.
Just as we remove our shoes before we step onto someone’s white carpet, so also the contamination of this world cannot touch God’s holiness.
Shoes also provide a barrier to protect us from the elements. There is nothing man-made that can protect us from God’s Holiness.
And protection we need !!
Holy speaks of the ‘terrifying’ side of God – the part that fills us with fear!!
It is the ‘Holy’ of God that caused Isaiah to say “Woe is me, I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5) The sight of God’s Holiness was so ‘terrible’ that Moses exclaimed.. “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling!” (Heb. 12:21)
Even John the beloved disciple, who knew Jesus so intimately, when he saw his Holiness….”fell as His feet as dead!”(Rev. 1:17)
And it is not without cause that man cannot stand for fear before God’s Holiness.
God warned the Israelites over and over that if they so much as touched anything God declared Holy…. They would die !!
“but..they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die!” (Num.4:15) And God was serious….When Uzza reached out to keep the Ark of the Covenant from tipping, God immediately struck him dead! (I Chron. 13:9.10)
God gave the priests a special recipe for the perfume, the holy anointing oil. It was not to be poured upon man’s flesh, nor could they try to imitate the recipe for their own use - It was Holy !
Punishment for disobedience ? death (Ex. 30:31-33)
God’s Holiness is not to be taken lightly , no matter how secure we are in His love and care and faithful tenderness.
David, a man so close to God’s heart, stands in awe of God’s holiness. “Let them praise thy great and terrible name…for it is HOLY.” (Ps. 99:3)
One of my favourite verses that always brings awe into my being is in Hab. 2:20, “The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
I find it interesting that man through the ages has not found another usage for the word ‘Holy’. It is as though God has preserved even the word for Himself.
Except !
Satan, knowing what this word represents, has taken it and put it into men’s mouths as a swear word.
I am more offended when people use the word “Holy” as a swear word than any other and then so often coupled with words describing the basest of earth’s elements.
God has declared, “You shall not profane My Holy name……” (Lev. 22:32)
And yet, Holy as God is , fearful and terrible to our human flesh, He has found a way to ‘touch’ US with His holiness.
To His children, He has given His Holy Spirit…that mysterious otherness of God that we cannot see….abides within us to make us Holy, even as He is Holy.
God has called us to be a people separated from the world, a people ‘touched’ with God’s holiness.
“And you shall be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and have severed you from other people, that you should be mine !” (Lev. 20:26)
What an honor!!
I am reminded of a time we were moving when my daughter was three years old. She wanted so badly to help carry stuff to the car. The boxes of course were too heavy for her, so I gave her a jar of pickles and told her it would be a very special help to me if she carried them carefully to the car. I can still see the pride in her face , and how extra careful she was not to drop it, guarding the trust given her. To her at that moment nothing was more important than to carry that jar safely to the car.
Is that not how we should live our lives as Christians? Ever aware of the most Holy thing that we carry within us??
There is a verse at the end of the Book that tells us what the end times will be like. There will be an exaggeration of evil but also a rising up of God’s saints !! The usage of the word ‘still’ means that the condition is set …on going.
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still, he who is filthy, let him be filthy still , he who is righteous , let him be righteous still, he who is holy, let him be holy still !!! (Rev. 22:11)
“I saw the Lord…and the train of His robe filled the temple, Above it stood seraphim, and one cried to another and said,….
’Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts , the whole earth is full of His glory !!!”
(Is. 6:1,2)
It is unique in its limited usage.
It is a word for which we have no succinct definition.
It is a descriptive word that when used correctly can refer to only one thing.
As far as I know, there is only one word that fits the above criteria.
The word is Holy.
This word has no applicable use other than to be descriptive of God.
It has no easy definition. It is the word that connects our minds to the mysterious otherness of God – that part of God that man cannot touch or understand or define.
It is a word that I love.
The very sound of the word brings shivers of awe and other-world awareness through my body. It brings me into that Presence of the Eternal where God alone lives.
It is the word that the beasts before the throne of God repeat over and over , day and night, never ceasing….”Holy, Holy, Holy!” Their awe of the essence of God is never diminished…and forever expressed in this one unearthly word, “Holy!”
I think it will be the first word that will come to our lips when we step into God’s real Presence and look upon the One we worship. “Holy!”
In one of my July posts Glory of God , I appreciated a comment left by Pam from Colorado .
