The Poverty of the Past
(7 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)
This scripture, penned by Isaiah, is a prophetic announcement about Jesus, himself, and every beloved son and daughter of Yahweh. Our destiny and calling are wrapped up in this scripture.
But how much of it have we experienced? As Pastor Tim said on Sunday, the church seemed to stop after the part about being messengers to preach good news to the poor. Our own history could testify to that fact, more than likely. After the good news was preached, well...that was all there was. We were off to the religious races. And since we had not been exposed to the real healing and wholeness that the rest of this scripture talks about, we simply had to pretend that we had it all together. We had the good news, but we didn't have healed hearts. The areas of our lives where we were in captivity and being held prisoner were not experiencing freedom and abundant life. We were just decorating our jail cells and calling it freedom, like Pastor Tim said. We became great pretenders.
So what comes after the good news? According to this scripture, God starts with healing the heart. He heals the wounds of the brokenhearted. It's the healing of the past seasons of brokenness, pain, regrets, shame, loss, guilt, and fear. All the illegal fingerprints that were put on us by others. All the wrong beliefs and mindsets that were planted in our hearts by people we trusted, that didn't know any better. All the bad decisions we made that we still believe we have to pay for in some way. The rejection that we experienced that caused our hearts to be closed off to others. The fatherlessness that we grew up in, the lack of covering and protection, that made us fearful, distrusting, and suspicious of our surroundings. This is where Abba starts - with healing our broken hearts.
Pastor Tim said something extremely important on Sunday. It is a key to moving forward in the healing and complete wholeness that the Kingdom has for each of us.
"You can't get healed until you're willing to admit the poverty of what you actually had before. It's not going to happen. You can't save face and get to His face."
We have a hard time admitting defeat. It's something we all try to avoid as best we can. But in every testimony of true transformation, you hear about a moment of surrender. This moment of surrender is the moment that you're finally honest and open about the poverty of the past. You stop trying to dress it up and make it seem better than it actually is and you admit that it's not producing the freedom that Jesus paid for. It's the moment where you get honest and open about how your way didn't work.
I experienced a moment like this almost three years ago on my back porch. I couldn't run from the past anymore. I was too tired and worn out. I couldn't hide it - all my pain and shame were hovering at the surface. Everything was falling apart. I had run out of all my good ideas to make things work. I was riddled with anxiety and hopelessness. My boat had officially run ashore with nothing to show for all my striving. This was the moment that Abba was waiting for, and He made sure that I had the safe, loving arms of a true father on that back porch with me who already had the words that my heart needed to hear. I spent nearly four hours on that back porch with Tim Ladner, and my life has never been the same. Abba's declaration of beloved identity pierced my heart and put it back together. Do you know what met me as I admitted the poverty of my past? Perfect love. If you are wondering what's on the other side of surrender, let me tell you. This moment saved my life. It saved my wife's husband. It saved my children's father. It saved an entire church family. I wouldn't trade what I have now for anything! And more than that, I'm thankful for every single moment that led me to that back porch. Had I experienced any measure of success I might have stayed where I was, but the poverty and pain led me right to His feet.
Abba is not stopping at good news. He's coming after healed hearts. He's coming after beloved sons and daughters who walk in complete wholeness, who have truly been set free, until we become Mighty Oaks of Righteousness planted by Yahweh Himself. Abba is not stopping at good news, because you were made for so much more.
Are you willing to surrender the poverty and pain of the past so Abba can give you the royal ring, robe, and sandals that you were designed to wear? The poverty of the past and life of pretending pales in comparison to the perfect love and freedom you experience on the other side.
Beloved One, don't settle!
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Worship: "Real Thing" by Maverick City Music
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!
