The Holy Spirit gave me these two words last night while I was eating supper. I had to look them up. I thought it had something to do with skin, but what is it really? Here is a doctor’s definition copied from the internet: Proud flesh is usually caused by a failure to heal. Here is another: tissue that fills the wound bed to a greater extent than what is required and goes beyond the height of the surface of the wound resulting in a raised tissue mass. 

If you have ever been burned, the scar is proud flesh. Have you ever been burned in a relationship? One of my early ebooks is entitled: Reviving Burned Stones: rejection recovery. Rejection is very painful. It can create proud flesh, because the wound bed is filled with emotional pain.

As I read the various definitions, I immediately thought of the complexity of unforgiveness. The failure to heal is the failure to forgive from the heart. The emotional pain remains buried. It causes inner defilement. It filters into our thought processes. It blocks our spiritual growth.

Here are two verses to a new song called Womb of the Morning. Your words like oil penetrate the places in my heart that were hardened through fear. You say My child don’t be afraid. I’ve been there all along to shield and protect. Let go of that which you clutch so tight. That I might fulfill the deepest longings of your heart.

Don’t let the cares of this life choke out My words. Open your heart to hear the beat of My own heart. I desire oneness with you but I won’t compete with that to which you give yourself. I will but wait until you tire of your own pursuits.  And nestle down in My love.

​Anything that we have allowed to remain buried is a block to intimacy​. First with the Lord, and then with those around us. We have learned to function, but the Lord has called us to thrive. Refusing to forgive someone who has hurt you opens the way for satan to build a stronghold. He steals from us by planting lies that we believe. He uses them to control us.

John 10:10 says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The Strong’s definition for abundantly is: superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, above the ordinary, and more than sufficient.

Nothing is worth holding onto if it blocks intimate communion with the Lord. He has called us to His abundance. Why would we settle anything less? I wrote a tract once called Why Settle For Less? Psalm 34:9-10 says, “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”

​What do you lack? We cannot afford to hoard unforgiveness. It will destroy us from within because it cuts off God’s fulfillment. Are there folks you avoid, subjects you skirt around, or places you won’t go back to? They might be an indication of unforgiveness. ​Psalm 107:9 says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” It is His goodness that brings us to repentance. 

When you got dressed this morning did you put on humility? 1 Peter 5:5 says, “…and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The Greek word for humility means lowliness of mind. Humility is a character quality. It doesn’t change behind closed doors.

When I read this verse I thought back to John 13. Jesus wanted to give His disciples a visual demonstration of humility. Verse 4 says that Jesus, “Rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.” Paul gave another example. Philippians 2:7-8 says, “But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

James 3:13 Amplified says, “Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his (good) works with the (unobtrusive) humility (which is the proper attribute) of  true wisdom.” The word ‘unobtrusive’ means to not be conspicuous or attracting attention.

Humility is a mindset that demonstrates our dependency on the Lord. John 15:5 says that apart from Him we can do nothing. We can know this intellectually, but continue to do things in our own strength. Therefore we will always be resisted by the Holy Spirit. Our flesh and the Holy Spirit oppose one another like two magnets.

Humility comes from the heart. It is a spiritual reality based in trust. Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and long suffering are key components in heart forgiveness. There is absolute abstinence of arrogance, conceit, or haughtiness. It is the unselfish concern for the welfare of others. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together unless they are agreed?” The answer is no.

James 4:1 Amplified says, “What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?” Romans 16:17 says to watch out for divisions and offenses. Discord, feuds, conflicts, quarrels, and fighting are pride words.

Unforgiveness in families, marriage, churches, or any organizations disrupt God’s design for unity. Psalm 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Verse 2 says that it is like precious oil upon the head. Verse 3 says that it is like the dew descending on the mountains. Then it says,”…for there the Lord commanded the blessing–life evermore.” The path of humility is strewn with grace and abundant blessings.

Our thoughts are key in every aspect of our lives. Therefore we have to be very aware and alert of what we dwell on in our thoughts.  This is so true when we are suffering. Job had no clue that God and satan had a conversation about him. We know from Job 1:8 that Job was blameless, upright, he feared God, and he shunned evil. This gives us a great insight into his thought life.

When everything in Job’s life crumbled, his immediate response was recorded for us in Job 1:20. It says, “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshipped.” Verse 22 says, “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” Exemplary. There was no negative dialogue.

