IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS BLOG!

We are in the process of rebranding Soaring with Him Ministries and all Patricia Holbrook’s blog posts, columns and podcasts will start being posted on her new website going forward. The Soaring with Him website will serve solely to host the ministry’s outreach programs and conference. Please sign up to receive newsletters and blog posts on Patricia’s new distribution list on this link: https://patriciaholbrook.com/blog/ – scroll down to sign up and receive a FREE gift – The mini-course: 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SPIRITUAL ATTACKS.

An incest victim sat before me, extolling the wonderful man her father was. She paused, and I asked, “If I brought before you a ten-year-old girl and told you that every night her daddy did the same thing to her that your father did to you, would you describe her daddy as a wonderful man?”

Tears filled her eyes. “How else can I love him?”

How do we love the unlovely and forgive the unpardonable? It is not by creating a fantasy or by deceiving ourselves into believing a lie, even a pretty lie.  

Jesus didn’t look down on humankind and say, “Oh, they really mean well, I’ll die for them.”  

No, He said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you?” (Luke 9:41 NASB). Then He healed them. Then He gave His life for them.

Jesus said, when we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, we show ourselves to be children of God, because He gives sunshine and rain to both the evil and the good (Matthew 5:43-46). Jesus didn’t candy-coat evil to make it easier to forgive. 

Biblical love isn’t about feeling warm and close. It’s treating a person with their eternal good in mind.  

Some people fear forgiveness means tolerating sinful behavior. Beginning with Genesis and God’s removal of Adam and Eve from Eden to the end of the Bible, God demonstrates forgiveness and boundary setting. We must forgive sin, but we are not to enable people to continue in sin by rescuing them from the consequences of their choices or candy-coating sin. 

Paul wrote, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9 NASB). 

Evil here means that which has a detrimental effect, not necessarily evil in essence. The video game, credit card, or habit that harms one may not affect someone else. 

The Greek word translated abhor is “apostugeo.” “Apo” usually denotes “separation, departure, cessation.” “Stuqnetos” means “to hate.”

Real love separates from or ceases involvement with that which causes harm.

Forgiving is often painful. If something hurt when it happened, it hurts when we let it go. Remember how much Jesus suffered to forgive us (Matthew 26:37- 27:50). But forgiving is also the most healing thing we can do.

But They Don’t Deserve to Be Forgiven

We don’t forgive because the person deserves it. No one deserves salvation. We forgive because God forgave us more than another human will ever owe us.  Unforgiveness torments the one who holds it in her heart, and it poisons those around us (Hebrews 12:15).  

Maybe a name has come to mind as you’ve read this of someone you need to forgive. Because God has forgiven you and you want to be recognized as His child, turn those who’ve wronged you over to God, the official bill collector. He knows how to deal with them. Give up having to collect the love, respect, admission of guilt, restitution or whatever you feel you need from that person. 

Open your heart to receive your heavenly Father’s perfect love. Let Him wash away the pain and stain. Trust Him to take the evil that was done and use it for your eternal good (Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20). 

When my client told the truth about her father, she was finally able to really forgive him and deal with him wisely. Truth is our friend. Because God is bigger than our worst wounds. 

LINKUP PARTY opens on May 17 at 6 am!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open. Join my friend @debbieWwilson as we find the grace to #forgive the unpardonable. Share your blog! #RechargeWednesday 
Click To Tweet

The post How Do You Forgive the Unpardonable? {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Do you have a Christian worldview?

Many years ago in a faraway land, Joseph lived with his father, his father’s wife and concubines, and many half-siblings. Joseph’s own mother had died when he was very young. His half-brothers hated him because Joseph was good and reminded his father of Joseph’s beloved mother. Joseph’s father trusted him and showered him with attention. And his heavenly Father placed a remarkable dream in his heart to be a great leader.

One day his jealous half-brothers captured him. After some disagreement they sold him to slave traders. Joseph had never been apart from his family. He felt humiliated being auctioned like livestock. His father hadn’t raised him to be a slave. He didn’t know the customs of this foreign land. How was he supposed to act? What would become of his dream?

