When we go through challenges that cause shame, guilt and condemnation to wrap us, get back into His presence where the opinions and perceptions other than that of our Father’s will be melted away and rendered powerless in the light of His love. This is how He deprived the world of His power to harm us and have conquered it for us.  It is in His presence where His thoughts of us become our superior influence.

“I have told you these things, so that IN ME you may have [perfect] PEACE and CONFIDENCE.  In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but BE OF GOOD CHEER [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”  (John 16:33 AMPC)

Our battle is always in our minds. What thoughts are we thinking when we do something carelessly? Do other people’s thoughts toward or against us weigh more than the thoughts of Jesus toward us?  Remember that His thoughts toward us outnumber the sand in the sea, too numerous to count and if we allow ourselves to dial in into His thoughts of us, it drowns every other thought that goes contrary to His.  Indeed, let every thought that we have be captive into the obedience of Christ that refreshes us and draws us back into who He sees us to be.

I had an experience lately when I was asked by my colleague about the conversation I had with our accountant.  Rushed to answer without giving myself some time, of course my mind went blank.  All I said was, “I don’t remember him discussing anything with me”.  Then a few seconds later, quickened by the Holy Spirit I believe, I remembered everything our accountant told me and it came rushing out of my mouth.  Oh oh!!!  What a very embarrassing moment.  I thought, what must my colleague think of me?  Before I knew it, my mind became the playground of the enemy.  Thoughts that weren’t supposed to be thought of were bombarding me.  My mind became so busy, filled with shame, guilt and condemnation.

Once I meditated on the wrong thoughts, of course it affected my emotions that started to blur how I saw myself.  Thank God for His abounding love and faithfulness, that even though we fall short of His glory, He is amazingly quick to rescue.  Yes, He unveiled my eyes to see where I was heading, down into that spiral emotional blackmail and lifted my head to bring my focus back into how He sees me as His beloved and that nothing has changed in spite of what I did.  That caused me to change the direction of my thoughts of WHO I AM before His eyes in an instant and I was awesomely restored.

This may be a very minor happening that I just experienced but I tell you, the effect of listening to the accuser of the brethren, his whispering lies, lies and more lies, affects our souls.

It is indeed most essential for us to see ourselves just as Jesus sees us, through the eyes of His love FIRST.   We seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything will be added unto us.  We make it a priority that our love relationship with our Heavenly Father is back into its intimate reality where we are graced to perceive things differently.  His thoughts and ways are higher than ours and as we continue to commune with Him, they become ours.

Look at the prodigal son. When he was done squandering his inheritance, came back to his senses and headed home, he prepared and rehearsed words that he wanted to tell his dad, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” (Luke 15:18-19).  But the very moment the father saw him while he was still a great way off, he had compassion and ran towards him, fell on his neck and kissed him. He never even allowed his son to finish uttering those rehearsed words. Instead, He embraced his son who was lost but now found. In an instant restoration happened, from him wanting to come home and to be slave in his father’s house into a son without question.  “The father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.  (Luke 15:22-23)  This is a picture of how our heavenly Father treats and assures us when we redirect our thoughts back into His loving embrace after falling short of His glory.  He welcomes and celebrates us.

Jesus with the woman caught in adultery is another a picture of a Father-Daughter moment. We know that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father Who only does what He sees His Father doing and only speaks what He hears His Father speaking. In this scene, though people condemned her to death by stone, Jesus demonstrated the love of the Father and restored her by saying, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11)

What better words than these are we expecting to hear when we just committed a mistake? The power of His redemption because of His great love for us is beyond compare. He paid the highest price for you and me, withholding nothing, not even His own life. This is the VALUE that He gave you and I.  What He gave is impossible to be reversed.

Jesus is the door into the green pasture where His presence is found.  It is the place of rest. It is a place where we get refreshed, revitalized and restored IN HIS LOVE.  His love covers a multitude of sins where our lawless deeds and unrighteousness He remembers no more!  The love of God is to be our firm foundation where are lives are to be built upon.  His love is unfailing and never changing.

We are then called to remember what He has done. “Put Me in remembrance!” He didn’t say, keep remembering and rehearsing in your thoughts what you have done that would lead you to guilt, shame and condemnation.  No!  He said to remember every aspect of what He has done and that will shoot adrenaline into our souls.

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!  (Hebrews 12:2-3 MSG)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for always on a look out, wooing our eyes back into seeing Your very eyes every time we fail and fall.   Thank You, Jesus, for being our Lord of righteousness Who makes right when we are wrong without reproach.  How wonderful it is to be rooted and grounded in Your amazing love that never condemns but restores us back into the glory realm of Your embrace.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for always quickening and gracing us to align ourselves into Your thoughts and ways always.  Amen!