Author: Christine Wyrtzen

Life-Saving Wounds

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See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. Deut. 32:39

What exactly is a life-saving wound?  A life-saving wound is a wound with an intended loving purpose. A wound that is given by a friend – not an enemy. A wound inflicted that, when redeemed, will bring ten-fold joy in comparison to the agony once suffered.

The tragedy is that so few children of God recognize the wounds of their past as life-saving wounds. They define them as tragedies. ‘Victim’ becomes their permanent label. Deprivation creates their defeated mindset. God, who was, and is, sovereign over their past, is viewed as an adversary rather than a friend. They reason that only an enemy would inflict a wound. True, enemies strike in order to kill. But God wounds in order to save and bless. Never do I suffer anything that is not an installment to something glorious.

Children of God would struggle to admit this but in the dark places of the soul, in the places of their deepest pain, they are distrustful of God. They have backed up, unsure of Him, shy of His gaze. Because a theology of suffering is absent, some never come out of the corner to believe Him for their salvation, redemption, and restoration. They choose to live in the middle of their plotline ~ without hope ~ failing to believe God for a glorious outcome. How does this work, exactly?

  • A child who is never the object of someone’s affection grows up to bear the spirit of rejection. But the wound is life-saving when they discover that God is a seeking God. He woos them to the cross in order to adopt them into a place of favor.
  • A teenager who has been bullied because he is different grows up unsure of himself. He doesn’t realize that his uniqueness is really the mark of leadership. But the wound is life-saving when he discovers that God set him apart to think differently in order to lead a cause for the kingdom.
  • A woman who has, unexpectedly, been served divorce papers, feels torn apart on the inside. She does not feel she will ever recover from the betrayal. But the wound is life-saving when, driven to God, she experiences Him as her Bridegroom. Daily, He loves, whispers comforts, and provide

The foundation of every life-saving discovery does not begin and end with an understanding of theology but culminates in a childlike relationship with God. In faith, I must believe His proclamations of love and I must believe every promise He made to me.

What is the nature of your unhealed wound? And what is the need that rages as a result? Are you willing to consider that the need you’ve just isolated is life-saving if it takes you into the arms of a sovereign God who waits eagerly to redeem what was stolen from you? Look up. Believe. Live in the promises.

When I don’t believe, it is Your Word and Your Spirit that revives me. Amen

 

Imagine

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Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Romans 6:13

I know that heaven awaits but Jesus came to announce that the kingdom is here now.  I am to spend my life asking the question, “What would heaven’s response look like in this situation?” That answer, determined by scripture, is my guideline for how to pray.  Specifically, this is what it looks like for me.

  • If Jesus were my husband, what would He say about this?
  • If Jesus could come in person today and talk to me about my child, what might He say?
  • If Jesus were to come and pastor our church, what might His first steps be?

These answers give me a glimpse into the prayer life of Jesus when He taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

To take this even further, which is what Paul is getting at in today’s scripture; I consider all the things a human body can accomplish.  What will my hands be doing when I get to heaven?  What kinds of things will my mouth say?  How will I reign with Christ and what does that leadership look like?  In a glorified body, I will be using all my members for righteousness.  As I imagine that (and I can because of all the pictures scriptures paint), I begin to see how I am to live now.

The kingdom is here now and I can begin to live in it as I will live in it – through the power of the Spirit.

Direct my imagination toward holy dreams.  I am yours. Amen

Praying the Lord’s Prayer

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If Jesus, when asked to teach His disciples how to pray, composed this prayer out of the perfection of His holiness, is this not a perfect prayer?  Perfect in content, perfect in composition, even perfect in length?

How does it look for me to use this prayer as a template – expanding it as the Spirit leads me?  Today, it is this ~

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. I bow low, prostrate before Your throne.  You are my Father, holy, and perfect. I am nothing.  You are everything.  Unless You enter my world today, it will be of no value.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I see my need right now, Lord.  I see my family’s needs.  Your kingdom needs to come down to our little place on earth.  In Your kingdom, there is righteousness.  Thy kingdom come to us.  In Your kingdom, there is peace.  Thy kingdom come to us.  In Your kingdom, there is structure and order.  Thy kingdom come to us.  May Your will be done here, in every way, just as it is done in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. Give me hidden manna, Lord.  I embrace Your Word to my heart.  Open the eyes of my heart to see Your Word and understand it. Give me the grace to apply it.  May every member of my family today hunger for your daily bread.  Feed them so that they might live in Your abundance.  May we be a family who feasts on daily manna.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. I stand in the flow of Calvary.  Wash me clean, make me holy, that we may fellowship together without restriction.  I forgive those who will wrong me in any way today.  I put on Your forgiving Spirit as I live out my day.  I pray for every member of my family.  Mold each of them into a child of Yours who walks in Jesus’ lifestyle of forgiveness.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. I stand on Your promise that you will not give me more than I can bear.  The challenges, the sicknesses, the trials have all passed through Your sovereign hand.  Wherever I am assaulted, deliver me from evil.  Fight for me while I sleep, while I trust, while I do Your kingdom work.  Battle the unseen forces that I can’t see.  Make me battle ready to take every thought captive today, to put on the armor and stand in the victory You won for me at Calvary.