Instead of becoming bitter, Joseph worked to become the best slave. His master put him over all he had. Despite the humiliation of his position, he prospered. 

The owner’s wife noted his good looks and charisma. She repeatedly tried to seduce Joseph. He refused her. She spitefully accused Joseph of attacking her. Potiphar, his owner, no doubt knew the character of his wife and of Joseph, but he bowed to social customs and sent Joseph to prison.

Joseph hadn’t been taught how to be a prisoner. Other prisoners moped, showed no interest in life, and complained. Should he wallow in self-pity and bitterness too? He didn’t deserve to be in Egypt, let alone prison. Joseph chose to act in the manner he always had. His circumstances didn’t change his character or his beliefs. He served the chief jailer who in turn gave him more and more responsibilities. 

Fast forward many years. One day the ruler of the land summoned Joseph from prison. Joseph gave the king wise counsel, and Pharaoh placed Joseph second in command over all of Egypt. His years of self-control and productivity in slavery and prison paid off in noble character and leadership skills. 

This is no fairytale. You can read the true account in Genesis. At times like Joseph, we may feel like we’ve awakened in a foreign land. Values have shifted, but right and wrong never change. 

Joseph demonstrated the importance of what we call a Christian worldview. His soul prospered even while suffering injustice because his core beliefs about God, himself, and life guided and guarded him through prosperity and adversity. Potiphar’s soul, on the other hand, suffered when he betrayed Joseph. I wonder how he felt when Joseph ruled under Pharaoh.

What Is a Christian Worldview?

What is a worldview? Dr. George Barna renowned pollster and author, says everyone has a worldview though most don’t realize it. “A worldview is…the decision-making filter that we use. It’s the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual filter that helps us to understand and interpret and respond to every reality that we experience.” 

In an interview with the NC Family Policy Council, Dr. Barna said fifty-two percent of American Christians believe they hold a Christian worldview, yet only nineteen percent demonstrated a Christian worldview.

Dr. Barna said Americans commonly draw from a dozen or so different worldviews including postmodernism, secular humanism, Marxism, and Eastern mysticism. It’s important to know if our beliefs are biblical, because as we think so we act.

Could the division we see in the church today trace back to our worldview? The Apostle Paul wrote, “for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (1 Cor. 11:19 ESV).

Joseph demonstrated a biblical worldview when he trusted the invisible God despite how things looked. Hebrews 11 commended the ancients for a faith that shaped their view of the world and how they lived. 

Popular worldviews elevate personal experience over facts, truth, and biblical revelation. The expression “my truth” epitomizes this worldview. In contrast, in a biblical worldview human reasoning bows to God’s truth (Pro. 3:5-6). 

Joseph found that the Bible’s timeless wisdom works in all situations (Is. 40:8). Jesus said, “the truth will set you free”—free from being manipulated by every new teaching, free from confusion, free from being led into error, and free from regret (Jn. 8:32; Ephes. 4:14-15). 

Through poems, proverbs, instructions, and stories, the Bible presents a clear message of right and wrong, how to treat people, how to deal with injustice, and God’s justice. For example:

“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly” (Lev. 19:15 NLT).

“And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor” (Ex. 23:3 NLT).

Through what lens are we to look at people? See 1 Timothy 3 and Galatians 3:28 and 2 Corinthians 5:16.

When we’re confused over how to act, we need to review Scripture. Do we trust its wisdom? Or do we look to our culture? 

LINKUP PARTY opens on February 14 at 6 am!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open. Join my friend @debbieWwilson as we look at the protection a Christian worldview provides. Share your blog! #RechargeWednesday 
Click To Tweet

The post How a Christian Worldview Protects You  appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

I hate to wait. I know others who hate it too. I’ve seen people waiting for: 

• a delayed flight,
• an injury to heal, 
• a traffic light to change,
• an appliance to be repaired,  
• the right person to fill a job, 
• acceptance to Bible College, 
• money to build a church building, 
• the right time to announce an engagement, 
• a child to become available for adoption, 
• a wayward family member to return, 
• a heart to soften.

