My Love Letters by God

I was praying to God because I have been having a lot of pain in my back lately. I was told by the spine doctor that I would need rods in my back due to the herniated and bulging disks.

I said to God, Lord, I don't want to have rods put in my back and then I said, "You Lord are my rod". When I said that, I got fresh revelation.

God is my rod, I can lean on him. He will be my strength, He will uphold me. His rod walks with me and goes with me wherever I go. His rod corrects me and his rod steadies me. His rod brings comfort to me. As I was praying this, the pain left my back.

Psalms 23:14 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you Lord are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Don't let your heart be troubled, is there anything too hard for me?
Do not be consumed with the things of this world, let not your heart be troubled.
For I know what you need, I know what concerns you. I have seen the toilsomes you have endured. Take heart, for I the Lord have come to give you life, life to the fullest. You haven't any need of fear, for my darling I care for you. My love towards you is great, you can't measure it.
So fear not my child, fear not. You have no worries. I will take care of all that concerns you. I love you, fear not.

Has God ever given you a new name?

In the Old testament, the Israelites let their hearts become hardened after God had delivered them from Egypt. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years with no rest, no peace.

In Hebrews chapter 3:7-13 , it says, so as the Holy Spirit says, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion during the time of testing in the desert, where your father's tested and tried me and for 40 years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, "their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways. So I declared an oath in my anger, that they shall never enter my rest."
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness.

Be careful who you let on your ship, it could be disastrous.
Jonah 1

The Lord spoke to me today and said there's newness on the horizon

Does Your Heart have Ingrown Nails?

This week I had the opportunity to bless someone with just giving them a ride to the doctors. They had to go to a foot doctor and have an ingrown nail removed. She said it was painful. I also have a nail on my right big toe that tends to get ingrown at times and my friend is right, it hurts.

This week, I got offended by someone who I felt was attacking my character and I couldn't quite figure out why they would be even saying to me what they said. I guess I felt hurt that she didn't know my character and it made me feel misunderstood like I had done something wrong. I was mad and angry because I felt that this conversation should have never even took place.

I went to a friend that I felt I could trust my concerns with and my friend challenged me to look within my own heart to see why I felt that way. At first it was hard to swallow because I felt that I was the one who was treated unfairly and I am just being real with you all. It's not easy to turn the issue toward yourself and ask the Father to search your heart especially when your feeling wounded. I listened to what my friend had to say, despite how I was feeling and then I took it to the Father.

The next morning, I had an ingrown nail starting to cause pain in my right big toe. I knew I had to dig that thing out before it started to cause any further pain. The pain was not excruciating, but it was enough for me to notice it and I could feel the pressure of it as I walked or if something touched or rubbed up against it.

So I got out my toenail clippers, file and started to dig that ingrown nail out. As I started to dig, it hurt. My toe was sensitive to the pain and the more I dug, the more it hurt. I knew though, that I had to get that thing out or else my toe would start to throb. So I kept digging until finally I got it out. To my surprise, you would have thought that thing would have been huge because that is how it felt, but when it came out, it was not that big at all, as you can see from the picture. It was like a little speck.

The Lord then started downloading his revelation into my heart. Even though this ingrown nail was small, unless dug out, it would have caused more pain. Had I just left it there, it would have festered and festered more and more.

The bible tells us to examine our hearts. Matthew 7: 3-5 says, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. God wants us to deal with our own issues before pointing out someone else's issues. How can we love if we judge?

His Word also tells us not to let a root of bitterness get into our hearts. Hebrews 12: 14-15 says, "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."

I am thankful for friends like this who challenge me to take a look at my own heart. She was letting the Holy Spirit move through her like the Father. You see, my friend loves me and just like the Father, he disciplines those that he loves. Hebrews 12: 4-13, says "in your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it".
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

My friend loved me enough to let the Spirit of my Father discipline me through love so that my heart would not be disabled but rather healed. I savor friends like this, because it only helps my growth. I am a continual work in progress, and I pray that the Father would continue to discipline me so that I become more like him.

