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WHEN WE
SUFFER LOSS - Bitter or Better
9/28/99
Hi Loved
Ones,
Sometimes when we suffer loss it is a result of our own
mistakes. Sometimes it is a result of undeserved
injustice. Recently I was faced with an injustice, was
not able to fix it and as a result I suffered loss. When
we suffer loss, responding correctly does not mean that
we do not hurt, cry, mourn, and even grieve. However
within the pain, God gives us a choice. We have the
choice to become bitter or better.
As I was
driving on the way to the meeting to ask for justice, I
heard the Lord say, "Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord."
I was really startled when I heard this, because I have
the gift of mercy and do not think in terms of
retaliation and getting even. I was so unfamiliar with
the concept I wasn’t even sure what He meant by that.
After the appointment (and my silently begging for the
Lord’s help all the way through it), I walked away
convinced that this man had a very hard heart. Confused,
I walked away, lost my peace, was hurting and angry at
the injustice — and knew I had a choice. I could become
bitter or better. I cried to the Lord to help me through
the process and not choose bitter!
As I was
thinking about the phrase, "Vengeance is Mine, says the
Lord" I felt somewhat comforted by it. Even though I did
not know what He meant, I felt He was My BIG Protector,
and He was not very pleased with this man’s treatment of
me - and furthermore He knew ahead of time that this man
would not budge.
When I
came to grips with the fact that I had suffered loss and
there was no way to repair it short of divine
intervention, I looked up the word vengeance. It meant
punishment. I was comforted by His fierce love for me,
but I said, "Lord I forgive this man!! If I do not
forgive him, he will do the same thing to someone else,
and furthermore he may become worse because of the
spirits loosed when someone judges. And Lord, it sure
doesn’t do me any good if You put this man out of
business, it doesn’t change the fact that I still have
been ripped off. And Lord, if I do not forgive, You said
in Your Word that I would be given over to the
tormentors. I FORGIVE LORD, PLEASE DO NOT HOLD THIS
AGAINST HIM. IN FACT BLESS HIS BUSINESS LORD!" I found
my peace through this prayer even though I still faced
the loss. At least I was at peace.
When I
got home I started looking up scriptures on the justice
of God. The following is what I found and it helped me
face the disappointment of the loss. When it came to the
bottom line, the scriptures are very clear and I had the
choice to believe God or not to believe God. If I chose
to believe God, then my heart would be better and not
bitter, and furthermore I would receive 7 times the
repayment for what I had lost! WOW.
1] God
is Just - He will balance the scales
The
scripture says, "A just balance and scales belong to the
LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern." (Prov
16:11 NASU)
Just
like in the gold rush days where they measured their
weight of the gold on balance scales - God measures
everything. He sees when the scales tip towards
injustice and He delights in balancing the scales.
If we
try to balance the scales ourselves and fight for our
rights, then we tie His hands to fight for us. If we
give it to Him, it becomes His battle and He tips the
scales for us. We fight for ourselves when we lash back
and we take on the following characteristics: revenge,
anger, bitterness, slander, gossip, accusation, debate,
deceit, lies, backbiting, intimidation, control,
unforgiveness, etc.
[Scriptures on just weight and balances: Job 31:6, Lev
19:35-36, Deut 25:13-15, Prov 11:1, Prov 20:10, Prov
20:23, Ezek 45:10, Hos 12:7, Amos 8:5, Mic 6:11]
Question: Do I really believe God is just? If so then:
Key to a
better heart: Lord, You delight in balancing the scales.
If I tried to fight the battle myself, I would botch it
up. Please balance the injustice and make it right.
2] God
will repay 7 fold
The
scripture says, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Rom
12:19 KJV)
"For we
know him who said, "Justice belongs to me; I will repay
them"; who also said, "The Lord himself will handle
these cases." It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God." (Heb 10:30-31 TLB)
Recently
someone sent me their vision while spending ‘floor
time’. He said the verse appeared, "I will repay you
seven-fold for the years the locusts have eaten..." When
he got up from the floor, he looked up the verse and was
puzzled as to the missing word "seven-fold." It was then
that he realized he had received a vision from the Lord.