Psalm 15:2-5 is a template for maintaining righteous thoughts. I am going to paraphrase. It is one who walks uprightly, works righteousness, speaks truth in his heart, does not backbite, does no evil, receives no gossip, despises vile actions, honors those who fear the Lord, walks in heart integrity, does not charge excessive interest, and does not take bribes. Verse 5 says, “…He who does these things shall never be moved.”

In 1983 I was a receptionist for a Christian acupuncture doctor. He astutely told me that I was full of fear. I denied that. I didn’t feel any fear. He handed me a book to read. The title was something like this, “Do You Hear What You Are Thinking?” I was taken aback. I had no clue what my thoughts were because they filled my mind. I asked the Lord to give me a sign when I was in fear. He did. It was like a little butterfly in my stomach. 

I tell you what, I was in fear. When I felt the butterfly I would confess my fear as sin. It came really often. Everytime I would confess it as sin. I was totally unaware until it was pointed out to me. It was the awareness that allowed me to change. In 1993 I learned that not every thought I had was of my own origin. That began another journey of confessing the lies I had believed and affirming the truth.

I bring this up because our thoughts affect our brain. They can cause stress that negatively affects our health. Fight or flight is a God-given reaction to help us flee or fight in immediate danger. Our body kicks into high gear. However, when we have a fearful thought with no danger, our brain doesn’t make that distinction. Fearful thoughts cause stress.

A negative dialogue against yourself, sets up an internal sabotage. A negative thought against another or our circumstances affects our attitude towards them. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” Do you hear what you are thinking? Philippians 4:8 is a great template. How do your thoughts line up? Are they true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good report, and praise worthy? This is a great pattern to establish. It will bring health to our mind and body. It will give us quality of life to serve the Lord with gladness.

I want to recount for you a scene at Valley Forge. This comes from the book, “The Light and the Glory: Did God have a plan for America?” There had been a famine in the camp. The men were naked and starving. The distress for want of provisions was more than you and I could possibly conceive.

One day a Quaker man heard a voice near a grove of trees. He went to investigate. There was General George Washington on his knees in prayer. The authors told how, because of Washington’s belief that God would deliver them, the men endured their hardship. 2 Timothy 2:3 says, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

We are being watched. I love to read autobiographies. Why? I want to watch how others have handled their suffering. I told you about Amy Carmichael yesterday. She never left her cot. Any movement of her foot intensified her pain. She had to be attended to for the rest of her life. Yet, in her suffering, she wrote hope and encouragement. Her written words are like soothing oil to the open wounds of discouragement. 

We are called to suffer. Here is an aspect of suffering that continually amazes me. We are on display by God’s design. Ephesians 3:10 says, “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” 

Let me review some truths. Ephesians 1:21 says that Jesus is seated, “Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

The Lord is our Lord who is Lord Over All. In His infinite wisdom, He is using His church to display His manifold wisdom to a captive audience. When I think of the word ‘manifold’ I picture my kaleidoscope. It kept me fascinated. I only had to turn it a tiny bit, and there was a whole new scene.

Here is the Strong’s definition for manifold: much, varied, many colored. We are unique in our suffering. There is no one experiencing exactly what we are going through. It may be the same type of circumstance, but we are individuals. Even if you and I were going through, say, a financial crisis, it would still be different because of our backgrounds. 

Our take away in this is that God knows every nuance-experience in our lives from the womb to when we die. He uses our uniqueness to display another aspect of His many colored, immensely variegated wisdom to gain glory over our enemy. We are created for His glory. Somehow, in His manifold wisdom, He uses His children to accomplish His purpose in creating those watching us: spirits, believers, and unbelievers. 

There are multiple benefits in our suffering. 1 Peter 4:1-2 says, “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

Ceased from sin because we suffered. Deep suffering takes away any appetite for fleshly lusts. It isn’t even on our radar because we are clinging to the Lord. Suffering is God’s character refining instrument. Suffering yields the fruit of humility. Humility ushers in grace. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Have you ever considered that your suffering is a gift to others? I think of Amy Carmichael. Her ankle was crushed when she fell into an abandoned well. She spent the rest of her life suffering from that injury. She said that she would receive letters that did not comfort her. They were written by folks who didn’t know pain.

I love her poem about the harrow and the toad. Since it is copyrighted I will paraphrase. The toad is beneath the tongs of the harrow. The butterfly preaches contentment to the toad. Her book, “Rose From Brier” ministered to me as no other book has. Why? She was writing to folks in pain from one who was in pain. She knew the harrow. 

Our Savior knew the harrow. The cross is God’s instrument to set us free from the bondage of sin. Once we accept His finished work for ourselves, we enter into the harrow of character refinement. Romans 5:3-4 says, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations…” Why do we glory? They are God’s perfect design to conform us to His instrument. Here are the benefits, “…knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character hope.”

