Week 50 – Don’t Forgive & Forget

“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. Luke 6:27-29

My husband and I recently completed a wonderful class called Re[Engage. We had the pleasure of leading an incredible table of couples through a study that encouraged us all to reconnect, reignite and resurrect our marriages. One of my favorite chapters was on forgiveness. It reminded us of what forgiveness is and what it is not!

Understanding that we should always forgive others because God has given us is one thing. It’s the actual forgiving part that is the tough part. Here are a few incredible truths about forgiveness that they shared.

1. While reconciliation takes two people, forgiveness only takes one. We have complete control over whether we forgive someone or not and there is no action needed on their part for us to do so.  And forgiveness doesn’t guarantee reconciliation.
2. Forgiveness is for us! We are the one released from the negative impacts of holding on to resentment, anger, and betrayal. When we forgive we get to experience freedom.
3. Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. If we wait until we “feel” like forgiving our offender, we will never forgive them.
4. Forgiving does not mean forgetting! Why would we want to forget the lessons we learned during difficult times. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have to relearn those. Forgive, but don’t forget. In fact, we need to remember God has called us to forgive.
5. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you are condoning what your offender has done.

They share some incredible articles on forgiveness on their website if you are interested.  This is one muscle that needs constant reinforcement and strengthening in the world we live in. However, when we understand God’s great love for us and His continued forgiveness for our daily transgressions, it is easier to extend that same forgiveness and mercy to others.

Jesus’s parable about the man in debt (us) to the king (Him) in Matthew 18:21-35 is a very powerful story and so convicting. In the Message translation, it is actually titled, “A Story About Forgiveness.” It shines a light on our tendency to be hypocritical when it comes to forgiveness. We always want others to forgive us when we have wronged them, but we are often slow to forgive.  As a new year approaches, my prayer is that each of us will look closely at our hearts and ask God to reveal any unforgiveness that lies within it. May He give us the strength, courage, and wisdom to release it and turn it over to Him so we can experience freedom.

Blog Art is provided by my friend and sister in Christ Polly Jo Green.  She is an artist based in Cary, North Carolina. Visit her website at pollyjogreen.com.Her art ranges from doodle creations to mixed media pieces. In addition to commissioned original art, her art is available on notecards.

Week 49 – Looks Don’t Count

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

I wonder if God knew how much we would need this verse in 2017?! Of course, he did! However, I’m sure Samuel could have never known how much we would. In this day and age, the constant bombardment of images from social media makes this verse more relevant than we could have ever imagined.

Think for a moment about the images posted on social media. How many people post pictures with messy hair, no make-up, losing their temper with their children or when their kid misses the pitch that loses the game? I know before I post anything my children want to “approve it”. They want to ensure that they look a certain way, that there isn’t anything embarrassing about it or I don’t put a “weird” comment with it. It’s all about an image we are trying to create. Our own personal PR campaign through social media. It works too because this world looks at the outward appearance. I know people who have become depressed because they don’t have it all together like an old friend from high school that (from social media) seems to have the perfect children, travel all the time and have a happy marriage. The sad part of this is when the friend learned her friend was getting a divorce and all that seemed so well had been an illusion.

We look at what is visible and able to be seen with the eye. The Lord, however, looks at what we can’t see. He looks at us and sees right through the physical and straight to our hearts. The heart is an important theme that is woven through the Bible. In fact, it would make an interesting word study because it is mentioned over one thousand times in the Bible. Of course, we aren’t talking about the blood pumping organ, but the innermost part of us, the “center for both the physical and emotional-intellectual-moral activities.” (biblestudytools.com)

In fact, if we look at the Greek word for heart, kardia, we find it means middle. I love this. The heart is the core, center, and middle of all our actions. The scary part of this is that God sees right in there. Straight to the heart! No matter how many masks we try to cover the pain, anger or sin with, God sees it all. No matter how much we dress it up, God sees the dirty mess. No matter how much foundation we apply or concealer we use to cover the blemishes of the heart, God sees the truth. And on the flip side of that, no matter how dirty or poor an individual may seem, God sees past that too. He sees the love, joy, and humility. No matter how low or lost, no matter how many tattoos, God see past that and sees the love and light we shine if we have Jesus.