It’s easy to think that life is on hold until what we’re waiting for happens. Time spent waiting feels wasted and less than God’s best.

From sighs to foot tapping to anger and panic, few people show patience while waiting. Impatience causes us to do and say things we later regret (i.e., Sarah offering Abraham Hagar, Genesis 16), or we focus so much on what hasn’t happened that we miss the good around us. We fail to see the waiting room as a deliberate part of God’s plan for us.

Being one who naturally falls on the impatient side of the scale, a story about King Saul’s impatience in I Samuel jarred me. 

Being one who naturally falls on the impatient side of the scale, a story about King Saul’s impatience in I Samuel jarred me. #patience, #RechargeWednesday
Click To Tweet

Saul’s Heart Problem

A Philistine army with soldiers as numerous as the sand, gathered against Israel. Israel’s soldiers quaked in fear at the sight. Samuel the prophet had promised to come in seven days to make offerings to the Lord before the battle. Day seven dawns. Israel’s soldiers are scattering while the enemy is gathering. Where is Samuel? What would you do if you were in King Saul’s place?

Saul felt “compelled” to make the offerings himself. He needed to get this battle going before he lost his army. Samuel arrived as Saul finishes the sacrifices. Listen to Samuel’s rebuke.

“You acted foolishly, you have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (I Samuel 13:13-14 NASB).

Whoa. You mean time-pressure was not Saul’s problem? 

No. Saul had a heart problem. 

Saul focused on his goal. His desire to win the battle wasn’t bad, but it eclipsed the higher goal of trusting God—both His will and His ways. It’s not enough to have good goals. We must seek to accomplish them God’s way and in His timing.

Isaiah 28:16 reminds us that those who trust in God won’t be in a hurry. 

Lord Jesus, help us trust You when obstacles slow us down. Grant us hearts that seek You more than our idea of when and how things should go.

LINKUP PARTY opens on January 25 at 6 am!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open. Do you hate to wait? Join my friend @debbieWwilson as we look learn to trust God while we wait. Share your blog! #RechargeWednesday
Click To Tweet

The post I Hate to Wait {Recharge Wednesday Linkup} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

“But the righteous will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4 NASB).

Soft may be desirable in pillows and toilet paper, but not in body tone or faith. As I evaluated where I want to go in the new year, I realized my faith needs toning.

Both my body and soul require good nutrition and exercise. My Bible feeds my faith, but I must read it and apply it to be strong. Knowing the perils of fragile faith and the benefits of firm faith motivates me to build my faith muscles.

Let’s take inventory of the condition of our faith so we’ll know where to begin.

Fragile Faith:

• Frets because it forgets our heavenly Father knows our needs. (Matthew 6:30, Psalms 23:1)
• Is timid and fearful (Matthew 8:26)
• Is easily sabotaged by distractions (Matthew 14:30-31)
• Quickly forgets God’s history of faithfulness (Matthew 16:8-10)
• Lacks spiritual power (Matthew 17:18-21)
• Limited freedom to enjoy life (Romans 14:1-2)

Firm Faith:

• Believes what God says (Matthew 8:5-10)
• Provides healing of body and soul (Matthew 9:2, 22, 29, 15:28; Mark 2:5)
• Restores our sight — Literal sight in this passage, but also spiritual sight (Luke 18:32)
• Grows stronger in impossible circumstances (Romans 4:19-20)
• Expands our personal freedoms (Romans 14:23)
• Is demonstrated through obedience (Romans 16:26, Hebrews 11)
• Is based on God’s power not man’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:5)
• Has Christ as its object (Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 12:2)
• Is bold (2 Timothy 1:7)

How did you do? If you checked too many in the fragile faith category, don’t fret (see #1 in fragile list). Create a plan to renew your mind and strengthen those faith muscles. 

