She is Worthy

'I AM WORTHY!!"

The words screamed off of her blog page.  I don't think it was a proclamation to the world as much as an attempt to convince herself that she, indeed, is worthy.

Just yesterday, hearing "I feel worthless" from one who keeps trying, yet failing in another's eyes.

And then a couple of weeks back, being taught by a little one that sometimes we listen to the wrong voice and sometimes that voice is loud and powerful, but it is still the wrong voice.

Sometimes that voice is a great and strong wind and it tears your heart and breaks it in pieces and you question why you aren't good enough.  Pretty enough.  Smart enough.

But the LORD is not in this wind.

Other times the voice is an earthquake that shakes your very core.  Everything you thought was true was not and you question why others receive their blessing but you can't find yours?  You experience loss and can't find answers so you take the blame, believing you are not spiritual enough.  Wealthy enough.  Fun enough.

But the LORD is not in this earthquake.

Then there are times the voice is a fire and rips through and destroys all your dreams and leaves you devastated and lost.  You believe you could have prevented it if you had only been strong enough.  Bold enough.  Wise enough.

But the LORD is not in this fire.

She was listening to the lies from the enemy.  They were loud and jarring and hurtful lies.

Then after the fire came a GENTLE WHISPER.

There came a gentle whisper and a question:  "What are you doing here?"  She was not made to live in a cave, defeated by the lies of the enemy.  She was made to come out to His voice.

That's how He loves her.  He pulls her close to His chest so that she can hear the WHISPER.  He quiets her with His love.

She is worthy, not because of anything she is or isn't.

She is just plain worthy.

Binding Up

So many with broken hearts.

The shoulders shake, the head hurts from tears dried up but still wanting release.

To the sweet momma who does not know where her daughter is, to the one feeling abandoned.  To the one who knows God's will for her life but is still a bit apprehensive.  To the one who wonders if she can get through sleepless nights and how it is all supposed to work.

He came to bind up the brokenhearted.

Those words have been read probably thousands of times, but yesterday they popped off of the page.  So did the pink ink in the margin explaining the meaning of each word.

Bind up:  to wrap around; cover; envelope; compress; stop

I remembered a time in Snyder when I was coming out of the doctor's office and a young lady was walking up to the window.  She had a blood soaked towel wrapped around the bottom part of her leg.  She told the girl at the window that she needed to see a doctor.  I looked down and saw that the towel had slipped and was no longer covering the wound.  Just by looking at the gash in her leg I could see every time her heart would beat, the blood pumping out and soaking the towel underneath.  She was told to go to the ER, but she had been dropped off and would have to walk.  There was no way she would make it so I loaded her up in my car and drove her over after I pulled up the towel and told her to press hard. 

This is what came to mind when I saw the word "compress".

That is what He came for. 

He came to press hard on the wound to stop the gushing of life with every heart beat.  To stop the pain so you can take your next breath.

Even the pressing hurts, but it brings the healing.  It stops the life from draining. It brings in the next breath when you didn't think it could happen.

I cannot think of a safer place to be than to be enveloped, wrapped up, and covered by Him as He begins the pressing process of healing.

Hold them close, Jesus, hold them real close.