For Thine is the power, and the kingdom, and the glory forever, Amen.

A Personal Prayer For The Unbeliever

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What part did any of us play in our own salvation? None at all. We believed because God opened our blind eyes and allowed us to see. With so many aching for a loved one to come to faith, we need to know all over again that God is the only One who can command light where there is darkness. It will not happen with more preaching, cunning arguments, cajoling, even begging. Over the weekend, I was asking God about how to pray in a more focused, strategic way for someone who does not yet believe. I was led to one scripture after another about light/darkness.

I asked God to help me use these as a springboard to write out this prayer. Go ahead and insert the name of your loved one in each blank. May God shed His light across the landscape of their heart because of your investment, but even more, because of His great mercy.

PRAYER:

Lord, I remember that Paul said, ‘In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.’ 2 Cor. 4:4 Oh Father, You see the one who burdens my heart so. The god of this world has blinded ______________ from seeing the light of the gospel of Christ. He/she sees Jesus but is just unmoved. They have no appetite for Him, only indifference, even revulsion.

So You are the Word. When you speak, things are created which do not exist. Your Scriptures say, ‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4:6 Unless you touch the darkness inside __________’s heart, they will never see Your light to understand the knowledge of Your glory. Just as You spoke it at the creation of the world, just as Your words created something out of nothing, would you speak again and enable belief where there is the vastness of unbelief? Have mercy on ______________.

Jesus, you said that ‘Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.’ John 3:19 I can see that ____________ loves unbelief and defends doubt. ________________ loves evil but can’t see that it’s evil. He/she is blind to depravity and numb to the consequences of sin. Enable __________’s heart to see Light and darkness and comprehend it.

Jesus, You told the crowd, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”   John 12:35-36 Allow ___________ to have a healthy fear and awe of You. Enable __________ to have a fear of the devil and his angels. Allow _____________ to see the condition of a corrupt world and realize the time is short. Woo _____________, Holy Spirit, so they hear Your call.

Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayer, for loving ______________ enough to die in their place. Isaiah foresaw Your coming and spoke prophetically to Israel. He said, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1 I say to __________’s soul today, the same. Arise, Your light has come. Today is the day of salvation.

To You, Lord, belongs all honor, power, and glory. I praise You for your glorious plan to save mankind. May it be for ______________. Amen

When I’m Generous and When I’m Not

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Wealth and riches are in their houses; and their righteousness endures forever.  Even in darkness light dawns for the upright; for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.  

Psalm 112:3-4

We once had a family friend in the small town where I grew up who was quite wealthy.  My aunt and uncle took him in as a young man when he was destitute.  He never left.  His life’s goal was to amass a fortune and he didn’t care how he did it.  Was he driven by greed?  In his case, no.  Fear was his taskmaster.  He lived through the depression with a mother and several siblings.  Hungry, he had gone to work at seven years old to deliver papers in order to put food on the table.  As a child, he declared, “I swear I’ll never be poor!”   His entire life was shaped by those words.

With a vow so far from God’s heart, it’s good for me to think about God’s generosity. The biblical concept of generosity is this ~ Someone who loves to give and just can’t help himself.  He almost dances when the opportunity comes his way.  

There are many reasons why I don’t give generously.  Fear of deprivation, fear of giving away something that I’m attached to, fear that it won’t be received, or fear that I will get nothing back.  Greed is not always at the center of why a person withholds.  What is the cure?  One I might not expect.  Paul said, You will be enriched to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.  2 Cor. 9:11  God promises, through Christ, to make us so rich that we’ll give it away – confident that He will more than compensate.  And when we give recklessly, others won’t understand it and just might give glory to God.

