The Lords heart to us

[smokey]

Today for whatever reason I was feeling very thankful for my wife. She was working in the house and I.came in, hugged her and told her that it she was such a gift from.the Lord. She looked at me and walked away. And made some off comment like . "Ok whatever." Now we had not been fighting or anything. She was tired and crabby I guess.

It really made me angry because it took alot for me to say it. I went back outside and immediately my heart began to harden... I could feel.it shutdown.

After a few minutes the Lord quietly reminded me of times that He has moved toward me with love and I either ignored Him or dismissed what He gently said.

Its hard to imagine that we can hurt Gods heart. But at least when He whispers His love to me I will embrace it and say Thank you Lord!

[Travis]

Your post reminds me of how often I have rejected the Lords love smokey,

Sometimes, when the Lord comes and tells me how much he loves me, and how special I am to him, I just shrug it off and dismiss it, not letting it soak in, because I don't feel that I am worth his love and his favor. And I guess I am not, so partially this is true, but that's not the point. He loves me and sees the best in me, because he paid the ultimate price to deal with everything that did, does, and could cause separation between us.

Often I find it hard to let the Lord love me as I aught. It doesn't make much sense, but there is some self-righteousness in me that feels like I can't accept love that I didn't earn. Also, it's kind of funny how love is a scary thing some times. Sometimes people who genuinely reach out to me and want to love me can be the scariest thing in the world. If I accept that love, I have to open myself up to them, which could lead to me being hurt in the future. To accept their love, I have to make myself vulnerable. Sometimes I don't want to be vulnerable. Love is a scary thing, but at the same time, the most wonderful thing.

Thanks for sharing this,

Grace to you

Travis

[Lou Newton]

Today for whatever reason I was feeling very thankful for my wife. She was working in the house and I.came in, hugged her and told her that it she was such a gift from.the Lord. She looked at me and walked away. And made some off comment like . "Ok whatever." Now we had not been fighting or anything. She was tired and crabby I guess.

It really made me angry because it took alot for me to say it. I went back outside and immediately my heart began to harden... I could feel.it shutdown.

After a few minutes the Lord quietly reminded me of times that He has moved toward me with love and I either ignored Him or dismissed what He gently said.

Its hard to imagine that we can hurt Gods heart. But at least when He whispers His love to me I will embrace it and say Thank you Lord!

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your post.

I have found that only way I can come to truly know The Lord is to go through the sorrows he went through.

Just as you say here, then we become aware of how sorrowful it is to be Him.

Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Lou Newton

[Blane]

Today for whatever reason I was feeling very thankful for my wife. She was working in the house and I.came in, hugged her and told her that it she was such a gift from.the Lord. She looked at me and walked away. And made some off comment like . "Ok whatever." Now we had not been fighting or anything. She was tired and crabby I guess.

It really made me angry because it took alot for me to say it. I went back outside and immediately my heart began to harden... I could feel.it shutdown.

After a few minutes the Lord quietly reminded me of times that He has moved toward me with love and I either ignored Him or dismissed what He gently said.

Its hard to imagine that we can hurt Gods heart. But at least when He whispers His love to me I will embrace it and say Thank you Lord!

Hi Smokey,

I probably would have felt anger too if I were in that exact situation. Rejection, real or perceived, usually brings me a twinge of sadness, but sometimes my heart seems to bypass the hurt and goes straight to anger. Rejection always hurts more when you've invested yourself and your motives are pure. It kinda feels like your character is being questioned or something. Not a good feeling, for sure.

Will be lifting you in prayer, Smokey.

Peace,

Blane

[Baruch]

After a few minutes the Lord quietly reminded me of times that He has moved toward me with love and I either ignored Him or dismissed what He gently said.

Its hard to imagine that we can hurt Gods heart. But at least when He whispers His love to me I will embrace it and say Thank you Lord!

This is a healing thought. Thanks for this, smokey.

One thing I learned from my previous marriage is that when one gets into a course of hurtful action it takes a lot of healing actions to undo it. The Lord can work miracles if He is operative in an area of one's life, but when He is hampered by us then the worldly scales of emotional commerce rule the heart. I do not know your situation, but I hope you can take something from my personal experience that helps maintain your hope in doing good and reaching out in love.