Have you ever heard or seen something that triggers a
memory?
A memory you’ve buried, deep down, over and over again.
One you’ve covered up with mountains of dirt.
Laid cool, green grass over.
Planted fragrant flowers to cover the stench of your sin.
But something or someone always brings it back to the
surface.
I have.
Each time it happens, I lay myself back down in a grave of
my own making.
Covering my head in shame
Choking on dirt
Guilty
Condemned
Hiding from God
The enemy stands gloating at my graveside;
Writing an epitaph on my tombstone:
"Sinner, hypocrite, worthless, disgusting, beyond salvation,
liar, unlovable."
I cry out in despair, “God, I am all those things and more.
How can you love me?”
The enemy picks up his shovel intent on burying me alive.
Suddenly, a voice like thunder roars from Heaven.
“Leave her alone! She’s mine!”
The enemy makes one last attempt for my soul, pointing
fingers and shouting accusations.
“Look at her dirty and filthy in the pit of her own making.
Why don’t You just give up on her already?”
But the voice from Heaven declares, “I see no dirt. I see no
sin. I see only MY blood covering her. I see MY robe of righteousness draped over
her shoulders. I see the seal of MY Spirit given to her as an engagement ring.
I see her clothed in her bridal gown of pure white waiting for The Wedding
Supper of the Lamb. And I see the crown I have place on her head.” (Isaiah 61:10; Ephesians 1:13-14)
A hand reaches into the grave and pulls me out.
“My child, remember whose you are. MINE! I paid the price for that sin
that keeps bringing you back to the grave. That sin is forgiven. It is as far
from ME as the east is from the west. It has no power over you. Greater am I
living in you than the enemy living in this world. I will never leave you or forsake
you. I love you with an everlasting love. Nothing you have done or will do can
diminish that love. Even if you run and hide, MY love chases after you. And, I
will always receive you back with open arms.” (Ephesians 1:7-8; Psalm 103:11-12; 1 John 4:4; Deuteronomy 31:6; John 14:1-3; Titus 3:4-7; Psalm 23:6; Luke 15:20)
Collapsing, my tear-streaked face on His chest, I hold tight.
“Thank you, JESUS! Thank you for dying on the cross for me.
Thank you that You paid the price for my sins, past, present, and future. Thank
you that You conquered the grave and death has no power over me. Thank you that
You sit at the right hand of The Father and intercede on my behalf. Thank you
that You promised to never give up on me. There is no other name under Heaven
that is greater than Yours. At Your Name, JESUS, every knee under heaven, on
earth and under the earth bows down.” (Philippians 2:10-11)
In that moment, the enemy shrieked and bowed down in defeat.
He slithered away to find his next victim who was laying in a grave of his or
her own making.
But I held firmly to the hand of my Savior and walked out of
the darkness and into the light.
R.I.H.P (Rest in His Peace)
Love,
Yolanda
This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to Him.
This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is. John 3:16-21 (The Message)
