Hosea 14:2 is in the context of repentance. I want to capture the first four words which say, “Take words with you…” Now I am turning to the context of ministering to someone who is overwhelmed.

I have been an online mentor for a while. I recently had someone write, “I don’t want to live anymore,” and that was all. I didn’t know anything other than that. I had to totally rely on the Holy Spirit to lead me. He did! We had many email conversations. Though I could not directly speak about the Lord because of the country they are in, He helped me weave the principles in His word into my counsel. His Presence was very evident.

I love Job’s words. Job was reproaching his ‘friends’ who he called his miserable comforters. Job 16:5 says, “But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.” His words are timeless that we can take to heart.

Ephesians 4:29 is a great parameter. It says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Paul was in dire straits. He pleaded with the Lord three times to take away the thorn in his flesh. The Lord spoke grace-words. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul received such a revelation from those words that it turned his perspective around.

When we are speaking to one who is overwhelmed we desperately need the Holy Spirit to put His words in our mouth. We do not know their heart-thoughts, but He does.

2 Corinthians 1:4 gives us clear direction. 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 may not understand the complexities of the one who is overwhelmed. We don’t need to. We need to listen with our heart, and tap into how the Lord comforted and sustained us when we were overwhelmed. We direct our heart to empathize. We identify with their pain as though it were our own. Maybe that is what Paul meant in Galatians 6:2 to bear one another’s burdens.

Taking heart-words requires us to totally yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We must incline our ears to hear every whispered word. It may be that we just need to be present, like Job’s friends who sat still with him for seven days and seven nights. We serve the God of All Comfort. We have the Comforter dwelling in us, therefore He will use us as the need requires.

It is good to remember that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are. Hebrews 4:15 says, “…yet without sin.” He totally understands what we are going through when we feel overwhelmed.

Jesus prayed in the garden. Luke 22:42 says, “…Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done.” Verse 43 says that the angel came and strengthened Him.

What did Job do when he lost everything in a day? Job 1:13-22 was one report after another. The words, ‘while he was speaking’ occurred on the same day! Verse 22 says, “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” We know from Job 2:13 that when his three friends saw him, they sat down with him for seven days and nights. No one spoke a word.

What did David do when they arrived at Ziklag bone weary? His men talked of stoning him! I am sure that they were all overwhelmed. Their wives and children were gone and the city was burned with fire. David was distressed. 1 Samuel 30:6 says, “…But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” Being overwhelmed can derail us or set us on His path of righteousness. David’s men derailed, but David course corrected.

Ziklag was not an isolated case. David wrote several Psalms that spoke of him being overwhelmed. Psalm 143:4 says, “Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is distressed.”

When we are in a spiritual fetal position, the Lord is there. He surrounds us with His Presence to comfort and sustain. There are times when we are unable to feed on His word. That is alright. He understands.

The Lord has a wonderful course of action for one of His who is distressed, dismayed, overwhelmed, barely functioning, or has given up. The Holy Spirit brings a phrase of a verse, or a verse into our mind. He uses His word to strengthen, reinforce, and fortify our heart.

Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord…feed on His faithfulness.” As the Holy Spirit ministers to our heart, trust will awaken. Our thoughts will turn to the Lord. Through our heart we will taste His goodness once again.

After David expressed how he was overwhelmed, he prayed a prayer we can all adopt. Psalm 143:8 says, “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk.”

The Lord has made our physical body with many parts. Each part is essential to the whole. I have recently been learning about how our good gut bacteria thrives on diversity. Each plant has its own fiber. What we eat affects our health. Dairy and meat has no fiber.

The body of Christ is very diverse. 1 Corinthians 12:14-27 aptly described the power of diversity. His body, the church, has many parts. Verse 14 says, “For in fact the body is not one member but many.” Verse 27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”

Verse 4-5 says, “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.” Verse 7 is key to understand the power of diversity. It says, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.”

Therefore, God has set out a table abounding with a diversity of foods. They all are essential for the health of His body, the church. Hebrews 5:13 says, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” Milk, in this sense, is like the milk we drink. It has no fiber.

Verse 14 says, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Spiritual solid food has to be chewed slowly and thoroughly. Then we ruminate on it over and over so it can be digested and incorporated in our walk with the Lord.