As I looked at this picture of the ingrown nail, I had to laugh because it looks like the thumbs up (like) on facebook. Maybe this is Gods way of saying he likes this Lisa!

This was a word from the Lord on January 7, 2014. I found it in one of my journals and was reminded of it today.

A day is coming when my people will not have a place to lay their head. Offer tender mercies to them for their hearts have many sorrows. Listen with attentive ears. Show compassion and feed them my Word.

Zechariah 7: 9 This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.

Psalm 31: 9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.

Psalms 130:2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

John 21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

This morning December 22, 2020 in prayer, God said to me. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9)
Then later as I went to prayer meeting at church, he said to me, " How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" (Romans 10: 15) As I sat there worshiping God, I kept saying, How beautiful your feet are Lord, over and over again. You see, Jesus came to this earth, walked this earth and he is the one who brings us the gospel of peace. He is our peace. He is the governor of peace. See we were once enemies of God, but we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (Romans 5:10). It is by his shed blood on the cross that we are now reconciled to God. Jesus came to give us peace. In John 14:27 he says, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives, Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Then he gave me Ephesians 6:15 that says, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Our feet need to be ready at all times to bring the gospel of peace to those around us.
Jesus brought the gospel of peace and we as believers need to be peacemakers for others. God is a peacemaker and reconciler. He made a solution to bring us back to God through peace and reconciliation, through the forgiveness of sins by the shedding of his blood on the cross.
Then he put the thought of Noah and his three sons. Two of the three covered Noah's sin as he was drunk and naked. Then I thought of story of Elijah in 1Kings 17. Elijah took the woman's son who was dead and put him on a bed and lay on top of him, covering him asking the Lord to let this boy live again.
Jesus came and brought us the gospel of peace, reconciliation, and to reconcile, God made a solution to bring peace and cover our sin.
There was a cross on our wall at church that had index cards with prayer requests on them. The Lord told me to lay on those cards. I could not physically get that cross off the wall but what I did do was walk up to it and stretched my hands out and laid my body up against it along with my head on it and cried out to God to cover the request of every person there on those cards, to bring reconciliation to them so that they have peace with God.
As believers in Christ, we have to be peacemakers, covering others sins, and bringing the gospel of peace to them. Love covers sin and keeps no record of wrongs.
Lord help me to be a peacemaker, by bringing the gospel of peace to others who need you because the gospel of peace is a reconciler that covers others sins. Jesus is the gospel of Peace.

Blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called children of God.

This morning in my devotion the scripture reading was 1st Thessalonians 5:23. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I looked up that word Blameless. The Hebrew word is Tamin which means sincere, perfect and integrity, never causing trouble.
The Greek word is Amomos which means without spot or blemish, faultless.

I started to ponder on the verse and the Lord gave me Romans 8:5-8.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires (the flesh); but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Recently I have been going through some trials and struggles in my life in relationships. My personality can be very controlling. I always have the need to know what's going on in my environment, my life, my families lives etc... due to the fact that I always had to take care of and be responsible for others. And it didn't help that I was a single parent making all the decisions. It actually can be exhausting.

The Lord showed me today that I am actually being led by my carnal nature. In other words, I am letting my flesh dictate to me. I want what my flesh wants and not what the Spirit wants and my flesh has been self centered and the flesh can get in the way of what the Spirit wants to do. Ouch that hurts!