She said , “I do not use the word ‘awe’ very often as it represents to me, the very feelings I have for God. This picture is awe inspiring and instantly grabs my attention and turns it to the mightiness of God and all the beauty and wonder he represents.”
I know what she means and I agree…I don’t often use the word-awe’ either unless it in connection with God or His creation.
The word ‘awe’ however is understood – it means something so incredibly beautiful or mind-boggling that only God could have done it !!
The definition of ‘awe’ is written out in God’s glorious universe.
Holy…is the part of God that He did not display in His creation. It is the hidden part of God that our physical limitations do not allow us to embrace or even begin to understand.
We are, however, given some glimpses into the awesomeness of what this word speaks of...
When Moses drew near to the burning bush, when Joshua encountered the Commander of the Lord, both were told to remove their shoes for they stood on Holy ground.
Just as we remove our shoes before we step onto someone’s white carpet, so also the contamination of this world cannot touch God’s holiness.
Shoes also provide a barrier to protect us from the elements. There is nothing man-made that can protect us from God’s Holiness.
And protection we need !!
Holy speaks of the ‘terrifying’ side of God – the part that fills us with fear!!
It is the ‘Holy’ of God that caused Isaiah to say “Woe is me, I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5) The sight of God’s Holiness was so ‘terrible’ that Moses exclaimed.. “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling!” (Heb. 12:21)
Even John the beloved disciple, who knew Jesus so intimately, when he saw his Holiness….”fell as His feet as dead!”(Rev. 1:17)
And it is not without cause that man cannot stand for fear before God’s Holiness.
God warned the Israelites over and over that if they so much as touched anything God declared Holy…. They would die !!
“but..they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die!” (Num.4:15) And God was serious….When Uzza reached out to keep the Ark of the Covenant from tipping, God immediately struck him dead! (I Chron. 13:9.10)
God gave the priests a special recipe for the perfume, the holy anointing oil. It was not to be poured upon man’s flesh, nor could they try to imitate the recipe for their own use - It was Holy !
Punishment for disobedience ? death (Ex. 30:31-33)
God’s Holiness is not to be taken lightly , no matter how secure we are in His love and care and faithful tenderness.
David, a man so close to God’s heart, stands in awe of God’s holiness. “Let them praise thy great and terrible name…for it is HOLY.” (Ps. 99:3)
One of my favourite verses that always brings awe into my being is in Hab. 2:20, “The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
I find it interesting that man through the ages has not found another usage for the word ‘Holy’. It is as though God has preserved even the word for Himself.
Except !
Satan, knowing what this word represents, has taken it and put it into men’s mouths as a swear word.
I am more offended when people use the word “Holy” as a swear word than any other and then so often coupled with words describing the basest of earth’s elements.
God has declared, “You shall not profane My Holy name……” (Lev. 22:32)
And yet, Holy as God is , fearful and terrible to our human flesh, He has found a way to ‘touch’ US with His holiness.
To His children, He has given His Holy Spirit…that mysterious otherness of God that we cannot see….abides within us to make us Holy, even as He is Holy.
God has called us to be a people separated from the world, a people ‘touched’ with God’s holiness.
“And you shall be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and have severed you from other people, that you should be mine !” (Lev. 20:26)
What an honor!!
I am reminded of a time we were moving when my daughter was three years old. She wanted so badly to help carry stuff to the car. The boxes of course were too heavy for her, so I gave her a jar of pickles and told her it would be a very special help to me if she carried them carefully to the car. I can still see the pride in her face , and how extra careful she was not to drop it, guarding the trust given her. To her at that moment nothing was more important than to carry that jar safely to the car.
Is that not how we should live our lives as Christians? Ever aware of the most Holy thing that we carry within us??
There is a verse at the end of the Book that tells us what the end times will be like. There will be an exaggeration of evil but also a rising up of God’s saints !! The usage of the word ‘still’ means that the condition is set …on going.
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still, he who is filthy, let him be filthy still , he who is righteous , let him be righteous still, he who is holy, let him be holy still !!! (Rev. 22:11)
“I saw the Lord…and the train of His robe filled the temple, Above it stood seraphim, and one cried to another and said,….
’Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts , the whole earth is full of His glory !!!”
(Is. 6:1,2)
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The REAL Secret
The Secret --- it can move mountains and create miracles.
The Secret reveals a law that has traveled through centuries to reach you! When you discover it you will never be the same. Everything you have ever wanted to be, or do, or have, will be yours.