It goes both ways! This week, I pray that we all start practicing God’s technique of looking past the outward appearances of others and stop to consider the heart of the individual. Their journey, their life, their pain, their joys, their struggles, and celebrations. I pray God will open the eyes of our hearts to look into the hearts of others. May we see their pain behind the smile, their kindness behind the messy exterior and their desire to be known and heard for who they are in Christ.

Blog Art is provided by my friend and sister in Christ Polly Jo Green.  She is an artist based in Cary, North Carolina. Visit her website at pollyjogreen.com.Her art ranges from doodle creations to mixed media pieces. In addition to commissioned original art, her art is available on notecards.

Week 41 – A Rare Gift

A man with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

Sometimes reading Scripture takes us back to a time in our lives that God used our circumstances to teach us. Often, He will gently remind us of lessons He has already taught us. These moments are a wonderful reminder of His presence, love & desire for us to continue to grow in Him.

This verse from Proverbs quickly brought my mind back to a blog I wrote in 2009. I’ve reposted it below. Although these times of remembering can be bittersweet, I never want to forget the lessons God taught me through trial and tears. It is those lessons that are the light in the darkness, the joy that comes out of sadness and the good He can provide out of the worst situations.

We are all guilty of it. Taking our problems, our concerns and complaints to others before we take them to God. He is the one we should go to first when we are seeking wise counsel.

God drove this point home to me in 2008. It had been a tough few months. Everything seemed to be falling apart. My friend Shannon’s cancer had spread to her brain, my Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I had a disappointing birthday and oh, how the list continued, but I will spare you. It was summer and all my friends were traveling, busy with camp, the pool, etc. When I tried to talk to them everyone seemed distracted. They were out of town or running out the door to the next activity or obligation. Don’t get me wrong, I am guilty of the same thing. We get in a hurry and fill our schedules to the brim so there is no margin for the things that might pop up.

After the fourth attempt to talk to a friend and getting nowhere. . . it hit me! God spoke to my heart and I realized I needed to be taking all of this worry and concern to God. God, who is my friend, is always closer to me than anyone, and who knows me better than I know myself.

Let me be clear, I’m not saying we don’t need to seek the counsel of our friends. God has put friends in our lives to support us, love us, give us solid Christian advice and hold us accountable. I praise God for my girlfriends every day!

I think God was reminding me that above all else, I should first seek Him. He is always available and “not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:26-27). He is never on the way out the door, swim team practice, Target or the grocery store. We have a God who craves a relationship with us and desires for us to seek Him daily. This rare gift is beyond our comprehension and understanding most days, but it exists and is very real. Next time you are troubled, have a concern or problem, talk it over with our Lord and Savior first. Seek His counsel, comfort, and direction. Pray that He provides you with a solution or answer in any way He can. He may speak straight to your heart, send a friend or put you in a circumstance that will give you the answer or peace that you need. He doesn’t promise when or how, but He blesses all those who seek Him.

If someone asks him: What are these wounds on your chest?—then he will answer: I received the wounds in the house of my friends. Zechariah 13:6

“Friend,” Jesus asked him, “why have you come?” Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. Matthew 26:50

You are My friends if you do what I command you. John 15:14

Blog Art is provided by my friend and sister in Christ Polly Jo Green.  She is an artist based in Cary, North Carolina. Visit her website at pollyjogreen.com.Her art ranges from doodle creations to mixed media pieces. In addition to commissioned original art, her art is available on notecards.

Week 33 – Search Me

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. Psalms 139:23-24

Well, after last week’s post. It looks like God is answering my prayers and leading me to new levels of trust in Him. Maybe it’s just me, but does this verse strike a bit of fear in you like it does when I first read it? As I think, “Yikes, not really sure I want God looking into my heart and testing it today. I’m not sure He would like what He saw in there.”  I mean there is surely some good stuff, but let’s be real, it’s not all sparkly clean in there either. I’m sure there is trash I don’t even realize is hanging around in there making things a little dusty. Just to start: fear, pride, frustration, insecurity . . . . what else? I’m sure I could keep adding to those things.