If I’m not a good giver, it is only because I have not fully realized how much God has given to me and how much I have yet to claim.  How well do I know His promises?  There are many resources from heaven’s bank account that I’ve not yet drawn upon.  Only when I stop living like an orphan, looking to the earth to give me what I need and looking to my Father whose arms are full of gifts, will I be overwhelmed by His generosity.  I’ll know I’m on the right track when I am compelled to share it with somebody.  Until then, I’ve only just begun to realize what is mine in Christ.

I know some people who love to give.  I think they love to do it more than I do.  I’m looking hard at the reasons, Lord.  Amen

When Love Is In Front Of You

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I will never walk alone for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.  Psalm 26:3

Everyone wonders what their future will hold.  Good times or hard times?  Healthy or unhealthy?  Married or unmarried?  Financially secure or living with meager provision?  Surrounded by those who love us or mostly alone?  We aren’t granted a clear picture of tomorrow but any of us who know God as our Father can know for certain one thing about our future.  In spite of uncertainty, David says that God’s love is ever before us.  Perfect Love is always and forever in our tomorrows.

If times are good, God will join me in my celebration.  If times are difficult, He will offer open arms.  If times are rewarding, He will still remind me that heaven will be better because He will be there.  If times are tragic, He will assure me that this time of tears is short in comparison to an eternity of joy.

Picture a groom, on his knees proposing, and he says in a deep and meaningful tone, “Spend your life with me.  I can’t promise you that it will always be easy but however it unfolds, I promise to be there with you and love you.”  It’s exactly what she needs.  Love.  Companionship.  Commitment.  And for any who have not known this in their human experience, Jesus is the Bridegroom who offers what is supremely better than that.  A perfect love without the imperfection of the flesh within mortal marriages.  There is perfect companionship as the groom knows His bride completely.  And there is  perfect faithfulness as this Groom never backs away.  No matter how well or how poorly the bride loves, His love is constant and true.

Your love is here now.  Your love has always sustained me.  Your love waits for me in all my tomorrows.  You are timeless and I can rest that You have traveled ahead of me.  I’m so comforted.  Amen

The Sin-Eater

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Jesus, seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reason in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; ‘who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 2:6-7

The scribes in this story are right. Claiming to forgive sins is a big deal and no one can do it except God but they didn’t recognize their Yahweh in the face of His Son, Jesus. People will do anything to wash themselves of nagging guilt. Most refuse to run to Jesus because their own pride convinces them that they have the power to do something about it. Never has this self-sufficiency been more twisted than with the ancient practice of choosing a sin-eater within a community.

Still in existence within rural Appalachia, this ritual originated in southern England. A sin-eater was selected from among the most despised of society. Their calling would ostracize them for life. Their role was, 1.) to live in obscurity, 2.) to appear at the home of a deceased person at the time of the funeral, 3.) perch themselves at the border of the property and wait for the casket to emerge from the house, and 4.) perform the ritual of eating bread and drinking wine. All of the sins of the deceased would be transferred to the bread/wine and enter the sin eater’s body. They were believed to be the new ‘dwelling place’ of the dead’s iniquity.

Before meeting Jesus, the hymn writer, William Cowper, succumbed to a deep depression from the weight of his own guilt. While living in a mental institution, he was known to keep washing his hands and lamenting, “My guilt, my guilt. What can wash it away?” After his conversion and having looked to Jesus to wash away his sins, he wrote, “Unless the Almighty arm had been under me, I think I should have died with gratitude and joy.” Within weeks, he wrote the words to the hymn, “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins. And sinners cleansed beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

There is only one sin-eater. Jesus. He became the despised, was shunned by His people, and took on the sins of the damned. He was the sacrifice for any who will apply His blood to their iniquity. Today, we do not need to wallow in guilt nor employ a scapegoat to bear our sins. Jesus did it – and then He said, “It is finished.” 

Nagging guilt need never plague me. You are a God of closure. I repent, you forgive, and it is finished. Amen

 

Need A Foundation?

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“And He shall be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:6

Today, I need to plant my feet on something solid.  I need to be sure of something and someone.  I need to know that my feet won’t slip and what’s under me won’t shift.

    Isaiah reveals that three building blocks make up my spiritual foundation.

  • Salvation ~ Though I was saved from eternal condemnation when I became God’s daughter, I am delivered from other things every day.  This very moment, if I turn to Abba, I can be saved from the temptation to sin, to self-condemn, to feel insecure and fearful, to indulge in self-pity, and to cave in to any other threat that would steal my sense of belovedness and peace.
  • Wisdom ~ My life can’t be navigated successfully without it.  Abba is my storehouse of wisdom.  When shall I speak?  When is silence more prudent?  What is my defense?  Which way shall I turn at the next fork in the road?  At the very foundation of my spirit, I know that Wisdom is a Person and He is not stingy with instruction.
  • Knowledge ~ Knowledge is information.  For any who love to learn and expand their mind, God is the most brilliant instructor!  While a spiritual journey is, most importantly, a journey of the heart, it is not exclusively emotional and soulful.  My mind is also engaged.  Spiritual transformation starts cognitively with knowledge and with my choice to believe that the final authority for Truth begins and ends with God.