Ironically, last night I had gone to a bible meeting where the speaker said, to ask God to help us use our 5 senses, taste, see, hear, smell and touch. He told us to close our eyes and ask God to help us use them. God brought to my remembrance that I use to pray a prayer that said, God give me eyes and ears to see the needs of others, and if I can meet that need then fine, if not, put people in my path that can help me. God showed me that I haven't prayed that prayer in such a long time and that I was so self absorbed with my trials and problems that it has clogged my eyesight and hearing. In other words I am not hearing what the Spirit has to say or show me like I should.
Then afterwards as I was leaving the meeting, a friend of mine who knows my situation and what I am going through said to me, Lisa, "Blessings may not come the way you think they will or the way you think they should".
Had I not heard this message and heard what my friend had to say to me and then read and listen to the Words of 1 Thessalonians 5:23 this morning, I would have missed what the Spirt of God was saying to me. I had to really think about this and I realized that my spirit, soul and body has not been blameless and therefore what I have been doing has not been pleasing God. Maybe this is why my prayers have not been answered. Maybe this is why I have not been hearing God so clearly. Maybe this is why I have not had the breakthrough that I so desire. Does this mean I am not saved? No! I love God with all my heart, there are just things that need to be sanctified in my spirit, soul and body more and more.

I love the verse in Hebrews 12:6 that says, God disciplines those he loves and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child. You see I know that God is not angry with me and he knows what I am going through and he loves me enough to show me these things that are lingering in my life. I am grateful for his love and discipline.

Father thank you that you sanctify me. I was sanctified the day I accepted you as my Lord and Savior. You know my heart and how I love you. Although my heart loves you, there are still things in my flesh that need to be sanctified more and more because of my self centeredness. Lord help me to be led and live by the spirit and not fulfill the fleshly desires. Let the desires of the Holy Spirit guide me and sanctify me through and through. I want to please you God. In Jesus Name Amen.

Do you ever feel that there are days that you just feel that you can't go on? Some days it feels as though you put one foot in front of you only to be knocked back 10 steps. You think to yourself why is this happening and why God am I struggling in this. You begin to feel weary and tired.

God sees your struggles and he says that he is close to those who are brokenhearted and he saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalms 34: 18). A righteous man may have many troubles but the Lord delivers him from them all (Psalm 34:19). God is a shield around you, he is your glory and he is the lifter of your head (Psalm 3:3).

The Lord is your strength and shield, he enables you to tread on the heights , on high places, hills that are hard to climb (Psalm 18:33) (Habakkuk 3:19)

So when you feeling down and you feel that you just can't go on, cry out to God in prayer and ask him to please help you to keep moving forward.

If you are starting to worry or have fear. Here is a great song to sing to combat the lies of the enemy. Don't worry bout a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright!

Bob Marley Every Little Thing Is Gonna Be Alright LYRICS

Do not let your hearts be troubled, Trust in God, trust also in me. John 14. Recently fear started to grip me and then a song came to my mind. It was Bob Marley's song, Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright. Sometimes we need to sing songs like this to remind ourselves not to worry. Worry troubles our hearts and John 14 tells us not to let our hearts be troubled. So if your starting to feel fear, download the Bob Marley song. I have decided that this is going to be my song for this year.
R

Proverbs 14:30
A heart at peace gives life to the body but envy rots the bones.

This morning with God I asked him about envy and if there was any envy in me. You see I've been dealing with back problems in my bones. And recently some tests indicated some heart issues.
The Bible says to seek, ask and knock and the door will be open to me. God opened the door showing me where envyness has taken place in my life. I didn't even know it was there. My heart was grieved at these things and I asked for forgiveness.

But I'd like to share with you what envy does.

Envy is caused by dissatisfaction with self-image and your perception of your actual stature. It causes low self-esteem, causes you to have a poor self-appraisal, feelings of inferiority and shame.

Envy is destructive to ourselves and others it can ruin a life.

Envy desires what other people have (covetousness one of the ten commandments. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his man's servant or maid servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor), and this causes you to be dissatisfied.

The DSM-lV for mental health for narcissistic personality disorder is the only disorder associated with envy. Envy is related to depression and anxiety.

Envy is also associated with hatred, anger, and murder. (In Genesis read about Cain and Abel, he was envious of his brother).(In the ten commandments, you shall not murder).