• When will you read your Bible? If it helps, write it on your daily calendar.
• What will you read?
• Ask God to strengthen you in the areas you’re weak.

Like any living thing, faith needs constant care to stay healthy. No one brushes her teeth and says, “Good, I never have to do that again.” So it is with faith. Moment by moment, opportunity by opportunity, we must choose to walk by faith, or, by default, we won’t.

My goal for this year is to choose faith! May we exercise our faith and face each day with the attitude that says, “Wow, what a Savior!”

LINKUP PARTY opens on December 28 at 6 am!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open. Join my friend @debbieWwilson as we launch the New Year in faith. Share your blog!
Click To Tweet

The post Faith: A New Year’s Goal Worth Pursuing appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

My romantic view of a stable vanished when I watched a camel project bodily filth in the direction of onlookers. My childhood notion that the first Christmas was all joy for the main characters evaporated too. Mary and Joseph experienced a bevy of challenges. 

In other words, the first Christmas included real people with real problems—people like us. Joseph’s faith inspires me.

Joseph Chose Kindness

Today, people justify destructive behavior because someone or something offended them. Joseph demonstrated kindness during major disappointment.

“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly” (Matt. 1:18-19 NLT).

Joseph’s fiancé returned from out-of-town three months pregnant. Her story about an angel’s visit and being a pregnant virgin must have stunned him. How could he have been so wrong about Mary? 

Under Moses’ law, anyone guilty of adultery would be stoned (Lev. 20:10). Joseph doubted Mary’s explanation, yet he showed kindness when he believed she’d betrayed him. He chose a quiet divorce to protect Mary from public shame.

Kindness allows the wrongdoer to return to God and His people. In Joseph’s case, when Mary’s reputation was cleared, he had to deal only with having doubted her story. He had no regrets about how he’d handled the matter.

Joseph Showed Courage

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’” (Matt. 1:20 NIV).

The angel addressed Joseph’s fears. Mary carried God’s Son. But to take pregnant Mary as his wife made him look immoral. Would their synagogue, families, and friends shun them and his carpentry business? 

Once Joseph knew God’s plan, he put aside his fears. Trusting God provides courage to follow Him despite our fears.

Joseph Trusted God’s Guidance

The Bible says God shares insights with those who walk with Him (Pro. 16:9; John 16:13). God directed Joseph step by step.

“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him’” (Matt. 2:13 NIV).

God’s ways—and timing—are not mine—they’re better (Is. 55:9). God directed Joseph when he needed it—not before. 

Joseph Obeyed God 

Joseph demonstrated the obedience of faith. 

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife” (Matt. 1:24).

“So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt” (Matt. 2:24 NIV).

He left, perhaps on foot, leaving behind what they couldn’t carry. He lost customers and started over. Joseph trusted God’s provision for the unknown.

Joseph Lived Within His Means

 At Christmas, we may feel pressured to overspend. The Christmas story shows Joseph’s humility.

“But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering” (Leviticus 12:8 NIV).

At Jesus’s circumcision Mary and Joseph couldn’t afford to offer a lamb. They offered “a pair of mourning doves or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:24).

May Joseph’s example inspire us to trust God as we sojourn in this broken world.

LINKUP PARTY opens on November 30 at 6 am!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open. Join my friend @debbieWwilson as we draw inspiration from Joseph’s actions that first Christmas. Share your blog!
Click To Tweet

The post Let Joseph Inspire Your Faith this Christmas {Recharge Wednesday Linkup} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

As a young adult I joined a bunch of singles at a skating rink. “You must be a good dancer,” I said to my partner.

“I’ve never danced,” he said. “My church prohibited dancing.” Skates allowed him to enjoy the rhythm of music without feeling condemned.

Paul wrote that all people have some sense of right and wrong and awareness of God (Rom. 1:18-32;  2:14-15). However, our consciences are imperfect barometers. They can be ignored, seared, suppressed, and overly sensitized. Overridden enough times, they harden like feet calloused from going barefoot, and no longer twinge when we step wrong. 