Peter knew the harrow. He was sifted by satan. His final words are recorded for us in 1 & 2 Peter. Remember, we are stewards of all that the Lord has given us. Every trial, adversity, being sinned against, and sinning against others is part of our makeup. Whatever the Lord has allowed us to go through is His will. His purpose is stamped on every nuance-experience.

1 Peter 4:19 says, “Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.” We are created in the image of God to glorify Him. We glorify Him when we embrace our suffering tools. They are strategically conforming us to His will in our thoughts, purpose, and actions.

1 Peter 3:14-15 connects a very important truth with suffering and our heart. Verse 14-15 is a quote from Isaiah 8:12=13 which says, “Do not say, A conspiracy, concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.”

Peter set the stage for when we suffer for righteousness’ sake. I can tell you from personal experience, that any suffering reveals the hidden in our hearts. To sanctify means to set apart. Here is 1 Peter 3:14-15 in the J. B. Phillips. It says, “…You need neither fear their threats nor worry about them; simply concentrate on being completely devoted to Christ in your hearts…”

Mr. Phillips was conveying a key truth in any trouble. The trouble is a set up to get us off track. It is satan’s design to derail us. Our heart is easily pulled this way and that, like making taffy. Did you notice the word ‘hallow’ in Isaiah? What happened to Moses when he got derailed? Numbers 20:12 says, “…Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

The heart of the matter in any suffering is to stay focused on the Lord. When He is our center, nothing will be able to shake us, throw us off kilter, or derail us. Here is part of a new song.

Song of the Altar

In the midst of adversity when trouble surrounds me. I come into Your presence and I build an altar. I remember how You met me time and time again and I bow in worship.

Nothing can overtake me when I hide in You. Nothing can overwhelm me when I look to You. I set my eyes on You and I gaze into Your face. I bask in the love of Your eyes full of grace.

Hebrews 11:6 says that it is impossible to please God without faith. Our faith is under attack right now with our national derailment. We are disrupted from our normal way of life. The hidden in our hearts is being exposed. Therefore it is imperative that we take our heart before the Lord. We need to ask Him what unbelief is keeping us from hallowing Him before others.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” The only way we truly know our own heart is to recognize our behavior that does not exemplify the Lord. He is our Standard that never changes. When we view our actions through the truth of His word, we have a true Standard.

Isaiah 59:19 says, “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” Jesus did not react when He suffered for righteousness. He hallowed His Father by committing His life into His hands. Let us do the same.

1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.” In verses 10-12 Peter quoted from Psalm 34:12-16. Verse 11 says, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”

Last night the Holy Spirit pointed out to me that the path of blessing is the fruit of fearing the Lord. We know from several verses in Proverbs that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Do we ever need wisdom! The tribe of Issachar was exemplary in this. 1 Chronicles 12:32 says, “Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…”

Isaiah 33:6 says, “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.” Is the fear of the Lord your treasure? Matthew 6:20-21 says, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The fear of the Lord is to revere, honor, esteem, glorify, and worship Him alone. When He is our central focus, the things of this world fade. As we gaze upon Him, we are changed. Our character reflects His. Walking in the fear of the Lord is an essential part of our progressive sanctification.

1 Peter 3:10-11 described the path for blessing as we walk in the fear of the Lord. It says, “…let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” Another verse that goes with this is Titus 3:2. It says, “To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” How do you measure up?

Psalm 25:14 in the Amplified is one of my favorites. It says, “The secret (of the sweet, satisfying companionship) of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its (deep, inner) meaning.” This is what I want. Only the Lord can reveal the hidden truths from His word. The Holy Spirit does this as we daily read to observe what He is saying to us in that moment of our lives. Then He empowers us to put it into practice.

However, hidden sins block our fellowship with the Lord. Therefore they block our understanding because we are deceived. Sin is a departure from God. Hebrews 3:12 says, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” Verse 13 says, “…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

We are called to be a blessing. The path of obedience is strewn with grace and blessing. It looks like John 1:16. The Amplified says, “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.”

The Lord’s role is to avenge. Our role is to bless. 1 Peter 3:9 says, “Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”

As I read this, I thought about the life of a reviler. Yesterday I read a blog of a godly man’s comment of a political figure that is full of hatred. It has given me a more specific way to pray for this reviler. 

How do we bless someone through prayer? We ask the Lord to give them what they do not have. Think about someone with hatred. They are gnashing their teeth in rage. Their bitterness is like an inner acid which is slowly corroding their organs. They are destroying their health. They have no peace whatsoever.

