GOD MEANS IT FOR GOOD: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God" by Lorilyn Roberts

As for me, you [Joseph’s brothers] meant evil against me [Joseph], but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

Genesis 50:20

I have to remind myself there is good in the world and it’s worth fighting for. Especially when bad things happen or someone treats me unfairly.

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From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

Her voice trailed off as she read a few more lines to herself. Then, with one fell swoop, she threw my paper in the trash.

“This is too well written to be original. I’m sure Shale copied it off the web. I’m not going to read it.”

Thirty sets of eyes shifted to me and my face and neck felt hot. Mrs. Wilkes’ beady eyes pulsated. No one moved. If I dropped the straight pin that was in my sweater pocket, the room would have heard it ping on the floor.

—Mrs. Wilkes and Shale Snyder, chapter two

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Have you ever felt unfairly accused of something you didn’t do? Or something happened that was unfair?

How could God use what happened to Shale for good? Shale’s writing ability was far beyond her years, so the teacher thought she had plagiarized her report. But Shale’s insecurity kept her from seeing her true value. The teacher’s accusations stung. Whatever talent she did have for writing was overshadowed by the pain she felt inside.

My favorite story in the Bible is the story of Joseph. God chose Joseph to save the nation of Israel. Before God’s plan was revealed, however, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. The brothers were filled with jealousy toward Joseph because their father had given Joseph a beautiful coat of many colors, but he had not given one to each of them. Later, Joseph was falsely accused by someone else and sent to prison for something he didn’t do.

The only thing we can control is our attitude and our response to all the things that go wrong.

We’re like soldiers in a war zone fighting evil. No matter what, God is on our side. We must not allow evil to consume us with bitterness. We don’t want anything to become an idol or to come before God. The first commandment in the Bible says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

I find it helpful to remember that God knows the beginning and the end. He knows when I have been wronged and treated unfairly.

I will share a secret. I was accused of plagiarism by a teacher when I was in fifth grade. It never occurred to me at the time that I had a gift of writing. All I could think of was how embarrassed I was that the teacher had accused me in front of the class and I couldn’t defend myself.

But what Satan intended for evil, God meant for good. Today I have an opportunity to share my experience with you and encourage you. I can remind you that God knows the truth about your situation, just as he knew the truth about me. He knew someday I would become an author and write about these things, and use these bad experiences to bring him glory.

Can you encourage someone who may be going through a difficult situation? God will not waste opportunities. Allow him to redeem the bad and the ugly. That’s the best part about being a Christian. Whatever Satan does to cause problems, God always has the final word. God knows how to make lemonade from lemons.

Thank you, Jesus, that you know the beginning and the end. Thank you that everything in my life you can use for good—even the bad parts. Please help me not to become discouraged but to keep my eyes on you. Help me to remember that everything that happens passes through your permissive hand. Thank you that I can trust you in all these things.

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http://bit.ly/God_Means_For_Good (Video)

PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God? By Lorilyn Roberts

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

—I John 4:18a

In The Donkey and the King, Much‑Afraid, the dog, shook with fear when Baruch left her behind at the stable. During the time the donkey was gone, the king helped Much-Afraid to conquer her fear.

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From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

The dog stretched and cocked her head enjoying the rubdown.

I laughed. “Is your name Much-Afraid?”

“I was always afraid until the king healed me.”

—Shale Snyder and Much-Afraid, the dog, chapter ten

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When we meet Much‑Afraid again in Seventh Dimension –  The Door, she has overcome her fear.

Do you know that the opposite of fear is love? Every time you’re afraid, that means you’re not allowing God’s love into your heart. God’s perfect love will cast out your imperfect fear. In fact, your imperfect fear is made perfect in weakness. In your weakness, God can help you. Once you recognize your weakness, you won’t rely on yourself and your own abilities. You will rely on God.

Begin with prayer. Most of us struggle with fear at times because we don’t love perfectly. Our humanness makes us needy, but our sin keeps us from embracing God’s unconditional love. In spite of this, God never gives up. He woos us because we’re cherished, like a lover woos his beloved.

The king told Shale, “I love you more than you will ever know.” In the same way, God loves you. Someday when we meet the king, we’ll truly know how much he loves us.

Every time fear threatens you (and I do believe in demons of fear), remember the words of the king. Let his perfect love fill your mind. Let every cell within you find intimacy in your heavenly father. Don’t rely on yourself. You will fall. Find your strength in God. Don’t be just a fan of Jesus Christ, like on Facebook or Twitter. Be a follower. Make Jesus your king and your lord. Let his love conquer any fear that creeps into your heart. Then you will be able to love others in the same way God loves you.

Your heavenly Father is waiting for you to surrender. He is never too busy to listen, and I guarantee you, he is not resting.

The king died to defeat every fear Satan will tempt you to believe. Don’t be seized with a knot in your stomach and crippling doubts.

Let God’s love indwell you. Cast aside every anxious thought. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t wait. Begin by reading the Bible and then pray for God to be real to you—more real than he has ever been in the past. His perfect love will cast out your fear.

