A Letter from God: About Your Idol…

freedomI pray that this ministers to you wherever you are today.  Whatever your struggle or idol – put it in the place of food and receive this letter from God.

I woke up at 1am this morning.  At 2:15, God said “do you want to do this now?”. I said “yes” and got up and grabbed my journal. You see, I have been crying out for him to bring freedom in this particular area.  He wrote to me:

My Dear Beloved Hope,
You are so precious to me!  My love for you is relentless, unending, and has no limit, boundary, breaking point, or borders. There is nothing that can separate you from my love, change the love I have for you, or keep me from pouring out my love on you.

I know everything about your idol of food and I want to free you more than you want to be free. I see your bondage. You don’t give up easy – the idol or your longing for me to heal and free you. You find comfort and reward in food but it never satisfies – it only leaves you longing for more. I am greater and more powerful than your idol and I am going to free you. I am the ONLY one who can fill you and satisfy you. You must run to me and cling to me to find freedom. The food will always call you, but so will I. Run to me! Pray to me before you eat anything. If you want to eat something that doesn’t honor me, tell me that – bow and wait in my presence. I will meet you, speak to you, and empower you. Your will power will never be enough. My grace is sufficient for you and will be all you need each time you come and cry out to me.

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs; but I, with shouts of joyful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed, I will make good. I will proclaim – salvation comes from the Lord.” – Jonah 2:8-10

Food is a worthless idol. I want you to choose me and not forfeit my grace. Every time you need to eat, my grace will be there and will be all that you need. The more you come to me, the more I can fill you and change your desires so you are drawn to those foods that are healthy for you and that allow you to honor me with your body. I am here to heal you and free you – one moment and one meal at a time. Though this idol seems so powerful, I am always greater and I will heal you and free you. Just run to my voice when the idol calls. You have a choice each time.

Your body is not your own. It belongs to me. I have only entrusted it to you while you are on this earth. I long to redeem your body – starting right now and right where you are. Just surrender to me. Food is an idol, a broken cistern that holds no water, no satisfaction.

1. Bow
2. Worship
3. Cry “MY ONLY HOPE IS JESUS!”

It is the broken, the desperate, the needy, the devastated, and the ruined, who make this their cry who receive power! I WILL MEET YOU!!

Your lust for gratifying your flesh with food is PRIDE – it says “I can meet my own needs and satisfy myself apart from God.” I created you so ONLY I can satisfy you, quench your thirst, and satisfy your needs. Your striving to satisfy yourself is all in vain. No matter what worthless idol you run to, it will NEVER be enough.

Satisfying you is my role and I am the only one who can do this. Run to me! You always have a choice! I am your redeemer, your healer, your bridegroom, and the lover of your soul! I long for you to experience me satisfying your soul. I am enough for you and all that you need. Surrender to me, lay down your pride, and run into my arms.

In this place that food has held in your heart, I want to fill you with FIRE and PASSION for me!  I want to flood your soul with ME. I will use your scars, your brokenness, your weakness to bring healing and freedom to others. I have such great things and so much more healing in store for you.  I will NEVER leave you alone.  I carry you in my arms. I will comfort you, fill you, and satisfy you like only I can.

Your redeemer and healer,
Your beloved ABBA!

When the Feelings Aren’t There

no emotionsHave you ever had one of those days  or experienced a season in life where you are pursuing God and you feel nothing?  It’s so hard when you want to feel close to God or feel His presence and there just seems to be nothing there.  Today was one of those days for me.  God showed me many years ago in a journal that I wrote in 2005 the following truth:

“Who God is and His love for me is not dependent on or determined by my feelings or lack of feelings.  Praise God that He never changes – He is constant.  And His love never changes – there is nothing I can do to make Him love me any more or any less than He does right now.  And He loves me right now just as much as He loved me before the foundation of the world.”

Then I wrote the following prayer:

“I worship You!  You alone are worthy of my time, my energy, my emotions, my life, and my worship!  I confess that I have no rights except that of being Your child and worshipping you.  Thank You that You don’t owe me anything and let me receive all that happens today as gift from Your mighty hand.  I praise You that You, Oh God, are loving and You, Oh God, are strong.  And You, Oh God are faithful even when I am unfaithful!

Thank You that You are worthy, and You love me relentlessly without boundary, limit, or breaking point.  Regardless of my emotions, circumstances, performance, or whether or not I can see You, touch You, or hear Your voice, nothing I do or do not do today and nothing I feel or don’t feel can change the way that You love me and the fact that You alone are worthy of my worship!

Thank You that You are in control of every minute detail of my life and every single thing that happens today is a strategic move on Your part for Your glory and my ultimate good.  It is to this end that You allow or don’t allow things to happen in my life.

Thank You God that there is freedom….

1. In knowing that Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts and Your ways are higher than mine and I don’t have to understand Your thoughts and Your ways today.  I can trust You.
2. In knowing that You have a plan for tomorrow and I don’t have to understand it.  Your mercies are sufficient for me today!”

Thank You God for reminding me of these truths today!

 

Running on a Mouse Wheel

mouse wheelYou can go to almost any pet store that sells mice and see a mouse wheel in the mouse’s cage.  The mouse loves the wheel and runs and runs on it to get exercise since it is cooped up in a cage.  The mouse doesn’t realize it is running and really not going anywhere.

I recently have felt like a mouse on a mouse wheel – running and running and getting nowhere.  Let me explain.  The wheel is an analogy for the things we turn to to meet our needs and satisfy our longings.    Some examples might be alcohol, drugs, food, self-mutilation, infidelity, or even sleep.    So often these things we turn to quickly become forms of addiction.  When we believe that we can meet our needs apart from Christ, it is like running on a mouse wheel and getting nowhere.  What we need to realize is that these things we turn to are not the core issue but merely a symptom.   What happens is that we run to our own addictions and things that we think will satisfy us and a vicious cycle begins – we are running and running and getting nowhere.  We are exhausted and never satisfied.  We wake up the next day and do it all over again.  I have had a lifelong struggle with food but the real issue is much deeper that what I eat each day.  What I am realizing is that the enemy uses these things that we run to to separate us  from God.  He wants me to believe that I don’t need God and that I can live apart from Him and meet my needs just fine.  The truth is I can’t – I will never be satisfied apart from Jesus.  Why?  Because God made me!  Since He created me, He is the only One who knows how to meet my needs, satisfy my longings, and quench my thirst!  He created me for Himself and with needs and desires that only He can satisfy!  The enemy wants to distract me with various addictions and the pleasures of this world.  What I realized this week is that it is all a spirit of pride – a spirit that says I don’t need God and I can meet my needs on my own apart from Him!  It is that spirit that keeps me running on the mouse wheel.  God created me to be dependent on Him as my Father – in recognizing and confessing my dependence on Him, humility overcomes the spirit of pride.  My war cry today is “My Only Hope is Jesus.”  In my brokenness, He meets me at my point of need.