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! ♥

He Opened My Closed Heart

By Hazel Holland

"I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me." Matthew 25:45

The other day on my way to work, I stopped by the gas station to fill up because I noticed that my car was running on low.  As I opened the door, I was not only very focused on the tutoring lessons I was going to teach that afternoon, but I was also feeling very relieved that today I had given myself enough time so that I wouldn't have to rush to get to my first student on time.

Before I could get fully out of the car, I was startled by a stranger who approached me from behind.  She apologetically asked me if I could please help her with gas for her SUV that was parked at the pump right behind me.

"I'm sorry!  I didn't mean to make you jump," she offered.  I'm not homeless!" she continued.  "I can pay you back if you give me your cell phone number.  It's just that I need to get my aunt to the hospital in Fontana for some important tests and my credit card is being rejected..."

There she was, right up in my face, and I was supposed to decide if she was legitimate or not, right?  I noticed the children in the back seat of her SUV, and her aunt watching me from the passenger seat with her left arm wrapped in a bandage.

As I moved toward the gas pump beside her van, I silently prayed for wisdom as to know how to respond to this stranger's need.  "How much gas should I put in, Lord?"

Just as I was about to use my debit card, I changed my mind and handed her a five dollar bill instead.  "Hope this helps!" I offered weakly.  She thanked me warmly, then walked into the gas station to pay the attendant, and I proceeded to use my card to fill up my tank.

Although my back was towards her I could hear the gas going into her car.  It didn't take very long.  Five dollars doesn't go very far these days.

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit confronted me with my closed heart!  In an instant I knew that I was turning my back on Him.  Yes, I had given this stranger a poultry five dollars for gas so as to appease my conscience, but had I really listened to her heart... and even more importantly had I really listened to God's heart... for her?  Or had my fear of possibly being taken advantage of caused me to "wash my hands" of further responsibility?

Immediately I came to my senses when I heard her gas pump click.  I knew she was done...but my five dollars would never get her aunt to the hospital in Fontana!  Abruptly I stopped filling up my tank as the price reached $20.

"God, how much more money should I give her?" I pleaded.  At once I sensed a witness in my spirit and knew I was to offer her another ten.  So I reached into my car for the money, and turned to face her just as she was about to get back in her SUV.

"No, wait!  Here's another ten dollars" I offered.  "I'm so sorry for having closed my heart towards you just now!  Please, forgive me!" I sobbed.  "Although I'm a Christian, my heart was not open towards you because I was preoccupied with getting to work on time..." 

Now I was the one who was taking her by surprise.  "No!  No!  That's alright!  Are you sure you want to do this?  I can pay you back if you give me your cell phone number."  She smiled and hugged me tightly as the tears rolled down my face.

"No, you don't need to pay me back.  This is my gift to you.  Now you're be able to make it to the hospital," I stammered.

"Yes!  Yes!  Thank you so very much!" she warmly responded.  Then she turned around and walked back into the gas station to pay the attendant...again.

Before I got back into my car, the aunt who had been watching this whole scenario from inside the SUV mouthed, "Thank you!" and "God bless you for what you did...!"

As I got back into my car, it really didn't matter that my gas tank was only half full, because God's Spirit had filled up my love tank to overflowing!  Although my heart had been momentarily closed to the needs of a stranger, God's Spirit had healed my fear and set my heart free!

See original link to this painting: Lover and His Beloved