The official website of The Secret reaches out – movingly spiritual, bringing alive the lure of ancient mystery and tempting with its glorious promises of fulfillment.
It is well done.
What does the ‘secret’ promise?? It promises that YOU can sit on the throne of your life! You can have the power to ‘attract’ into your life the things that you want!!
The law of attraction!
Really?? A thought has the power to change the world??
If that were true wouldn’t you expect the most horrific traffic jam of thoughts colliding in the universe - all of them vying for primacy??
Maybe that’s why it’s a secret….to keep too many people from finding out about it!!!
In the hype of excitement it is being proclaimed as a newly discovered secret law….but really it is simply an old lie done up in new packaging.
Its funny, isn’t it? We never get too old to be tricked into judging a ‘gift’ by its wrapping!!
Isn’t the Secret really the same old lie that caused all of our problems to begin with?
Satan whispering ‘the secret’ into Eve’s ear that if she would just eat of the forbidden fruit, power would be hers? Promising she could rule over her own world!
It didn’t work for Eve; I doubt it has worked for anyone else since.
Have you ever noticed that the most powerful lie has the most truth in it?
This is true of Rhonda Byrne’s “Secret”.
The Law of Attraction does states things that are true.
For example,
1> It says that you get what you focus on in your mind.
True.
God says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7)
But the difference is that the Secret promises that you can change things outside yourself,
God says that what you think about defines who you are.
2> The Secret says an affirmative thought is a hundred times more powerful than a negative one.
True.
Scripture tells us, “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, it there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, think on these things.” (Phil.4:8)
The lie of the Secret is that it ignores the Source of the Power.
If I sold someone a house and showed them the outlets in the walls, telling them that they could plug any appliance they liked into the outlets and every appliance would work, I would technically be telling them the truth. But if I neglected to tell them that the house was not connected to any outside hydro source I would have sold them a useless house and a lie.
The Secret is disconnected from any real power because it leaves God out!
"And God has declared… “God has spoken once, twice have I heard this, that power belongs to God!” (Psalm 62:11)
But I think the biggest reason the Secret lie is so powerful is because there really IS a Secret.
A real One!
Listen……..
“The Secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant!!” (Ps. 25:14)
I think the reason we all so love a secret is because a ‘secret’ speaks of intimacy. We have a need, a longing to be intimate…to be loved, to belong in a very special way.
And here God Himself reveals that there is a Secret known only to those who fear Him, those who love Him, are willing to surrender their will, their heart, their life, to Him alone.
The Secret reveals to us .......
1> Where there is a hiding place to keep us safe when we are in trouble.
“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion, in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me…” (Ps. 27:5)
2> How to find a place so close to the heart of God that the insults, the offences of man, and the words that so easily wound, cannot hurt us.
“You shall hide them in the secret of your presence from the pride of man; you shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” (Ps. 31:20)
3> That we are called to live under the shadow of God Himself - that intimate place close to His heart.
“He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Ps. 91:1)
4> That God delights to share the Secret, looking for those who desire to live according to His commandments.
“For the forward is abomination the Lord, but His secret is with the righteous.” (Pro. 3:32)
5> That when you are privy to God’s Secret, He tells you about treasures and riches and where to find them…… those who live in God’s secret learn to know and understand Him - knowing the wonder of His Words.
“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places …..” (Is. 45:3)
I have watched with puzzlement how people en mass are grasping onto the world's Secret and embracing it with all their might -- ignoring the real Secret that God offers!
Why?
Perhaps because the counterfeit seems free but the real one will cost you your life!
Jim Elliot said,
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
To give up our ‘selves’ to gain God, how is that a sacrifice???
Is to know the Secret of God not a pearl of great price that is worth whatever the cost may be???
The Secret reveals a law that has traveled through centuries to reach you! When you discover it you will never be the same. Everything you have ever wanted to be, or do, or have, will be yours.
The official website of The Secret reaches out – movingly spiritual, bringing alive the lure of ancient mystery and tempting with its glorious promises of fulfillment.
It is well done.
What does the ‘secret’ promise?? It promises that YOU can sit on the throne of your life! You can have the power to ‘attract’ into your life the things that you want!!
The law of attraction!
Really?? A thought has the power to change the world??
If that were true wouldn’t you expect the most horrific traffic jam of thoughts colliding in the universe - all of them vying for primacy??