Paul said in Acts 20:27, “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” Ephesians 1:11 says of God, “…who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

How do we know His will in every type of situation if we are only drinking milk? We need the solid food of doctrine to understand what the will of the Lord is.

Daily consumption of His word, verse by verse, gives us His whole counsel. We won’t grow spiritually without it. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “…For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

These two verses point out eternals truths that every believer can stand in. It is also true that God’s eyes are on the just and the unjust. No one escapes His watching presence. Yet He only dwells in the heart of one who has put their faith and trust in Him.

Two days ago I was talking with a friend on the phone. The Holy Spirit put three words in my mouth, and we both gasped. They took us by surprise because we had never heard them before.

Spiritual fetal position. Do they ring an emotional bell with you as well? I have a dear friend who had a severe brain injury in December 2013. For six weeks he laid in a fetal position on his bed. His brain was so traumatized, his body curled up for comfort.

Have you ever wanted to curl up in a fetal position and shut out the world around you? A spiritual fetal position is an apt description of one who is overwhelmed with life. It also describes one who is bound in buried emotional pain.

The Lord is Ever Present. He is right there with you. Your spirit will hear His words, ‘I am here’ though your flesh will not. Everything is on a spiritual plain. Depression is a spiritual matter. Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”

David wrote Psalm 61. The words are expressed from the cry of his heart. Verse 1-2 says, “Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

These two verses are anchor verses for me. They hold me steady when my emotions are in a roller coaster mode. Here is another. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

Consider Psalm 46:1 and Psalm 62:8 as bookends. We are always sandwiched, held together, and protected by our Refuge God. Never are we out of His Presence. There is so much more to say. I encourage you to meditate on these verses and allow them to be rebar that fortifies and strengthens you. Tuck them away for the next time you want to shut everyone and everything out. He is your Sheltering Refuge.

Come and dine is the subtitle to the book I am working on. It is still percolating. A Biblical Approach To Nutrition is not about food or supplements. You will have to wait and see.

Revelation 3:20 was always a salvation verse when I was growing up. When we look closely, we see another application. It says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

I want to contrast this verse with another. Song of Solomon 5:2 can be applied to us and the Lord. I am going to type it as such. It says, “I sleep, but my heart is awake; it is the voice of my Beloved! He knocks, saying, Open for Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My perfect one…”

In verse 3 she delayed through excuses. Verse 4-5 says, “My beloved put His hand by the latch of the door, and my heart yearned for Him. I arose to open for my Beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the lock.”

Did you notice the fragrance in His touch? He let her know that He was there but He didn’t force His way in. The Lord never does. He waits for our response.

When I grew up eating was done in silence. It was serious business for my dad. Even when I took care of him those 10 1/2 years, eating was in silence. He was a fast eater and always finished before I was half done. So I learned to ask him questions about the book he was reading. It was a way of conversation.

When the Lord says, ‘Come and dine,’ He has the table set with the choicest of foods. Galatians 5:22-23 defines them as the fruit of the Spirit. Our relationship with Him is bathed in love. Everything He did and continues to do demonstrates His character of love. 1 John 4:8 says, “…God is love.”

To physically eat as though it is a race, or when we are emotionally distraught, or fearful, will negate the process of digestion. To chew slowly and thoroughly enhances our digestion.

Dining with the Lord is pleasurable, peaceful, and full of conversation that touches our heart. The Lord is never in a hurry. He yearns for His time with us, and savors every moment. Isaiah 55:2 says, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.”

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Couple that with these two truths. Isaiah 43:7 says that we are created to glorify the Lord. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship…”

The folks that Paul wrote about in Romans 1:21 did not glorify Him. The result? It says, “…became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Here are some more truths. Jeremiah 23:24 says that God fills heaven and earth. No one can hide from Him. Psalm 139:1-4 says that God knows us. He understands our thoughts before we think them. David asked in verse 7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”

Everyone, in the whole earth, is known by God. No one escapes His eyes or His intricate knowledge of them. Yet, John 15 gives us a different perspective. It is one of intimate communion. It is only for those who dwell with Him.