My mom isn’t a “Type A” like me. Just looking in her office can give me the hives. She’s always talking about cleaning it up. We have even done it together a few times, and it will stay that way for a few weeks and then it’s right back to where she started. In her defense, I may have a super clean and organized office, but I hate weeding my flower beds. You won’t find one weed in flower beds!

My point in sharing that is, making cleaning and weeding a priority can be difficult. There is a lot to do, it can be dirty and hard work. It takes time, effort, discipline and a willing heart to make it a priority. But when we do, the benefits are AWESOME! When my mom has a clean office, she loves it and enjoys using her office again. When my plant beds are weeded, I enjoy sitting on my front porch so much more.

It’s the same with God and our hearts! Asking God to search (examine & investigate) our hearts for discrepancies and fears can be scary. But my heart is asking me, “Why is your first response to this scripture/request fear?” For me, I think there are several reasons.

1. I don’t want God to think badly of me or that I can’t handle it.
2. I know it will require some hard work with God to work through the heart things with Him.
3. It’s just easier to tuck things away and keep moving forward.

OK, when I type all those reasons out, they don’t seem very good or logical anymore. How about yours?

Here is how my heart responded to my initial fears after reflecting on God’s truth. FIRST, God already knows everything about me, my heart and loves me anyway. He also knows I can’t handle anything without Him nor did He create me too. Plus, He doesn’t judge. He extends mercy, forgiveness, and grace to all His children. SECOND, yeah it’s going to require some work, but don’t all great things. Isn’t that little bit of work, discomfort, and pruning worth the gift of eternal life, a whole heart and His glorious light in my life to share with others. THIRD, everyone knows that tucking things away never gets you anywhere. It only holds you back. Plus, it’s just letting Satan win and for goodness sakes, I never want him to win!

Sometimes, we just have to dig into the fear or our first instinctual feelings. Ask ourselves why it’s so scary, makes us angry or causes us anxiety. Why we are having a negative response? Once it’s out in the open and we have processed the emotions, they shrink to the size of a sunflower seed compared to the glorious promises of our Creator, King, and Father. May His word continue to pierce our hearts and uncover any and all offenses so that we can continue to grow stronger in our faith and shine His great Light into the world.

Week 28 – Biggest Winner!

“Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.” Luke 9:23-24

Be a loser! This is certainly not the message we usually extend to others. I can honestly say that I’ve never told my children, “Go out there and be as incompetent as you can. Do something every day that you are doomed to fail in over and over again.” But Jesus was countercultural! We can always count on Him to mix it up and keep things fresh and out of the ordinary.

As I type, I sitting under a picnic shelter at a nearby lake watching my son and a friend fish. They understand what it means to lose. They celebrate and take pictures of the big fish they successfully catch and reel in and then mourn and analyze the fish they lose. Sometimes, my son will agonize over the loss of a fish for hours. We just aren’t wired to turn things over, to lose control or lose at all. We have to work at it and it’s only with God’s help we can do it. This world tells us over and over that, we should be in control, we deserve more, we should and can always win no matter what the cost and they are lies.

It’s interesting to reflect on the fact that when we do turn over our lives to Christ,  follow Him, and not the selfish ways of the world, we receive so much more. By losing ourselves in Christ we really don’t lose, but win and win big. In fact, we are the biggest winners!

It’s a conundrum. We have to lose to be the biggest winner! So, really if we can get past the words “lose yourself” we will see that it’s actually going to turn into the biggest win we will ever experience.

I mean, there is that whole eternal life in a perfect heaven with no pain, suffering or sadness with the one who loves you more than anyone ever will or can. However, there is much more! If you can imagine. Because in the wait for eternal life, we have access to eternal love, undeniable forgiveness, perfect peace, overwhelming joy and unconditional mercies. Now that’s a club I want to be a member of. Membership is free too! Know anyone you can tell about this awesome club today?