Maybe that’s why it’s a secret….to keep too many people from finding out about it!!!
In the hype of excitement it is being proclaimed as a newly discovered secret law….but really it is simply an old lie done up in new packaging.
Its funny, isn’t it? We never get too old to be tricked into judging a ‘gift’ by its wrapping!!
Isn’t the Secret really the same old lie that caused all of our problems to begin with?
Satan whispering ‘the secret’ into Eve’s ear that if she would just eat of the forbidden fruit, power would be hers? Promising she could rule over her own world!
It didn’t work for Eve; I doubt it has worked for anyone else since.
Have you ever noticed that the most powerful lie has the most truth in it?
This is true of Rhonda Byrne’s “Secret”.
The Law of Attraction does states things that are true.
For example,
1> It says that you get what you focus on in your mind.
True.
God says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7)
But the difference is that the Secret promises that you can change things outside yourself,
God says that what you think about defines who you are.
2> The Secret says an affirmative thought is a hundred times more powerful than a negative one.
True.
Scripture tells us, “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, it there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, think on these things.” (Phil.4:8)
The lie of the Secret is that it ignores the Source of the Power.
If I sold someone a house and showed them the outlets in the walls, telling them that they could plug any appliance they liked into the outlets and every appliance would work, I would technically be telling them the truth. But if I neglected to tell them that the house was not connected to any outside hydro source I would have sold them a useless house and a lie.
The Secret is disconnected from any real power because it leaves God out!
"And God has declared… “God has spoken once, twice have I heard this, that power belongs to God!” (Psalm 62:11)
But I think the biggest reason the Secret lie is so powerful is because there really IS a Secret.
A real One!
Listen……..
“The Secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant!!” (Ps. 25:14)
I think the reason we all so love a secret is because a ‘secret’ speaks of intimacy. We have a need, a longing to be intimate…to be loved, to belong in a very special way.
And here God Himself reveals that there is a Secret known only to those who fear Him, those who love Him, are willing to surrender their will, their heart, their life, to Him alone.
The Secret reveals to us .......
1> Where there is a hiding place to keep us safe when we are in trouble.
“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion, in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me…” (Ps. 27:5)
2> How to find a place so close to the heart of God that the insults, the offences of man, and the words that so easily wound, cannot hurt us.
“You shall hide them in the secret of your presence from the pride of man; you shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” (Ps. 31:20)
3> That we are called to live under the shadow of God Himself - that intimate place close to His heart.
“He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Ps. 91:1)
4> That God delights to share the Secret, looking for those who desire to live according to His commandments.
“For the forward is abomination the Lord, but His secret is with the righteous.” (Pro. 3:32)
5> That when you are privy to God’s Secret, He tells you about treasures and riches and where to find them…… those who live in God’s secret learn to know and understand Him - knowing the wonder of His Words.
“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places …..” (Is. 45:3)
I have watched with puzzlement how people en mass are grasping onto the world's Secret and embracing it with all their might -- ignoring the real Secret that God offers!
Why?
Perhaps because the counterfeit seems free but the real one will cost you your life!
Jim Elliot said,
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
To give up our ‘selves’ to gain God, how is that a sacrifice???
Is to know the Secret of God not a pearl of great price that is worth whatever the cost may be???
Monday, September 3, 2007
Guilty?
I grew up in a rural area and the little ‘town’ where we did our shopping consisted of a few shops on either side of the gravel highway.
Among the shops were Friesen’s Shoe Store, Funk’s grocery store, Doerksen’s Christian book store, Hoogies Fabrics and my favourite, the 5 – $1.00 store . ( five to a dollar)
One day, when I was about seven or eight years old, I was shopping with my Mom in the 5-$1.00 store.
Mom was paying for her purchases at the counter and talking with the store owner. My attention was drawn to a display stand at the end of the counter from which hung several beautiful necklaces.
I reached out to hold the prettiest one in my hand. Hanging from a gold chain was a large lovely gem stone centered in a gold setting. As I held it between my fingers and my thumb, I moved my thumb over the gem, applying some pressure and it snapped loose from its setting.
I was horrified!!
I laid the stone back in place hoping somehow it would stay…but it didn’t. I had broken this beautiful necklace that I was sure cost a lot of money.
My heart was pounding and I felt sick.