God is the solid foundation for our times, offering us salvation, wisdom, and knowledge as cornerstones.  His offer of salvation supports the weight of our trials.  His offer of wisdom supports the weight of our fears.  His love, daily poured out, supports the weight of our distrust.

I won’t be afraid of today, Father.  Everywhere I choose to go, you give me sure footing.  I can’t help but live successfully.  Amen

Save

Not Meant For Time Travel

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But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children– Psalm 103:17

I’ve done it. Have you? I’d not only attempted to live in the present, which is God’s will for me, but I’ve lived in the past and in the future. Neither of those options is good for me.

How can I know if I am living in the past? When I rehearse the past and wish there had been a different outcome. I review what was done to me and fantasize what life might be like had I not been victimized. I also review my sins, even the unintentional mistakes I made from not knowing better, and then I ache to travel back to fix them. I live in the wonderland of wishful thinking.

How can I know if I am living in the future? When I borrow tomorrow’s trouble and decide that I can’t possibly handle what’s coming. I assess things today and think enough of my fortune telling ability to cast the future in stone. Believing that my prediction is accurate, I succumb to a lifestyle of fear. How many times have I lived in the distress of ~ “I won’t be able to handle tomorrow because . . .”

How can I have peace about the past? How can I lay aside regrets? By believing that God is a redeemer of the past. I can’t mess anything up so badly that He can’t bless me today with abundant life. His mercies started afresh at 12:01 a.m. this morning. I put the past behind me and get up every morning in the faith of His goodness.

How can I abandon a fear of what’s coming? By trusting that He’s already written the future. Nothing is going to take Him by surprise. The scriptures about tomorrow are rock solid and will sustain the weight of my expectations.

The past and the future are out of bounds. I’m not supposed to play God. He is the only one who operates outside of time. He equipped me to live today on the wings of momentary grace. The spirit of Abba Father is within me. He’s speaking scripture to my soul. He reminds me of His sustaining presence. And when needed, He sends angel reinforcements to help me in my battle.

For my yesterday’s, redeem. For today, sustain. For tomorrow, give me confidence that You’ve got it covered. Amen

We Have Been Changed

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And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. Genesis 35:10

God has always been an identity changer. One cannot be near someone like God and not be severely affected. Either one is repelled and runs the other way or is smitten by His glory and wants to make Him their home. The identity-changing nature of God has never been more evident than when He personally changed the names of people. Jacob, in spite of all of his failures, persevered with good faith intentions and God acknowledged the change in his heart with a name change. The name Jacob means ‘supplanter’….one who takes something by force through treachery. Fitting, since he tricked his brother and stole his blessing. Years later, God saw that Jacob was one who literally wrestled with Him in order to receive God’s blessing. He persevered until faith in God defined Him. God chose the name Israel for him….one who perseveres with God.

While God may not give new earthly names to every person, my identity has radically changed if I was adopted into His family. God says that I’m no longer an alien, but a resident of heaven. He says that I’m no longer an enemy, but friend. I’m no longer cursed, but blessed. I’m no longer lost, but saved. I’m no longer rejected because of my sin, I’m chosen. I’m no longer unclean, but righteous. I’m no longer without purpose, I’ve got a calling. I’m no longer hopeless, but hopeful.

Many more pages could capture more identity changers but is this short list not enough for me to ask myself, “Have I really embraced my new identity? And if not, why?” It’s hard to digest that I’m no longer who I was if people around me treat me as if nothing has changed. I’ve also got a spiritual enemy, Satan, who is bent on reinforcing, through hurtful circumstances, that I’m the same old sinner without hope.

How can I immerse myself in the wonder of a changed identity? By spending more time with the Name-Changer. He will whisper each new name in my ear if I’m engaged in a two-way conversation. Prayer is not about me talking. It’s more about Him talking. Never has His voice been more clear than in the pages of His love letter to me. Scriptures are not primarily for study. They are for the strengthening of faith. They are the words of a Father to His child. In the stillness of today, God would want me to hear, “You’re mine!”

Let me bask in the spiritual cooing that comes from running home. Amen