Week 26 – I Slipped!

 

Week 26 marks the half way mark of this year’s Bible Journey. If you’re just joining in you can read more about how this adventure started and just what I’m doing in my Outside the Box blog. This is what my pantry door looks like at week 26!

Now, on with the blog!

If I say, “My foot is slipping, ”Your faithful love will support me, Lord. When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy. Psalm 94:18-19

Just in case I haven’t written it lately. . . God is good! I’ve been in a funk this week. Not really sure what’s going on yet. Maybe it’s delays, challenges, or that fact that my kids are growing up so fast. How do we have one starting high school and one starting middle school in the fall? Regardless, I’ve been having a bit of a pity party and then God placed this verse in my hand this week as a tender reminder that when I slip into that pit, His love will support me. He will pull me out and give me comfort that will cover all my cares.

This reminded me of a blog I wrote several years ago about pit dwelling. Thos times when our foot does slip.

We always hear, “Stay out or get out of the pit” it’s a dangerous place to go. Not surprisingly, I have a different angle on the pit. I’m all for the pit, with guidelines. I think we all reach a place now and then in life where we can benefit from getting in the pit and rolling around in our grief or misery. However, you should only go if you know you are able to get out after a few hours. You can’t stay. (If you suffer from depression – this is not for you – stay far way from the edge of the pit) It’s like a mini-vacation. . . . OK, a bad mini vacation where it rains every day and the food is yucky. If you stay longer than that, your misery and pain can become an idol that sits higher on your priority list than God.

Rules of Pit Dwelling: You have to know you are going and ask a prayer warrior to pray for you. For example, I will say, “Ok, Kirsten I’m in the pit today. Having a little pity party for myself and rolling around in my “yuck”, but I’m not planning on staying, redecorating and having cocktails. I just need to sit in this for a while, feel it and embrace it. I’m coming out tomorrow after God and I work through some things, but please pray for me and call me tomorrow and check on me to make sure I’m out”

Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day or like pouring vinegar on soda. Proverbs 25:20

I don’t want her to talk me out of going. I don’t want her to tell me why I shouldn’t go. I just want her to pray for me and love me enough to make sure I climb out after the weeping. If you have never been in the pit, I envy you. If you have, I pray you can identify when you are in it and can climb out quickly after gaining strength through the Lord. If you ever sit in that pit, I pray you know it’s OK, you are only human and God is beside you, but please ask others to pray for you while you are there and hold you accountable to climb out quickly.

We can go there, but we can’t stay! I’m praying that no matter where you are today that you are feeling God’s presence, His comfort, and His unexplainable joy!

A Shout Out & special thanks to those dear friends who have stood in the gap for me this week (and many other times in my life) and prayed for the stronghold, I had let take root, be removed and joy to return. I couldn’t do life without prayer warriors. I’m sorry I forgot that for a few weeks.

 

Week 20 – With God!

Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless. With God we will perform valiantly; He will trample our foes. Psalms 60:11-12

I began this week by reading, verses 11 and 12 from Psalms 60, in a couple of different translations. When you read these verses in the Message translation it says, “Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless. In God we’ll do our very best; he’ll flatten the opposition for good.” 

The first two questions that came to mind were, What tasks are hard for me when it comes to the enemy or my foes? What do I need God to help me with? Ah, EVERYTHING!

I don’t think I reflect on those facts enough! Honestly, human help is worthless when it comes to courage, forgiveness, grace, love, faith and obedience. We were not created with the ability to do these things without God’s power and might. Without God, we can’t love those who persecute us, hold a marriage together after betrayal, survive the grief that comes when we lose someone close to us, show grace to those whose mouths drip with anger, release bitterness and resentment from our hearts, or overcome the many trials, disappointments, and ramifications of sin that will always take aim at our joy through life.

Our faith in God will produce a steadfast confidence in His provision and protection. It will also provide an understanding and peace that He no more made us capable of handling all our foes alone than He made us able to fly.  Most of the time, I find great comfort in this because I remember that very fact, but there are always those times when my body or mind begins to act before I think and call on God.