A little voice told me to tell what had happened, but fear gripped my heart like ice and I heard another voice. “If you tell what you have done, they will be angry and you will be terribly punished!”
Shaking, I laid the gem stone underneath the stand and looked around. No one was paying any attention to me at all. No one had seen.
I didn’t say anything and followed my Mom out of the store with pounding heart, sure that I would be called back to face my punishment.
That night I did not sleep, experiencing the torment of unconfessed sin.
In my childish mind I had committed a terrible wrong.
I felt so guilty - so terrified that someone had seen me after all and they would send the police to arrest me and put me in jail. My over active imagination did not serve me well -- and fed my vivid nightmares of being caught and punished. The power of the enemy in the darkness of our mind is far-reaching.
As I got older, I of course realized that what I had done was an accident, but I was still tormented by the fact that I had hidden my sin and pretended I had not done it.
As the years passed I thought of the necklace less often, but when I did the memory was always a very short trip to the emotional closet labelled ‘guilt’ and it always brought the enemy’s taunting voice telling me I was guilty, that I was not what people thought I was. Even though I has asked the Lord to forgive me , I was never able to free myself from my childhood guilt that grown to be so huge.
When I was in my thirties, I was working for Eaton’s department store. One day a new employee was hired to work in the fabric department. She was an older woman, a widow by the name of Betty Enns. She immediately looked familiar to me…. and it didn’t take long for me to connect that she had been the original owner of the 5 - $1.00 store.
A thought occurred to me… At first I pushed it away, reasoning that it would simply be embarrassing. But the more I thought of it the more I realized that God was giving me a chance to do what I should have done as a child.
One afternoon the opportunity presented itself and I spoke with Betty.
I smiled nervously and said, “I have a confession to make to you!”
She smiled back and asked, “What could that be?”
And I told her what I had done as a child.
She gave me a hug, and expressed ‘how sweet’ it was of me to tell her. She laughingly forgave me and said she was sure they had just glued the stone back into the setting and sold it!!
I was free!! No more guilt!
That experience taught me something.
It is not how big or small a sin may be.
What matters is ….do we give the enemy a foothold in our life to torment us?
Eph. 4;27 warns us “Neither to give place to the devil.”
Satan works best in the darkness….anything small or big done in thought or deed in the dark and kept in the dark is a ‘place’ where the enemy works.
He can make a mountain out of a molehill or a molehill out of a mountain, whichever fits his purpose.
His purpose is to fill us with fear and torment – endless accusations, ridicule, threats, and lies.
In the dark , we listen to his voice and are paralyzed with fear and guilt.
But in the Light, he disappears. He has no place, no foothold, no room to work. He disappears with the darkness as quickly as the Light dispels it.
Why do we listen to his lies? Why do we hide in the darkness?
Perhaps because it is so natural for us to hide in the darkness, even a child will seek a dark corner when he feels he needs to hide what he has done.
Yet Roman 13:12 admonishes us to put off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light!
Putting on armour means to cover oneself with strong protective clothing that is impervious to enemy attack.
The enemy’s arrows only have power in the darkness, if we abide in the Light we are covered with a shield that the arrows cannot penetrate.
If only I had been brave enough to confess what I had done immediately, the store keeper would have simply said, "Don't worry about it. We can fix it!" and I would have been spared so much needless pain!!
There is a wonderful verse in I John 2:10 that says when we live in the Light ‘there is no cause for stumbling’.
Never? That’s what it says, isn’t it?
When our path is illuminated with light, it is easy to see where to place our feet.
When we are honest, truthful, confessing our wrongs, admitting to our faults, quick to forgive and ask forgiveness, taking responsibility for our actions and reactions, loving one another - it is hard for the enemy to trip us up !
Jesus came to bring His Light into our lives. He says that He came so no-one should live in the dark!!(John 12:46) but have the Light of Life!! (John 8:12)
No longer are we children of the darkness where there is fear and torment. We are ‘children of light’. (I Thess. 5:5)
Among the shops were Friesen’s Shoe Store, Funk’s grocery store, Doerksen’s Christian book store, Hoogies Fabrics and my favourite, the 5 – $1.00 store . ( five to a dollar)
One day, when I was about seven or eight years old, I was shopping with my Mom in the 5-$1.00 store.
Mom was paying for her purchases at the counter and talking with the store owner. My attention was drawn to a display stand at the end of the counter from which hung several beautiful necklaces.
