Abba, I Trust You
(5 minutes)
The mighty Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is wrapped (upon, in on over, above by, for, through, throughout, around, beside) around me because Yahweh has anointed me, as a messenger to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to heal the wounds of the brokenhearted, to tell captives, "You are free," and to tell prisoners, "Be free from your darkness." I am sent to announce a new season (eon) of Yahweh's grace and a time of God's recompense on his enemies, to comfort all who are in sorrow, to strengthen those crushed by despair who mourn in Zion -- to give them a beautiful bouquet in the place of ashes, the oil of bliss instead of tears, and the mantle of joyous praise instead of the spirit of heaviness.
Because of this, they (you, me, us) will be known as Mighty Oaks of Righteousness, planted by Yahweh as a living display of his glory. They will restore ruins from long ago and rebuild what was long devastated. They will renew ruined cities and desolations of past generations. (Isaiah 61:1-4)
"The church dealt with behavior; God deals with your heart." (Pastor Tim)
Have you ever wondered why you drift back into the traps that you were set free from? Have you ever asked yourself, "Why do I keep ending up here?" What makes us so susceptible to falling back into brokenness?
It's because we didn't allow Abba to heal our hearts. We started staring at our external behaviors instead. When we don't allow Abba to heal our brokenness, we put all of our energy into modifying our behavior, and we end up becoming expert pretenders because the brokenness never really goes away. We learn to manage, mask, and hide the parts of us that haven't experienced the freedom that Jesus paid for. Just like the Pharisees forced the lepers to live in dark caves out of the public eye, our religious facade learns to keep our brokenness hidden from others. Pastor Tim said, "This becomes a more sophisticated trap, and we're further from Abba than we ever were." Why? Because we did not surrender to the process of having our brokenness healed in the presence of Jesus.
This life of pretending slowly moves us right back into the place of captivity, where we're merely living in a dressed-up jail cell that's decorated with Jesus, but lacks any real freedom and wholeness at all.
Your heart has to be made whole! Why?
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23 NKJV)
So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23 TPT)
Everything we're dealing with in our lives is flowing from our heart.
"You're worried about your behavior, but I'm telling you that your behavior is a symptom of a broken heart." (Pastor Tim)
Pastor Tim asked this question on Sunday, and it's the question we have to ask ourselves today: are we okay to settle for a far-off, distant heaven or do we want to experience heaven on earth? Would we like to have our own Tree of Life right here and right now?
Where do we begin?
We begin by letting Abba heal our hearts. And to do this we have to open ourselves up to trusting again. Because of our past, we've become excellent at being suspicious. Because of our being mishandled in the past, we're leery of getting close to anyone called, "Father." But we're not going to have our hearts healed if we're not willing to be vulnerable and open with Abba. Our distrust doesn't allow us to get close enough to experience healing. We have to trust again.
As we take the walk with Abba today, let's have a conversation with Him about our hearts and about trusting Him with healing our brokenness. Maybe at some point today we can whisper, "Abba, I trust you with my heart."
One of the beloved sons at The Wilderness Place shared this picture after our gathering on Sunday. Imagine a person sitting in a jail cell, the door is wide open, and Jesus is standing on the outside inviting us into freedom. But we are so convinced that we BELONG there that we never accept His invitation and walk through those doors. Trevor, thank you for this picture!
Beloved One, you don't have to pretend to be free, you can have the real thing!
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Worship: "Palm of Your Hand" by Harvest & TRIBL
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