I adore how verse 12 tells us that “with God, we will perform valiantly and He (NOT WE, but HE) will trample our foes”.  With God, we can overcome. With God, we will prevail. He will give us what we need to “perform valiantly”, but He will be the one to trample our foes. We have a knight in shining armor in our Lord and Savior. A real fairy tale hero that is awaiting us to follow Him and ride away with Him on His horse. One that is actually capable of never letting us down. I’m in! I’m all in!!!! How about you?

Victory in Christ!

 

 

Week 10 – Hallelujuh!

Light shines in the darkness for the upright.
He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
Good will come to a man who lends generously
and conducts his business fairly. He will never be shaken.
The righteous man will be remembered forever. Psalm 112:4-6

I was excited to pull out another set of verses from the Psalms this week. It’s so full of vivid imagery, profound wisdom, and truth. If you are ever feeling stuck in your prayer life, just open it up to the book of Psalms and start reading. It always ignites a fire in my heart. But that’s not all. The Psalms hold a lot of unique and interesting secrets that you can only find if you look at the original Hebrew text.

This particular Psalm is one of the Hallelujah Psalms and, although we can’t tell in the English language, it’s written in the form of an acrostic poem using all twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. I always enjoyed the challenge of writing an acrostic poem in grade school. Remember those days?

I felt it was important to include the prior verses this week, Psalm 112:1-3.

Hallelujah! Happy is the man who fears the Lord, taking great delight in His commands. His descendants will be powerful in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

Verse 1 really hit home for me. It reminds us to praise God for His commandments. So often we look at God’s commands and laws as a restriction instead of a lifeline or safety jacket. My husband and I were driving the other day and passed a lot that we had looked at years ago to build a house on. Due to some unsavory business practices by the seller’s agents, we didn’t get the lot. We were angry at the time. Not just because of the deception, but also the disappointment of losing something we wanted at the time. As we passed by this property, I said to my husband, “I’m so glad we didn’t get that lot. It wouldn’t have been the right move for us at all. We ended with something so much better. God really knew what He was doing.” Shocker, right! Of course, God knows what’s best! How do I get so caught up in daily life that I lose sight of that sometimes? I quickly followed up my last statement to my husband with, “Well, God ALWAYS knows what He’s doing.”

His commandments offer us the ability to look at ourselves without deception, to see where our weaknesses and sins lie within us. It’s then that we realize how much we need a Savior. We cling to the Father for guidance and assistance in moving beyond what holds us back from being the child of God He desires for us to become.

As verse 4 tells us, the God we serve is gracious, compassionate and righteous. As we close today, I hope you will reflect on the definitions of these three attributes (see below). When we believe and trust that God is who He says He is, the grace and forgiveness He offers us are so much easier to accept and our desire to live Godly lives follows suit.

Gracious: marked by kindness, courtesy, tact and delicacy. characterized by good taste, good breeding and a generosity of spirit.

Compassionate: sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress with a strong desire to alleviate it, warm-hearted and tender

Righteous: acting in accord with divine or moral law; free from guilt or sin

Week 3 – Dynamic Duo

“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16

I’ve always loved this verse. Although, I still get a little “uh, oh” feeling when I read the word shrewd. Let’s be honest, it isn’t right up there with turn the other cheek, love one another and forgive. As I think about it, maybe it’s not even the word shrewd, but the fact that it’s associated with a serpent that turns me off. If it said, “be as shrewd as an owl” maybe I wouldn’t have the same reaction. Just a thought.

Anyway, I digress. Shrewd is defined as having or showing sharp powers of judgment. That’s a quality I admire in anyone who has it. Shrewd is a synonym for astute, sharp-witted, smart, intelligent, clever, perceptive, wise and savvy. Again, all things I strive to be. So, I’ve gone from getting the “uh-oh” feeling about shrewd to having the “oh, yeah!” feeling.  