As I read about all of this and pondered about it, I began to think about my mother and my grandmother, both of them had low self-esteems, in poor self appraisals and feelings of inferiority, and they were dissatisfied. This is a generational curse that has been passed down through my generations.

I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit who searches our hearts and reveals to us things that need to be renounced and repented of. The Lord disciplines us because he loves us, and he wants us to have fruitful productive lives and wants our health to be whole. 3 John:2
dear friend I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

Thank you Lord that you showed me today where envy has taken place in my heart so that I could ask for your forgiveness and receive your mercy.
Thank you for the healing that you gave me because I sought after your wisdom and you open the door to me and revealed this unclean spirit that was lingering in my heart. 3rd John:4 says, I have no greater Joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Father I ask you pour your oil over me to protect me from the enemy's lies and tactics.
I ask Lord that your peace will give life to my body because I choose a heart at peace and not a heart of envy.
I thank you Lord that you revealed your truth to me today and that it gives you great joy to reveal it to me.
I praise you father in Jesus name. Amen.

Today I was doing an devotion and it was talking about wisdom.
So I went into Proverbs 2:6-8.

For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
For he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Fear has been something that I struggle with pretty much most of my life. Today the Lord gave me a different perspective about wisdom.

When the Lord gives you instruction it's his wisdom. When the Lord gives you knowledge, it's his knowledge. And the Lord has more understanding than we will ever have. So my job is to trust in that and to apply that in my life.

Recently the Lord told me to start packing. Currently I am not working so you can imagine the thoughts that are going in my mind like, Lord how's this going to happen? Then there's this thought, okay Lord I'm getting up there in age, where am I going to go?

In Proverbs 3:5 it says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your path straight.

You see God wants me to trust in him. He will give me victory and be a shield to me and guard my course and protect my ways as I walk in faithfulness to his wisdom.

I recently just started reading a book by Joyce Meyer called, Do it Afraid. She teaches how to embrace courage in the face of fear. Is moving going to be easy for me? Probably not, but I have to trust what his word says and that I'll have victory through this.

Going through some changes in my life right now. God is moving me into a new thing. Although I am not a big risk taker, I have to trust God that he knows what is best for me. His plans for me are to prosper me, not bring me harm, he has plans to give me a hope and a future. I trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not to my own understanding, in all my ways I will acknowledge him and he will direct my path.

Psalms 23:4 even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.
God is my rod, I can lean on him when I'm weary and tired, I can trust him.
His rod is my strength and he upholds me, he won't let me fall.
His rod walks with me and goes with me wherever I go, he helps to guide me.
His rod brings correction to me because he loves me and he wants to see me prosper. He wants my heart to become like his.
His rod steadies me. I will not be shaken.
His rod brings me comfort. He will never forsake me he will never leave me and his peace goes with me. I have nothing to fear.

April 1,2020
This is a word I got from the Lord and I forgot to post it.

The days of wickedness are abounding people will be mad, shouting obscenities, saying crucify, kill him.

but I the Lord will put a hedge about him. I will declare his victory. Victory over him. I will raise him up.

A shout of Joy will fill this land. A shout of exhilaration. A shout of Glory for what the Lord has done.

Look to me not at what people look too. For their eyes do not see my glory. Their eyes are full of decay. But your eyes see the beauty of the Lord.

Have a beautiful day today. Moms are truly amazing.

Time to come out of the grave clothes. Time to come out of the tomb. Rise up! Come forth! You have stayed in the dark tomb long enough. It's time to cleanse yourself and be clean. Remove the stench of death and bo***ge. Remove the smell of decay and be clean. Dress yourself in fine linen.

John 11:38
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. Take away the stone he said.

But Lord, said Martha, the sister of the dead man, by this time there is a bad odor for he has been there four days.

Then Jesus said did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out!

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, take off the grave clothes and let him go.

To God be all the glory for his glorious riches that he lavishly pours out on us.

For I have loved you and redeemed you. You are not your own, you belong to me. I paid the purchase price for your life. I carry the guilt and shame of your sins they no longer belong to you. You have been set free says the Lord.