On the other hand, some people have hypersensitive consciences. While weak faith limits our freedom, Paul cautioned the strong to respect those weak in faith. 

It would have been wrong for me to encourage the skater to violate his conscience. He needed to live within the limits of his faith. As faith grows, our consciences change. 

If the skater came to believe dancing wasn’t sin for him, he would be able to dance in faith. He might feel uncomfortable the first time on the dance floor, but the goal is to live by faith, not feelings (Rom. 14:22-23).

Recognize a Condemning Conscience

A healthy conscience protects us from regret and alerts us when we’re crossing one of God’s protective guardrails (Pro. 8:36). A stricken conscience tells us we’ve failed to live up to what we know to be right. Yet feelings can lie to us.

Feelings of condemnation are not from God (Rom. 8:1). The Holy Spirit corrects us when we sin. And unlike condemnation, correction benefits us.

Feelings of condemnation are not from God (Rom. 8:1). The Holy Spirit corrects us when we sin. And unlike condemnation, correction benefits us. @DebbieWWilson #RechargeWednesday
Click To Tweet

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor. 7:10 NIV)

Protect a Clean Conscience

A clean conscience is a precious gift. A friend once remarked he wanted to get even with someone who’d wronged him. “Don’t do it,” I warned. “God won’t let you get away with it. Then you’ll have to apologize.”

No matter how badly we’ve been wronged, we must keep a good conscience before God.

“Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ” (1 Pet. 3:16 NLT).

Practicing love keeps our consciences clean. Love fulfills God’s law (Rom. 13:8). The one who loves gives their conscience nothing to use against them. The Bible also addresses those who live with super sensitive consciences. 

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.… Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything” (1 Jn. 3:18-20 NLT)

We all mess up. Yet, those who know Jesus don’t have to wallow in regret (Heb. 9:9, 14, 10:22, 13:18). God has provided a way to cleanse our hearts. When we confess our sins, He promises to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:8-10). Allow Him to cleanse your conscience today. Then protect it with love.

LINKUP PARTY opens on 07/13 at 6 am!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP party is open! Today, my friend @debbiewilson reminds us that those who know Jesus do not have to wallow in regret. God has provided a way to cleanse our hearts and have a clean conscience! Join us & share your blog!
Click To Tweet

The post How to Keep a Clean Conscience {Recharge Wednesday} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

“When the vet calls to confirm Tuesday’s appointment don’t cancel this time.” My husband had made two appointments to put our fourteen-and-a-half-year-old lab down, but each time she seemed to rally. So I’d canceled the appointments.

Larry’s back is more important than giving our girl a little more time, I told myself. But I grieved. Corrie was deaf and lame but still alert in the evenings. She never whimpered when she fell, though her falls had to hurt her arthritic body. Our vet said most dogs would be grumpy at her stage in life. Corrie never was.

I spent Sunday afternoon alone with Corrie. She ate the food I placed between her front paws. She loved her biscuits, so I gave her extra. I selected the thinnest rawhide chew, but by evening she was too weak to hold her head up. I brushed away the tears her lab eyes summoned when she looked at me.

This was her last gift to me. Her way of saying, “Larry’s right. It is time.” 

For the last year my husband and son had carried Corrie outside because she could no longer negotiate steps. But she still had her spirit. She would lean her head into your hand when you petted her. She perked up for her treats, and she always roused when my son came home.

Why would we hang on to a pet who could do nothing for us? She had numerous accidents. Christmas Eve Larry had to bathe her between dinner and dessert. We washed her bed several times a week. She was heavy to lift.

We hung on because we loved her.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God” (Luke 12:6 NIV). 

If God remembers sparrows, how much more does He treasure you. God uses our pets to say, “If you love Corrie (your pet) this much, think how much more I love you.”

The world may not remember us or care what we do each day. But God knows, cares, and remembers (Psalm 139:1-6). He loves us with a perfect Father’s love. 