But, Jesus didn’t just say, “be shrewd”. He said to be both shrewd and harmless. They are like a dynamic duo that need one another to succeed. Like Batman needs Robin and Tom needs Jerry. I have met people who are shrewd but not harmless and harmless but not shrewd. It can be risky and unpredictable to be one, but not the other. Together, however, they are a powerful team that leads to survival in this wild world that constantly tries to rip us apart from understanding and sharing the truth, grace, and love of our Heavenly Father.

Simply put, don’t be gullible, foolish or unsuspecting. Don’t be easily taken in or taken advantage of. Ask questions, seek the truth, respond with wisdom and discernment. And on top of that, do it with an inoffensive and gentle demeanor. Whew! Honestly, that can be a tall order for me some days.

This week, I need to sit down and reflect on the times I’ve responded the way Jesus told me to (being shrewd and harmless). What assisted me in following the correct path? Was it prayer, Bible study, more margin in my day, joy in my heart, a completed “to-do” list . . . or maybe all five. And what about all the times I only responded with one of the dynamic duos? What were my stumbling blocks to following Jesus’s instructions? Had I skipped my quiet time with God, left out prayer that day, forgot fitting in wasn’t the point of my life, packed my day with selfish things I could put off, but wouldn’t?

In this life, we shouldn’t fit in. As followers of Christ we should stick out and be like Salmon swimming upstream, but it can be tiring to fight against the world. As sheep among wolves, we have to constantly keep our guard up against obstacles, distractions, and sin. We must be both shrewd and harmless. We must stick to God’s Word, but with grace, compassion and no judgment. We can’t assume what others say is the truth, but read it for ourselves the Bible.

Following and sharing Christ isn’t easy, but filling up our hearts and minds with His word and instructions will guide, direct, protect and give us the strength and wisdom to make it happen.

Are we the prostitute?

As I studied Revelation 17 and 18 this week, I could not help but think of the United States when I read about “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the vile thing of the Earth.” (Rev. 17:5) The similarities are overwhelming.

He also said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages (Rev. 17:15). This nation prides itself in being a melting pot.

For all the nations have drunk the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath. The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from her excessive luxury. (Rev. 18:3) This nation has been the world leader in most everything for centuries. The nation who comes to the aid of all and buys from all over creating wealth for other nations as we live in access, having more than we would ever need.

As much as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give her that much torment and grief, for she says in her heart, “I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief.” (v. 7) We live luxuriously and are accused of having a great arrogance about our power, safety, influence and importance.

I urge you to read these chapters and see what you think. I’m no theologian, but that shouldn’t keep any of us from picking up God’s word and asking questions, researching and discussing. Because, no matter what other great theologians may say, only God truly knows the message behind the mysterious verses of Revelation.  As we continue through Revelation 18, we see the great destruction that comes to the prostitute as God judges her with His mighty wrath for all her evil ways.

For this reason, her plagues will come in one day— death and grief and famine. She will be burned up with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is mighty. (v. 8) All the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her loss, because no one will be able to buy merchandise any longer— (v.11), all her cravings, splendid and glamorous things will be destroyed, never to be had again. (v. 14)

And every ship master, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off ¹⁸ as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: “Who is like the great city?” ¹⁹ They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning:

Woe, woe, the great city,
where all those who have ships on the sea
became rich from her wealth,
for in a single hour she was destroyed.
²⁰ Rejoice over her, heaven,
and you saints, apostles, and prophets,
because God has executed your judgment on her! (17-20)

Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying: In this way, Babylon the great city will be thrown down violently and never be found again. Revelation 18:21

I’m no end times scholar, but I have lived in the United States all my life. I know the history and faith in which the country was founded and I know the ways and laws of our Heavenly Father and Creator. I can see how this country has fallen away from the ways and laws of God. I see hate, greed, lust, jealousy, rage, deception, sexual immorality, false teachings and selfish pride that seem to be seeping into every pore of this nation.

Are we the prostitute? If we are not, we certainly could be. The hope I have is that, just like the prostitute by the well that Jesus gave His forgiveness and Living Water to, we as a nation may still have the chance to acknowledge Christ and turn back to Him for that same grace and redemption.