I reached out to hold the prettiest one in my hand. Hanging from a gold chain was a large lovely gem stone centered in a gold setting. As I held it between my fingers and my thumb, I moved my thumb over the gem, applying some pressure and it snapped loose from its setting.
I was horrified!!
I laid the stone back in place hoping somehow it would stay…but it didn’t. I had broken this beautiful necklace that I was sure cost a lot of money.
My heart was pounding and I felt sick.
A little voice told me to tell what had happened, but fear gripped my heart like ice and I heard another voice. “If you tell what you have done, they will be angry and you will be terribly punished!”
Shaking, I laid the gem stone underneath the stand and looked around. No one was paying any attention to me at all. No one had seen.
I didn’t say anything and followed my Mom out of the store with pounding heart, sure that I would be called back to face my punishment.
That night I did not sleep, experiencing the torment of unconfessed sin.
In my childish mind I had committed a terrible wrong.
I felt so guilty - so terrified that someone had seen me after all and they would send the police to arrest me and put me in jail. My over active imagination did not serve me well -- and fed my vivid nightmares of being caught and punished. The power of the enemy in the darkness of our mind is far-reaching.
As I got older, I of course realized that what I had done was an accident, but I was still tormented by the fact that I had hidden my sin and pretended I had not done it.
As the years passed I thought of the necklace less often, but when I did the memory was always a very short trip to the emotional closet labelled ‘guilt’ and it always brought the enemy’s taunting voice telling me I was guilty, that I was not what people thought I was. Even though I has asked the Lord to forgive me , I was never able to free myself from my childhood guilt that grown to be so huge.
When I was in my thirties, I was working for Eaton’s department store. One day a new employee was hired to work in the fabric department. She was an older woman, a widow by the name of Betty Enns. She immediately looked familiar to me…. and it didn’t take long for me to connect that she had been the original owner of the 5 - $1.00 store.
A thought occurred to me… At first I pushed it away, reasoning that it would simply be embarrassing. But the more I thought of it the more I realized that God was giving me a chance to do what I should have done as a child.
One afternoon the opportunity presented itself and I spoke with Betty.
I smiled nervously and said, “I have a confession to make to you!”
She smiled back and asked, “What could that be?”
And I told her what I had done as a child.
She gave me a hug, and expressed ‘how sweet’ it was of me to tell her. She laughingly forgave me and said she was sure they had just glued the stone back into the setting and sold it!!
I was free!! No more guilt!
That experience taught me something.
It is not how big or small a sin may be.
What matters is ….do we give the enemy a foothold in our life to torment us?
Eph. 4;27 warns us “Neither to give place to the devil.”
Satan works best in the darkness….anything small or big done in thought or deed in the dark and kept in the dark is a ‘place’ where the enemy works.
He can make a mountain out of a molehill or a molehill out of a mountain, whichever fits his purpose.
His purpose is to fill us with fear and torment – endless accusations, ridicule, threats, and lies.
In the dark , we listen to his voice and are paralyzed with fear and guilt.
But in the Light, he disappears. He has no place, no foothold, no room to work. He disappears with the darkness as quickly as the Light dispels it.
Why do we listen to his lies? Why do we hide in the darkness?
Perhaps because it is so natural for us to hide in the darkness, even a child will seek a dark corner when he feels he needs to hide what he has done.
Yet Roman 13:12 admonishes us to put off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light!
Putting on armour means to cover oneself with strong protective clothing that is impervious to enemy attack.
The enemy’s arrows only have power in the darkness, if we abide in the Light we are covered with a shield that the arrows cannot penetrate.
If only I had been brave enough to confess what I had done immediately, the store keeper would have simply said, "Don't worry about it. We can fix it!" and I would have been spared so much needless pain!!
There is a wonderful verse in I John 2:10 that says when we live in the Light ‘there is no cause for stumbling’.
Never? That’s what it says, isn’t it?
When our path is illuminated with light, it is easy to see where to place our feet.
When we are honest, truthful, confessing our wrongs, admitting to our faults, quick to forgive and ask forgiveness, taking responsibility for our actions and reactions, loving one another - it is hard for the enemy to trip us up !
Jesus came to bring His Light into our lives. He says that He came so no-one should live in the dark!!(John 12:46) but have the Light of Life!! (John 8:12)
No longer are we children of the darkness where there is fear and torment. We are ‘children of light’. (I Thess. 5:5)
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