Reading Matthew 11: 28-29 TPT Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me, I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine, learn my ways and you'll discover that I am gentle, humble and easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.

(These are some of the qualities of Jesus temperament)

Gentle = mild, kind hearted, tender, merciful, forgiving, considerate, sympathetic, compassionate, forbearing, modest, peaceful, repose,

Meekness = humble, mild, patient, unpretentious, unobtrusive

(These are opposite)
Opposite of meekness = impatient, assertive, overbearing and forceful.

Carrying heavy yokes can cause a person's character or temperament to act like the opposite. We put demands and stress on ourselves then wonder why we are acting impatient, assertive, overbearing and forceful. We were never meant to carry such burdens.

Heavy yokes makes you a slave to bo***ge. Its heavy and ties you down, slowing you down, making you weary.
Jesus yoke is light, there are no demands, his ways are not burdensome. When we submit to Christ and take his yoke, we are set free. When we are set free, we start to become gentle and meek like Christ.

As I had fellowship with the Lord this morning, I heard the word committed which means - feeling dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job; wholeheartedly dedicated.

I had to ask myself, am I wholeheartedly dedicated to the Lord? Do I allow the things of this world pull me away from him? Sadly, my answer was yes. There are times in my life that I am a Martha and not a Mary. Martha was busy with the things of the world, preparing meals, cleaning house etc...whereas Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus in his presence to learn from him, spend time with him.

Sometimes our priorities get out of hand. If your married, or have children, the mundane affairs of this world seem to take precedence over the spiritual affairs we really should be attending. Although I don't think that we intentionally want or let this happen, it happens more than it ought.

Where then, do we draw the boundary line? For myself, I think I have to examine my life in what I am spending more time with. What is it that is taking me away from God? Could it be spending too much time with my spouse, child or activities?

I remember a time when my daughter was in dance. She was going four times sometimes more a week. I worked a full time job, got off work, rushed home to eat and off we would go. I was tired, worn out and had little to no time with God. My priorities became dance and pleasing my child rather than pleasing God. My commitment had changed in a different direction.

I think we all go through times in our lives where we get out of balance and our commitment level to God dwindles, but it is never to late to get back on track.

Take time today to examine where your commitment level is at and who your commitment or loyalty is for. Sometimes it requires that you say "No" to people and the activities that pull you away from the things of God.

Here is what the bible has to say about commitment.

1 Kings 8:61- And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

2 Timothy 2:15 - Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Luke 10:38-42 - At the Home of Martha and Mary
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

Father,
Help us to be committed to you and not this world. When we make commitments to you, let us stay focused and not let things pull us away. Help us to say no to others and to finish the race that we started. Let our hearts be loyal to you Lord. In Jesus Name.

I asked the Lord, " Why is it so hard to live in peace?" I feel like I always have such stress in my life. He said it because we live in such a volatile world. Then the Lord showed me this example of a volcano that was erupting. The volcano can have a rapid or unexpected change and erupt.
Then I felt like the Lord was showing me that in order to have that peace, we have to climb to higher ground.

Psalm 121: 1-2
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

How's your fruit looking these days?

In Matthew 7:15 we are warned to watch out for false prophets. They come to you and sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus by their fruit you will recognize them.

Galatians 5:22-23 but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Father,

I pray father that you would help us to walk worthy of the Salvation that you have given us. I pray that I would decrease and you would increase in my life. I pray Lord Jesus that I would walk in the spirit and be led by the spirit of God and bear good fruit that all may see and glorify you Lord. Lord help me to remember where I've come from and where I'm headed and not to be quick to judge others when they make mistakes because I too Lord have made mistakes and have sinned. Show me Lord where I need to improve in areas of my life where my fruit maybe stale. I want my fruit Lord to be ripe for the picking so that when people see and eat of the fruit that is sweet and Life Giving as you are Lord. In Jesus name, amen