Love Always Protects Our Hearts!

By Hazel Holland

God's love always protects our hearts!

It breaks my heart to see so many believers in Christian forums taking warnings of judgment that were given to ancient Israel and applying them to America today!  I'm sure that they believe this is what God desires that they do.  But is this God's heart, or is this happening because of what we have been taught growing up in the church?

The problem, as I see it, is that in taking warnings of judgment that were given to ancient Israel and using them to bring a message of warning to America today, we nullify the new covenant gospel.  All judgement and wrath for sin and disobedience to the Law were placed upon God's Son on the cross... instead of being placed upon us.  

As a result of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins the old covenant was fulfilled, and thus became obsolete after He died.  Now we live under a new covenant that is not a repeat of the old.  It is a much better covenant that was made between the Father and the Son on our behalf. 

Therefore, we must no longer hang on to any old covenant teachings and continue to use them to try and explain what is happening in the world today. All old covenant teachings must be re-interpreted in the light of the new covenant gospel.  If we don't see Old Testament scripture through the lens of the cross, we will distort and misrepresent God's heart!

Jesus is now God's final Word to us.  His heart was laid bare on the cross so that we could see His heart of love for all people, and know that God is not the One who is bringing His wrath upon anyone because it has already been placed upon His Son.  We have already been forgiven in Christ for our past, present and future sins.  It's finished!

Yes, God allows bad things to happen as a result of sin in men's hearts, but He isn't the One who is bringing the bad stuff.  He wants to protect our hearts because He loves us.  A  Father's love always protects!

That's why God wants to let us know that the pain and suffering that happens to all of us is a result of living in a sinful world. But He assures us that He will be with us as we go through difficult times, and He will use it to uniquely qualify us for the future that He has already planned for us in Him.

I believe that every grueling experience that we go through in life is God preparing us for our purpose in life. Yes, even the bad things that happen to us which the enemy uses to try and destroy our life's purpose, God lovingly uses to build us up...

That's because God's ultimate purpose is to protect our hearts because He loves us.  But we, more often than not, would rather He protect our flesh.  Somehow we seem to forget that our flesh is temporary and will one day pass away.  But our hearts that God has renewed by His Spirit are eternal and will be with Him forever! ♥

Such Raging Love!

By Hazel Holland

God is awakening within each one of His children a desire for greater intimacy with Him.  He is calling us to come into His presence so that we can dance with Him upon the waves of difficulty and the fears and disappointments in our lives.  

I know at times I’m tempted to turn away from that call to intimacy with Him, because I don’t want to face my "stuff."  I just can't bear the thought of facing my own shortcomings, failures and deferred hopes and dreams…  So I say, "No, God, not today.  Not right now.  Some other time I'll come away with You!"

But God invites us to come to Him anyway in the midst of the storm we are facing.  He invites us to come to Him now as He comes striding towards us on the turbulent “water”.  He invites us to leave the safety of the "boat" we are clinging to, and do something that we know we can never do in the natural. He invites us to join Him to walk on the waves because He wants us to trust in the strength of His love.

Not only that, but He invites us to dance with Him on the mountains of fear that seem to easily overwhelm us.  He invites us to trust Him to take care of us while we supernaturally walk on “water”. He will support us as we keep our eyes focused on Him, and not the tidal wave of fear that seems ready to swallow us up at any moment.

He reminds us that we are always at the center of His heart. We are the apple of His eye and the focus of His utmost care.  His greatest suffering was also His greatest joy, because the cross released the power of His resurrection love.  And that love gave birth to us.  We are His priceless pearl whom He wants to be with Him forever!

“Jesus, we want to know more fully the fellowship of your sufferings and the power of your resurrection.  We want to know on a deeper level the kind of love that rages in your heart for us... for each one of your children.  We want to join You in intercession for a world that doesn’t yet know the One whom our souls long for. 

Father, you help us to understand that when the "north wind blows" and we cower and hide, our failures are not fatal.  You help us to understand the unconditional nature of Your love for us through our weaknesses.  We want to be smitten and undone by Your love, Lord, so that we can become carriers of the glory of Your love and resurrection power to your children everywhere."

Link: I AM Will Calm Your Sea