I've Been "Burned" Before

Everyone knows what it feels like to be "burned." Your marriage goes up in flames; your investments, business is gone up in smoke after a bad decision; your close friends betray you; your plans turn to ashes.

Some of us think it is therapeutic to talk about our problems. My Pastor, Gregory Dickow, says, "Talk to the problem, not about it. Give God the ashes, the hurt. He can turn them into something beautiful as he has promised in Isaiah 61:3. Talking about your burned dreams with people makes you spread the ashes even more. An exchange has to take place--take your ashes and give them to God. God will restore the broken, the damaged, the burned. Get the skeletons out of your closets and give them to God. He can bring the dead bones to life. Give your broken pieces to Jesus and remember that he is the Potter and you are the clay in his hands."

And remember: The more ashes you give God, the more beautiful your restored life can become!"

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com

On Healing

Past painful memories serve as anchors dragging us down, holding us back from what could be. Not only does God have a plan for each of our lives, he has the antidote for healing the hurts that create bitterness, regret, anger and frustration.
         Whether physical, emotional or even sexual, the source of that hurt must be addressed. Jesus is our great physician, who teaches us how to forgive and release the destructive emotional chains, which serve as barriers to our future.

          As we bring these issues before our Great Physician, we must painfully open our hearts and release the infectious emotions to Christ, our healer. I declare the promises of the Bible, the Word of God, "By His stripes I am healed."

The chains that used to bind us are broken. We are healed. Jesus is the only one qualified to perform this liberating procedure.