"Possibilities in Faith & Trust"

Word Pocket Teaching

Free Will

In the place of roles mentioned, you may feel free to apply to other roles such as: employer/employee, grandparent/grandchild, girlfriend/boyfriend, priest/member, pastor/church goer, and so on.

Scripture:

Genesis 6: 5-8 "thoughts of his heart was only evil..."

Noah, only man to find approval from God.

Genesis 8: 20-22, 9: 1-17 New Covenant

Genesis 19: 1- 29 Lot & his wife

Chatter:

In the previous blogs, I shared about the first woman, and about Hagar, "an invisible woman." This blog will try to teach you about another aspect of the love of God, "free will." In the Word (the Bible), we may learn about free will for us to enjoy. Sure, there are many believes and centuries of theological arguments about "free will" and "predestination", my goal is simple. I wish to share with you, what I have experienced in my own life with "free will' and the love of God.

One of the many examples we find in the Bible is this one: the story of Lot and his wife. Lot was one of the nephews of Abraham. Abraham favored Lot, and was always helping him. Lot had a wife, and two daughters, whom were already engaged to get married. While Lot was living in Sodom with his wife and two daughters, sexual sin had escalated to a level in which God had to pass His judgement on the land. And, Lot had been seen by God to be a faithful man with his family. God provided a way for Lot, his wife, and his daughters with their fiancés, to escape Sodom before God's judgment was going to destroy this land and all its inhabitants. (Sodom and Gomorrah's inhabitants will not change their ways and evil was in their hearts and actions against one another.)

But, while Lot, his wife, and his daughters (their fiancés did not follow them), were escaping; Lot's wife looked back at what she was leaving behind, and she became a pillar of salt. They were warned not to stop anywhere, or look back. To save themselves, but she choose not to. She was lost. She lost.

Focus:

God offers free will to everyone. Often people criticize people for believing in God and following His Word, the Bible. But, God offers free will to everyone.

Are you a parent or a daughter/son, do you love them, do they love you?

Are you a wife or a husband, do you love one another?

If your answer is "Yes"; most likely because you love them or because they love you, you do things for them, and they do things for you. Not out of obligation, but out of love. Love comes from God. God is love. Love is God's essence. Go back to Genesis, the beginning, the creation is the most artistic expression of God's love for us. Remember, how God himself created the fist woman with His own hands. Jesus gave His own life to reconcile us with the Father, God. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and friend. Read the Word, the Bible, and you will discover God's love.

Because God loves us, He wants to protect and provide for us. God places guardrails or boundaries for us to experience His love.

But, it is our choice to accept or decline to love Him back. God will still love you. The offer is, will you love God?

As a wife/husband, daughter/son or mother/father; you might have experienced trauma, and God offers you ALL His love and understanding. God is our creator, and if you choose to accept His offer, God becomes your Heavenly Father. But, still, God is near, listening, watching, for you to accept His offer. God calls us to peace. If a wife/husband are unwilling to do what they promised to do, you need to let them go. If a mother/father has hurt and abused you, you need to let them go. If a daughter/son abuses you and refuses to do good to themselves and your; if your safety and health are at risk; you need to let go. You can not change anyone but your own self. You can not accept God for someone else.

One thing that you can do, if you had not done so already, is accept God in your life. Change your life, and place your loved one, and even your oppressor in God's hands, for salvation and mercy, that only God may provide. Trust and believe (faith means I do not see it yet) that God will provide for ALL your needs. ALL.

What has God done?

God has made me free of the oppression of bitterness and hate in my life. Not because of me, but because God loves me. And, I accept His love. I love Him back. Daily, I take the decision of forgiving and letting go. Just like when I practice Yoga. I must keep on focusing on my breath, while I stretch to keep my muscles active, and is by all of these intentional actions, all together, that I tackle the pain I feel everywhere in my body. Is by this, that I gain strength and flexibility. Yoga is changing my body, for the better, but, I must accept the pain that comes with it. I must intentionally place my mind under the Holy Spirit's control to allow it to control my body. Mind over body, because of God. I must keep forgiving and letting go, everyday. Forgiving what they did to me. Forgiving what I did to them. Forgiving what they did to my children. Letting go of the love I had for them. I have placed that love back into God's hands, for it came from God. Intentionally, letting go of the traumatic memories, by examining my thoughts, my dreams, my nightmares, my feelings, my emotions, my decisions, my walk, and my talk.

But, I must learn the lessons that I need to learn. I must protect my heart and body from the past trauma, present pain, and future abuse. And, I must be an example for my children. An example for women. An example for the elders and the new generation. This is an important part of my calling and legacy.

Two years ago, I was officially married for 22 years, 4 months, and 9 days. I was in a one way (only me)relationship with my ex-husband for about 25 years. He was the only man in my life, and the father of my children. In about the half of our marriage, I had a close female friend for at least 16 years. I was her only daughter's Godmother. We celebrated together family holidays for many years. I helped my ex-best friend and her children in so many ways. She called me her only "sister", beside her three flesh and blood sisters, and other female friends. And, my ex-husband and her decided to commit adultery against their spouses, turning their back on God, their spouses, and their children. These few sentences can not possibly describe all I have gone throughout those 25 years of abandonment and neglect, unloved and uncared for. As I learn more each day from reading books and articles, studying the Bible, therapies, doctor visits, hospital visits, and gatherings, and the immense and unconditional love of God for me, I intentionally battle against the enemy each and every day to stay in God's will and continuing healing for me, and my children, whom I hold dearest to my heart. For which, I also stay alive.

I loved my husband. I deeply cared for my friend.

And, God's love and mercy made me free. He heard my prayers. God saw the abuse and pain. God gave them all the opportunities possible to reconcile their marriages and lives. God provided for my children and me in more ways that I can share in just one post. God provided with people who heard our cries. Old friends came to our aid. Existing friends grew closer to us, and new friends blew my mind with love. We found a new home church who became family. God has provided for ALL our needs. Not because of me. But, because of WHO GOD IS. I had to accept His love. How could I not accept God's love and will for my life? I would be dead today. No life. My children would have no mother, no parent. That was part of Satan's plan. I would be dead. No story to share. No calling. No legacy. But, God. Yes, God.

To God All glory. I talk the talk. I walk the walk. But, only by using my free will to have God be my All in All. Amen.

Free will:

Joshua 24:15

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Mark 8:34

"And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. "

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

Galatians 5:13

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. "

Revelation 3:20

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

Peace:

Malachi 2:16

"For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her,[a] says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers[b] his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Matthew 5: 31-32

"It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

1 Corinthians 7:15

"But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you[a] to peace."

Hebrews 12:14

"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

Forgiveness & Parenting:

Ephesians 4:32

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Ephesians 5:25

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..."

Ephesians 6:1

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

Proverbs 22:6

" Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. "

2 Corinthians 12:14 b

"For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children."

1 Timothy 5:4

"But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God."

Warmest blessings, I send your way.

10-04-2018.

MarieLotusLife