Do not let the sun go down while you are
angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Ephesians 4:26b‑27
We will
never be free of our sin until we get to heaven. Satan will never give up
taunting us, bullying us, and shaming us. As long as we live here he is the “prince
of the air.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
From
Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young
Adult Christian Fantasy:
We
climbed the stairs to my room and a veil of darkness shrouded me—Fifi’s dead
body appeared to me in a vision once more at the bottom of the stairs. I had
hoped the memory wouldn’t torture me anymore, that the king would heal me. Why
hadn’t me? I grabbed the post to catch my balance. Rain started to fall.
—Shale
Snyder, chapter twenty-nine
*~*~*~*~*~*
Satan prowls around like a roaring lion hunting
down unsuspecting victims. In I Corinthians 10:13, Paul tells us that “God is
faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”
For
many years, I hated many things about my life. I even hated myself at times—the
fact that my father left me, that I grew up in a broken home, that I failed the
first grade, that I had a speech impediment, and that I was clumsy. I felt
misunderstood and unappreciated by others. I had no self-worth. I was an
outcast in social circles at school. No one liked me except the smart kids, once
they figured out I wasn’t dumb, and so I hung around with a bunch of nerds.
I
preferred to be alone with a good book or playing the guitar. I didn’t care
about loud parties or drinking or concerts or smoking or any of those things in
which teenagers get involved—to their detriment. I was a loner because—well, I
liked being alone. My parents thought something was wrong with me.
When
I got married, I expected my husband to fix me. After all, he was going to be a
doctor and he should be able to be all that I needed—to make up for what I lacked
in the past. The truth is, the only thing that could fix me was a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.
The
sad part is this: nothing was wrong with me. I wasn’t flawed or defective or
weird or antisocial or stupid or bad. I actually was and still am very creative,
brilliant in some ways, self-sufficient, and uniquely made in God’s image. And
so are you. I was and still am a sinner. And so are you.
Unconditional
love covers a multitude of sins. That kind of acceptance and validation can
only come from Jesus Christ. There’s no pill, no lover, no vacation, no job, no
friend, and no food that can fill that spiritual void and remove the sting of
lies and false accusations—only the healing power of our risen Savior.
If
you’re like Shale, a victim of circumstances, if you’ve been hurt, go to God in
prayer. Take your Bible and cover it with your tears. Allow God’s Holy Spirit
to lift your crushed spirit. Corrie ten Boom once said, “There is no pit so
deep that God’s love is not deeper still (The
Hiding Place).”
After
you’ve poured out your heart to God, find someone in whom you can confide.
Allow
God’s healing in your life. Allow him to fill every nook and cranny of your
heart with his love and surrender your life to him. Choose to spend the rest of
your life living in forgiveness— sometimes just one moment, then one hour, then
one day, then one week, then one year, then five years, then ten years. And
then a lifetime.
Focus
on this moment—that’s all you have. Let God worry about the tomorrows. Be set
free from your unresolved anger by focusing on the process of forgiving. The
outcome is in God’s hands.
Dear Jesus, I know you love me, warts and
all. I have sinned against you and others. I am separated from your love
because of my sin. I know that you’re the only way to eternal life.
You made salvation possible through your
death on the cross. Your resurrection is proof that you’re who you say you are.
I accept you into my heart. Thank you, Jesus, for coming into my life right
now. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins.
Am I Okay, God? Was a finalist in the International Book Awards for best nonfiction cover and best Christian inspirational book for 2014.