Verse 5 in the Amplified says, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing.” All fruit comes through our abiding. It is not what we do, but Who we spend time with. Acts 4:13 says of Peter and John, “…And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

I want to be like that. I want the fragrance of the Lord to linger on me because of my time with Him. I want to be a sweet savor to those around me. Here are the first few words of a new song: Your fragrance is so sweet. There is no scent on earth that equals. Each spice is clear and distinct. They fill my heart with Your sweetness. It is taken from Psalm 45:8 which I quoted yesterday.

Leaving our quiet time with His fragrance is only possible as we are fully present while in His Presence. I was thinking about this last night. Being present means that we are really aware, attentive, not distracted, focused, and intently gazing.

We reflect who we have been with. Moses’ face shown after he spent time with the Lord on the mountain. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father.
Are we truly the reflection of Jesus? Progressive sanctification is like a flower bud. The fragrance increases as the blossom unfolds. Walking in intimate communion is a fragrant lifestyle that attracts unbelievers to Jesus.

The ebook for Emotional Freedom: releasing the heart is now available on Amazon today, Thursday, and Friday. Get it while it is free!

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There are certain verses that just stop me. I picture it like a momma cat carrying her kitten to another place. The kitten in her mouth doesn’t make a sound, nor does it wiggle to get free.

Psalm 78:41 says, “Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” Psalm 78 revealed a pattern that we can learn from.

Verse 9 says that the children of Ephraim turned back in the day of battle. Verse 10-11 says, “They did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.” Verse 17 says, “But they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.” Verse 18 says that they tested God in their heart. Have you ever done that?

Verse 41 made me stop and ask the Lord, ‘How am I limiting You?’ Let me add another verse. Psalm 138:2 says, “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”

Review this with me. Proverbs 18:21 says that the name of the Lord is a strong tower. Philippians 2:10 says that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow. In Acts 3:16 Peter proclaimed that it was through the name of Jesus that the lame man was healed.

Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Yet, the Lord says that He magnifies His word above His name.

I was thinking about this last night after I read it. To magnify means to make something bigger in our eyes. A magnifying glass, in a ray of sunlight, can intensify the heat on an object.

How do we limit God? When we disobey His word, tempt Him through questioning His timing, wanting out of our trials, or forgetting the price He paid to redeem us by sinning against Him.

When we are obeying God’s word, hiding it in our hearts, allowing it to transform our thoughts, we will become more like Jesus. There are folks around us who don’t read the Bible. They don’t know the Lord as their Savior.

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” We are either diffusing our flesh which stinks and taints our testimony, or we are diffusing the fragrance of one who loves to dwell in His Presence. Psalm 45:8 says that His garments are scented with spices.

Emotional Freedom: releasing the heart

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When I think of essence, I picture a lot of parts boiled down to its highest concentration. Essential oils is an example. It takes pounds of a plant to yield a small amount of oil.

Ecclesiastes 10:1 says, “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.”

In using essential oil and a dead fly as an example, I want to look at John 6:63. Jesus’ words to me are the essence of nothing. It says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits NOTHING. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

Anything we do in our flesh is like a dead fly in ointment. It is fouled up and has to be thrown out! Isaiah 43:7 says that we are created for His glory. Our fleshly reactions, doing things independent of the Lord, and our exaltation of self dishonors the Lord.

Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Verse 10 says, “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” We can couple verse 10 with Romans 6:6. It says, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

We are not slaves of sin. Verse 1 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” We were set free from the slave-block of sin at salvation.

Progressive sanctification is learning to say ‘no’ when confronted with the temptation to sin. All sin is done in the flesh (which profits nothing).

Nothing means that it is futile. Here is Strong’s definition of futile: fruitless, empty, hollow, unreal, unproductive, lacking substance, ineffectual, void of results, and worthless. Hmm. Why would we want that?

How then shall we live? Romans 6:11 says, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Dead to sin means that we have no response to its temptations. The only recourse satan has over the life of a believer is when they are in their flesh.

Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Ephesians 4:22 says, “That you put off, concerning your former conduct…” Verse 23 tells us how, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Verse 24 says, “And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Note how verse 23 is sandwiched between verses 22 and 24. We put off, renew our mind, and put on. We shed any thought of the flesh by renewing our mind with truth. We fight our flesh with God’s word hidden in our heart. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”