Our family will never forget Corrie. Her puppy antics, adult mischief, and constant affection have memorialized her in our hearts. 

Do you have an imperfect pet you’ll never forget? When you think about your pet, remember God loves you more.

LINKUP PARTY is open!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

Linkup is open! Join my friend @debbiewwilson as we look at How Saying Goodbye to a Pet Is a Reminder of God’s Love. Share your blog!
Click To Tweet

The post Saying Goodbye to a Pet: A Reminder of God’s Love {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

“Hurry Mom! Cosette ran off. Max came to get me,” my daughter called to me.

I ran to the door and saw my 87-pound poodle staring at me. “Where is Cosette? Show me,” I said to Max. He raced around the side of the house and zipped up and down the invisible fence line that faced the wooded area next to a busy road.

An invisible fence surrounds our yard to protect our dogs from wandering. Since both my dogs now know the boundary, I don’t bother with their collars half the time. Big mistake this day. A passing deer was too much temptation for my huntress.

“Cosette,” I yelled. “Come; come now!”

My heart flipped when my daughter spotted a blur of white racing along the road filled with five o’clock traffic. Finally, she pranced home happy from her chase. Later we noticed her limp—and a trail of blood.

The next day, both poodles clamored to join my husband and me on our walk. But Cosette’s injured paw meant she couldn’t come. She didn’t connect missing out on a walk with her earlier disobedience. I’m sure she felt like we were punishing her when we wanted to protect her injured paw.

My heart hurt when her big brown eyes implored me. How could I make her understand? I reflected on how disobedience to God’s laws can also leave us injured and unable to enjoy legitimate pleasures. Like Cosette, we fail to realize we brought the loss upon ourselves. We may even blame God for our pain.

How Do You View God?

Some people view God as a stern disciplinarian waiting to swat His children when they step out of line. But the Bible portrays a compassionate Father warning us about the consequences built into sin. Just as a burn produces blisters, so each sin carries its own consequence (James 1:14-17). And, like Cosette’s cut, when the consequence isn’t immediately apparent, we fail to connect the cause and effect.

God’s commandments protect us from the burns and bruises of sin.

The serpent tempted Eve to doubt God’s word and good character. The heart of temptation is rooted in these same doubts about God. Does God really mean what He said? Is He holding out on us? Does He know best?

The better we know Jesus, the less power these doubts hold on us. Knowing the character and love of our Lord is our best protection against sin.

Are you wrestling with a biblical limit? Does a particular temptation seem too hard for you? We have a High Priest who can rescue us. And God has provided the help of the Holy Spirit to ensure victory.

A week later, Cosette’s continued limp required a visit to the vet. God forgives our sins, but some consequences affect us far longer than the passing pleasure of sin.

The wise see biblical fences as protective guardrails, not as prison bars. How we view God affects how we follow His commandments. What benefits have you found living within God’s fenced-in yard?

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands” (Ps. 119:9-10 NIV).

LINKUP PARTY is open!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open. Join my friend @debbieWwilson as we discover God’s protective heart. Share your blog!
Click To Tweet

The post When You Face Temptation {Recharge Wednesday} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Who benefited from my child’s bath? Bathing him was work for me, but it was also joy. Removing his grime restored the pleasure of cuddling together.

Some people avoid God when they mess up. They think He doesn’t want to see them. But Jesus died to remove the stench of sin that separated us. He wants to share life with us now and throughout eternity.

An Affinity with Sin

Before sin entered the world there was no need for sacrifices. After sin, animal sacrifices provided a temporary remedy so people could enjoy closeness with God. From the skin garments God made to clothe the first man and woman to the blood sacrifices that were part of the Mosaic Law, blood was God’s provision for removing guilt and restoring fellowship with Him (Lev. 17:11). “In fact, …without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22 NIV).

Have You Ever Wondered Why Jesus Had to Die? {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
Click To Tweet

Like bathing with body wash, the effectiveness of animal sacrifices was temporary. These Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the sacrifice of God’s perfect Lamb who would become sin on our behalf.