They cannot escape the torment they have created through unforgiveness. Matthew 18:35 says, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Here is a vivid example of what unforgiveness does. The Etruscan pirates’ form of torture was to tie a living person to a rotting corpse, face to face, mouth to mouth, limb to limb, with an obsessive exactitude in which each part of the body corresponded with its matching putrefying counterpart. Shackled to their rotting double, they were left to decay. 

1 John 2:11 says, “But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” I hope this gives you some direction to pray for those you know who are locked in hatred. Let their lack break your heart so that you pray for them with true compassion and understanding.

Do you know someone who is caught up in worry? Then you have an opportunity to ask the Lord to bless them with a deeper trust in Him. Worry is sin that blocks our fellowship with the Lord. Worry is rooted in the fear of what might be. It catapults us from our present into thoughts of what might happen but that we have no control over.

The Lord truly cares for us. He knows our hearts. He knows every troubling situation we face. He knows what is ahead. He prepares our way and leads us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Hope is the anchor of our soul. It keeps our mind focused on the Lord alone. Think about how you can ask the Lord to bless someone you know who is struggling.

Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” This is a great truth that we need to keep in the forefront of our minds.

1 Peter 2:20 says, “For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”

Jesus is our example when we suffer for good. Verse 23 says, “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” 

We saw this played out in Isaiah 53:7. It says, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.”

Not only did Jesus not verbally react, there was not even a thought of revenge. He knew He was right, but He didn’t fight for His rights. All our words come from our thoughts. We do well to remember this when we are insulted, treated wrongfully, or slandered. 

Stephen is a great human example for us. Acts 7 is the whole account. Verse 54 says that they gnashed at him with their teeth. Picture it. Their teeth were clamped in utter rage.

How did Stephen respond? Yes, I mean responded and not reacted. They cast him out of the city and stoned him. His last words were in verse 60, “…Lord, do not charge them with this sin. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

The key for us is trust. I love Genesis 18:25. This verse anchored me when I faced an impossible unreasonable situation. It says, “…Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Right now our nation is in a season of unreasonableness. Take comfort through trusting the only One who is in charge. Psalm 2:4 says, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.” Verse 12 ends with, “…Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”

Jeremiah 17:5 is a warning for us. It says, “…Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.” When we take vengeance into our own hands, we literally depart from God’s way by usurping His place. It is not ours to solve, only to trust and obey what He has called us to do in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Please join me in praying for our nation every night at 7:14.

Peter recorded our right response to suffering through Jesus’ example. 1 Peter 2:21 says about suffering, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in His steps.” Verse 22 says that He committed no sin, and there was no deceit in His mouth.”

I want to pause right here. Suffering comes in myriad forms. We cannot put it into one category. I was thinking about this last night. When I was younger, if I was asked how I was, my answer would be ‘fine’ because it was an easy cop out. It didn’t require any further explanation. Usually, I found that the person was just asking out of rote.

I began my healing journey in 1983. At that point I was learning how to forgive those who had hurt me. If someone asked me how I was, my reply would be that I was pressing into Jesus. If that opened a conversation, I could explain what I was wrestling with at that time. I’m bringing this up because it is so easy to hide behind cliches or facades. 

Psalm 15:2 is a great template for a right response in our suffering. It says, “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” Maybe we could practice being open. The next time someone asks you how you are, you might like to open your heart a bit. Your reply could be something like this: I’m glad you asked. Do you have a minute? That will give them an out if they don’t. If they say ‘yes’ then you can begin. Yesterday I heard discouraging news. How do you handle discouragement? 

Our suffering is an opportunity to reach out in a deeper way. The Lord set that up for us. 2 Corinthians 1:3 says that He is the God of all comfort. Verse 4 is the established pattern that He designed and desires. It says, “Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

We can also begin a conversation with: is there a specific way I could pray for you today? That would be an enactment of Galatians 6:2 to bear one another’s burdens. Prayer is coming alongside someone. It is partnering with them in their suffering. It gives us an opportunity to ask and receive.

So much verbal exchange is surface. It is the way of the world. There is no depth because it is not a heart to heart conversation. I have friends whose love language is quality time. That is mine as well, so our conversations are not surface or superficial. We bypassed that stage long ago.

Paul admonished the Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 6:11 he told them, “…our heart is wide open.” Then he disclosed their hearts. Verse 12 says, “You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.” When we keep our emotional pain buried, we lose out on God’s way to rightly respond to our suffering.