If you do this every time you become fearful, you can claim victory. If you don’t succeed the first time, don’t give up, especially if you’re prone to being fearful. Old habits die hard, and Satan is relentless. But God will help if you’re faithful in prayer and read your Bible.

If you still struggle with fear after much prayer, perhaps you might need to see a counselor or physician. Sometimes chemical imbalances can affect your mood, especially if you’re going through a particularly difficult time.

Don’t be afraid or embarrassed. Ask for help. Pride will tell you, you don’t need crutches, but humility is more powerful than pride.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me. Help me to feel loved. Help me to trust you every time I feel afraid.

http://bit.ly/fear_no_more

To read more of my devotionals from the Seventh Dimension, click here to order a Kindle copy from Amazon.

I HATE MY STINKING SIN: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God? By Lorilyn Roberts

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.”

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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

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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.

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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.

if you would like to hear me tell my personal testimony, I appeared on a television show in Atlanta, Georgia, "Family and Friends." You can listen to it at the following link.

http://bit.ly//Roberts_Friends

Am I Okay, God? Was a finalist in the International Book Awards for best nonfiction cover and best Christian inspirational book for 2014.

To read all the devotionals in the Seventh Dimension Series, click on this Amazon link.

THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up his garments among themselves.

—Luke 23:34

 The root cause of hate, I believe, is the lack of forgiveness. We must forgive. If we are unable to forgive, the hateful feelings will destroy us.

Not forgiving separated me from God. How could I feel forgiven by God if I was unwilling to extend that same forgiveness to someone else? Even if I said in my heart, “I forgive my ex-husband,” my lack of forgiveness would re-emerge later when something triggered the return of painful memories. I couldn’t get forgiveness to stick. I soon realized I had to commit to the process of forgiveness—a lifestyle, a mindset, a choice. Every time I started to become bitter, I had to go through the process of forgiveness all over again. In my case, forgiveness took me a long, long time.

Without the Holy Spirit’s help, I would not have been able to forgive my ex-husband. Fortunately, after a period of time, I realized my love for God was greater than my bitterness and regret over mistakes I had made in the marriage—strong enough to overcome my intense sadness and depression. Through God’s love and power, I was at last able to forgive completely.

Our model for forgiveness is Jesus Christ. Jesus forgave us as he hung naked on a cross. We don’t deserve his forgiveness or grace. He simply loved us that much. We deserve to die and pay the price for all the mistakes and sins we have committed, but instead, Jesus died and paid the price for us.

There’s nothing more powerful than seeing someone who has been hurt exercise his will to forgive. If we choose to hate, the devil will be our master. If we choose to follow the example that Jesus set for us, we will love, and he will be our master. To love in these circumstances is not a feeling. It’s a choice.

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From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

 “I’m nothing more than a worm, like that worm lying on the sidewalk that Judd wanted to crush. There’s nothing good inside me except that which was put there by the king. Just as I rescued that worm from his tormenter, my king will rescue me, too, and crush your head [the serpent]. The king promised, if you forgive others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. I am forgiven.”

—Shale Snyder, chapter thirty-five

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More from Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

Magical stirrings from deep within bubbled forth and overflowed. Freedom beckoned me.

I countered their lies, “He’ll always live in my heart. You can’t hurt me anymore”...suddenly, the demons began to shrink—smaller and smaller they became, right before my eyes. As the underlings shrunk, they underwent a metamorphosis. They shrank smaller and smaller and we grew larger and larger. Soon the underlings had shapeshifted into nothing more than puny snakes. Even though they hissed, their voices became as a little mouse’s before a taunting cat.

—Shale Snyder, chapter thirty-five

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Forgiveness is never easy. With great forgiveness comes great grace. Great grace is never cheap. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price to forgive us by shedding his blood on the cross. We can’t give him back his life—Christ willingly allowed himself to be crucified so that he could give us eternal life. It was a choice he made. It’s a choice we must make—the choice to forgive.

Sometimes it requires a recommitment—as in my case, when I recommitted my life to Jesus Christ. I knew I needed more faith to forgive. I was running on an empty gas tank, and the only way to fill it up was to allow God’s Spirit to work in my heart. I had to make a conscious choice to forgive my ex-husband. I had to ask God to help me do it. I couldn’t do it on my own. I couldn’t conjure up enough goodness within me to do it without his help.

God is gracious and loving. We are forgiven by God, and we must extend that forgiveness to others if we want to be like Jesus. If forgiveness was cheap, it would not have cost Jesus his life. But our forgiveness couldn’t be bought with anything less.

We must lay down our rights, lay down our hurts, and lay down our desires to retaliate. We might have to go back to God and ask for his help many, many times to enable a lifetime of living in forgiveness. And each time we recognize our need for him, he gives us everything we need to abide in him.

To read more from Lorilyn Roberts devotional book, Am I Okay, God? Go to Amazon.