Faithful Friday / Inner Healing Journey

One of the things that I so love about our Daddy God's faithfulness is that He will never leave His children victims to the hurts and wounds of their past regardless of how traumatic those circumstances were. He is determined that we learn how to enjoy His abundant living that He sent Jesus to provide for us.

" . . . But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect -- life in its fullness until you overflow!" John 10:10b (TPT)

What does He want us to overflow with? The love of His Kingdom Living - "Righteous, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17)

I grew up in a very dysfunctional home, even though as a child I wasn't aware that it had a name. All I knew was I lived in constant and complete fear of making my daddy mad and incurring His wrath. He was a rageaholic, who would explode in anger over anything that didn't go the way He wanted it to. And how many of you know that life seldom goes the way we want it to on a consistent basis. I never knew when he came through the door what to expect, and I feared his wrath above all else. Because of this, as a child, I chose people pleasing to the max, becoming a perfectionist and an overachiever trying to earn approval instead of daddy's displeasure. But as an adult, no longer under daddy's iron rule, I added to the mix of all that . . . RAGE , pent-up, suppressed rage. Truly I guess I should say I released what was already there sown into my soul due to all the fear. I, too, became a rageaholic! Children truly learn what they live, and subsequently live what they've learned. Even though, I was very much a closet rageaholic, I was a rageaholic nonetheless . Just like an alcoholic that drinks in secret, is still no less an alcoholic. I became what I feared most, and I hated myself for it!

So here I am in my late 20's, and I am an emotional mess, who loves Jesus! And I'm crying our to Him to help me. I'd never heard of "inner healing", and truly I didn't know what was wrong with me. I just knew that I might look all spit and polished on the outside, but inside I was a mess. Then I read He wanted me to have abundant life, and I was determined to find out what that was and how to get it.

God is so faithful that when we start seeking Him, He truly illuminates our path. He prompted a friend give me a copy of Hannah Hurnard's book, Hinds Feet on High Places. The Lord used this book to catapult me into my emotional healing that I didn't even know that I needed. It's written as an allegory whose main character is Much Afraid (aka Bonnie Walker). She lives in the valley of Humiliation with all her Fearing Relatives. The story follows Much Afraid on her journey to the High Places (of righteous, peace and joy) with the Good Shepherd as her guide, who of course represents Jesus. It so resonated with my spirit, from Much Afraid's constant fears and imperfections to her heart's desire to follow Jesus out of the mess that she was. Next to the Bible, it is my favorite book hands down. If you struggle with fear like I did, I highly recommend that you read it, too.

Using this book, Hinds Feet on High Places, the Lord started me on my own journey to His inner healing for me. I just want to encourage you that it doesn't matter how messed up you may be or how messed you that you think you are our Good Shepherd, Jesus, wants you HEALED! He died on the cross so that we could have His Abundant Life - right here, right now! He can take all the bad things that have happened to you and make "beauty for ashes".

Isaiah 61: 1-3, in prophesy of Jesus, says, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor (those that aren't walking in the joy of the Lord); He sent Me to heal the brokenhearted (those who have been wounded from hurts and trauma), to proclaim liberty (freedom) to the captives (of generational curses), and the opening of the prison to those who are bound (with things like rage); To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (He wants us free now!), and the day of vengeance of our God (where He takes back from the enemy those things that the devil has stolen from us); To comfort all who mourn (and are grieved in their spirits about sin that so easily entangles us), To console those who mourn in Zion, to give beauty for ashes (bringing restoration for all the dead things in our lives), the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness , the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." (with my paraphrasing added)

Wow! He can truly do all that and more! He loves you, and He is no respecter or persons. What He has done for me, He WILL do for you!

#FaithfulFather #FaithfulFriday #InnerHealing #JesusTheHealer