• “With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever” (Heb. 9:12 NLT).
• “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” (Heb. 9:14 NLT).
• “But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice” (Heb. 9:26 NLT).

John MacArthur said Abel’s sacrifice prefigured the way of the cross.

• Abel offered “—one lamb for one person.
• Later came the Passover—with one lamb for one family.
• Then came the Day of Atonement—with one lamb for one nation.
• Finally came Good Friday—one Lamb for the whole world.” [1]

When John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) his Jewish audience understood. This was the long awaited One first promised to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:15).

While we look back in history to the cross, Old Testament believers offered sacrifices that pointed to His coming. Faith in God’s promised One is the basis for righteousness for both Old and New Testament believers.

Knowing our propensity for sin, God provided a Savior. When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sin, we gain God’s eternal approval. Why did Jesus have to die? Because there was no other way for us to enter heaven and be with Him forever.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16 NLT).

Excerpt from Little Faith, Big God © 2020, Debbie W. Wilson

[1] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Hebrews (Chicago: The Moody Bible Institute, 1983), 301.

LINKUP PARTY is open!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open. Join my friend @DebbieWWilson as we look at why Jesus had to die. Share your blog!
Click To Tweet

The post Have You Ever Wondered Why Jesus Had to Die? {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

What happens when you make a mistake or disappoint yourself or someone else? Do you assume God is put out with you? Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. That’s why the backstories of those God commended in Hebrews 11 captivate me. Their fumbles showcase God’s amazing grace.

Examples of Grace

Jacob was a rascal. He deceived his father by pretending to be his brother. He cheated his brother out of the blessing. In fleeing to escape his twin’s anger, God appeared to him in a dream his first night out.

What would you expect God to say to someone who acted like Jacob?

“He [Jacob] had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you’” (Gen. 28:12-15 NIV).

The Lord conferred the blessing and promise of Abraham onto Jacob. No chiding, no reprimand. Only grace.

• The whole world would be blessed through Jacob’s descendants.
• The Promised Land would belong to Jacob’s descendants.
• The Lord would be with Jacob and keep him wherever he went.

The timing of this gift astounds me.

God chose Jacob before he was born to inherit the blessing. Jacob did nothing to earn it. His bad behavior complicated his own life, but it didn’t nullify God’s grace.

The Faith/Grace Connection

Abraham, a man esteemed by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, also fumbled. He lied, calling his wife Sarah his sister to save his own hide. These actions landed Sarah in a pagan ruler’s harem. Twice.

God swooped in and rescued her. In one case, He spoke to the unbelieving king in a dream. In another He sent an uncomfortable disease to the king and his court.

The pagan rulers reproached Abraham and kicked him out of their countries. Instead of chiding Abraham, God pointed Abraham back to the promise. “Remember your calling. Look what I’ve promised.”

Remember Samson and Isaac? Or others? The flaws of those commended for their faith only highlight a gracious God. The faith of these ordinary people was revealed in their stumbles as well as their successes. They got up after their falls.

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again” (Pro. 24:16 NIV).

Grace to Ignite Our Faith

What about us? How should we respond when we blunder?

James 3:2 says we all stumble in many ways. It’s what we do after we stumble that sets people of faith apart.

Believers fall like other people. But they won’t fall away. True faith responds to God’s grace by getting up again. Faith is the believer’s response to grace.

Believers fall like other people. But they won’t fall away. True faith responds to God’s grace by getting up again. #RechargeWednesday @debbieWwilson
Click To Tweet

“When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” (Ps. 37:24 NASB).

Writing about these people of faith in Little Faith, Big God showed me faith is the appropriate response to God’s amazing grace.

LINKUP PARTY is open!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open. Join my friend @debbieWwilson as we look at the connection between grace and faith. Share your blog!
Click To Tweet

The post Have You Experienced the Awesome Power of Grace? {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.