(Joel 2:25-29)
It is
scriptural that the enemy pay back 7 fold what he stole.
(Ps 79:12, Prov 6:31) It is also scriptural to be
punished 7 fold. (Gen 4:15, Lev 26:21, Lev 26:28)
Question: Do I really believe God will repay? If so,
then:
Key to a
better heart: Lord thank You for Your promise! I trust
in You to repay me 7 fold for what has been taken from
me.
3] God
is Sovereign
When
David was being cursed by one of Saul’s family. Instead
of retaliating, David said, "No! If the Lord has told
him to curse me, who am I to say no? My own son is
trying to kill me, and this Benjaminite is merely
cursing me. Let him alone, for no doubt the Lord has
told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I
am being wronged and will bless me because of these
curses." (2 Sam 16:10-12 TLB) David was so humble and so
trusted in God’s defense, that he believed the
Benjaminite could not curse him unless the Lord had told
him to do it!
Jesus
believed the same thing. When He was replying to Pilate
at His trial, Jesus said, "You could have no power at
all against Me unless it had been given you from above.
Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the
greater sin." (John 19:10-11 NKJV)
The
scripture says, "I form the light, and create darkness:
I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these
things." (Isa 45:7 KJV)
Question: Do I really believe God is in control? If so,
then:
Key to a
better heart: Lord I believe You are completely in
control of my life. Nothing happens without Your
permission. I trust that You know what is best even if I
do not understand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WHY DOES
GOD SAY YES TO SUFFERING?
There
are many kinds of losses: physical, spiritual,
emotional, people, dreams, hopes, financial, health,
time, etc. It is not important whether the loss was
caused by the devil, people, natural circumstances,
judgment or our own mistakes. In the end, what is
relevant is that just like the book of Job, God said,
"Yes." So why does He say yes? The following are some of
the scriptural reasons why He says yes:
1) So
that we become like Jesus. (Rom 8:29)
2) So
that we follow in His footsteps (1 Peter 2:21)
3) So
that we will embrace the cross. (Matt 16:24-25)
4) So
that we will bear more fruit. (John 15:2)
5) So
that we will overcome (Rev 12:11)
6) So
that our faith will be tried (1 Peter 1:7)
7) So
that we will be purified (Mal 3:3)
8) So
that we develop character (Rom 5:3,4)
9) So
that we will become patient (James 1:2-4)
10) So
that we will receive the crown of life (James 1:12)
11) So
that the Spirit of glory will rest upon us (I Peter
4:14)
12) So
that we can enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22)
13) So
that we may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God (2
Thess 1:5)
14) So
that we may reign with Him (2 Tim 2:12)
15) So
that we yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb
12:11)
16) So
that we will be separate from the filthy things (2 Cor
6:17)
17) So
that which cannot be shaken will remain (Heb 12:26-29)
18) So
that we will wait on Him (Prov 20:22)
19) So
that our hearts will be known (Jer 17:10)
20) So
that we will be corrected (Jer 10:24)
21) So
that our motives will be examined (Ps 7:9)
22) So
that our hearts will become pure (Prov 17:3)
23) So
that we will reign with Him (2 Tim 2:12)
24) So
that we will be comforted (2 Cor 1:6)
25) So
that we may know Him (Phil 3:10)
26) So
that we may rejoice when His glory is revealed (1 Peter
4:13)
27) So
that we will be made perfect, established, strengthened
& settled (1 Peter 5:10)
28) So
that we will be chastened (Heb 12:7)
29) So
that joy will come in the morning (Prov 3:5)
30) So
that His time & purpose will be fulfilled in our lives
(Eccl 3:1)
31)
Etc., etc. etc., etc., etc.!
In
closing I would like to share a dream my husband had a
week ago. He saw the top of someone’s head, with a full
crown of hair. Then he saw the enemy come up and spit a
big glob on top of the hair. The person felt thoroughly
unclean and vile. Then as he looked, the spit turned
into a large pearl. He knew the Lord had changed this
curse into a large pearl of great price. Then he had a
brief vision of a crown that was made of precious
stones. It was not a crown of gold with stones attached
to it, rather the crown was being created from adjoining
jewels: large stones, rubies, sapphires and the pearl.
Lovingly,
Sandy
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