Today on my prayer list was a prayer for “forgiving and rewriting.” This, for  me, was a comforting reminder. To forgive is the  highest form  of obedience, often done in teeth-gritting-obedience. But the process of “rewriting” makes it easier. Rewriting means looking at the offense from God’s perspective. The best example  in Scripture is Joseph in the Old Testament. What his brothers did to him, acting out of jealousy, selling him as a slave was basically giving him a death sentence: to work in the fields of Egypt in temperatures of 140 degrees or  more, ensured an early death.

Not only was he sold, but he had to walk hundreds of miles across the hot sands; we are told in the Psalms that he had shackles cutting into his ankles and a metal ring around his neck burning in the brutal heat of the sun. And yet, when Joseph arrived in Egypt, he was not bitter, instead he was pleasant, hardworking and well liked. He had obiously forgiven his brothers and later we learn that he trusted God to have a plan in all this.

The first step of God’s plan was to have Joseph sold to Potiphar, a high ranking man, rather than to a farmer, meaning Joseph was spared an early death in the fields. And you  know the rest of the story: success as a servant; unjustly accused and thrown in jail; interpreting Pharoah’s dream and becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt.

The rewriting of the offenses against Joseph involved his thinking about God, His goodness, wisdom and power. Joseph articulated this to his worried brothers were afraid that Joseph would take revenge on them. He said, “You meant it to me for evil, but God meant it for good, to the saving of many people.” He was thinking about how he saved his family, all the Egyptians and people from the surrounding countries. But it was more than that, for in saving his brother Judah, Joseph opened the way for Jesus our savior to come. So he had a part in saving us!

That teenager sold as a slave could not have known that this would be the outcome of his life (although he had prophetic dreams indicating it), but he trusted God, embraced what came and was ready when new opportunities came.

So, when people sin against us, not only can we forgive them, but we can thank God for this unhappy event, knowing that He is orchestrating something much bigger, much greater, much better. I think of my own disciple in the Middle East turning me into the police and all the fallout from that, resulting in a trial where, amazingly, the prosecuting attorney defended us, outlining the rights we had as Christians, This ushered in a decade of great freedom to share the gospel. Forgiving and rewriting from God’s point of view frees us to join Him in what He’s doing,

And with my present situation, being attacked by my renter, slandered, sued, put under a restraining order, needing to put out large sums of money for an eviction, and in danger of perhaps losing all I own, I can forgive him and this rewrite from God’s perspective. He has a plan for good, unseen at this time, to be revealed at the right moment.  In the meantime I can offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and wait for my good Heavenly Father to be working behind the scenes to bring the good He plans.

“He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me and opens the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord.” Psalm 54:23

This woman, burned badly by a suicide bomber, has forgiven her attackers and now uses her burns as a way to witness.

More on the “God of communication” who works in all people to give them the knowledge they need to move towards, believe in and surrender to Him

[I think of my 78 year old Eskimo friend (picture here) who grew up on the Eastern shore of Siberia at the end of the earth. As a teen, looking at the beauty of the animals, sea and mountains, he came to the conclusion that the demons they worshiped, who did such ugly things, could never have created all this beauty. “There must be a good creator God,” he thought. And, at 18, God brought him into contact with a follower of Jesus, who opened the Bible for him, and he was ready to believe. He had heard the message of creation and understood it and has now been a follower of Jesus for 60 years!

Paul echoes this same truth in the New Testament, “…what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19,20).

You, Lord, have revealed yourself to all through creation, giving all a chance to see and understand that there is a good Creator God. You give them enough light to make them think, and if they want to know more, you will bring further light into their life.

Praise be to you for your great love for your rebellious creatures, your marvelous grace and your persistent pursuit of sinners, saving all who are willing. You are the One we can trust, if we will just look around us! Open our eyes so we may delight in your love of beauty, that our faith may deepen every day!]

Praise you, Lord, that you are the God of communication, laying out before all mankind the message of your existence: the Almighty One who is there. As it says in Psalm 19:1,

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

[Even in its fallen and twisted state, all creation shouts out that there is a good and wise Creator. Anyone honestly looking at the way things have to see that they are intentionally designed–made, not the result of chance. The beauty, the complexity, the rhythms of life, the power, the expanse—all speak of a Creator.

Psalm 19:2 “Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.”

[We are constantly surrounded with the message of the skies and stars, of birds and butterflies, ants and elephants, blooms and babies. Plan and purpose are everywhere, beauty abounds, colors bring joy: the happy yellow of a daffodil, the royal purple of an iris, the bright blue of the sky all shout, “There is a Creator and He is wise and wonderful, powerful and present!”] May all listen and bow before Him!

God is really at work in my life, giving me lots of opportunities to put into practice things that I teach, such as offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in all things.

The drama with my angry renter continues as he is calling in government agencies to inspect in an attempt to cause trouble for me and potentially destroy my sources of income. And the latest step is that he had his wife take out a restraining order on me, which means I can’t even access parts of my own property! Humanly speaking things are really going downhill.

But spiritually speaking, as the battle warms up, Ephesians 6 becomes the plan. I know that my true foe is not the renter, but Satan: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.” And that I can “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” And I stand against his schemes with praise, prayer and persistence in doing what is right.

So I turn to scripture, especially Psalm 43: ‘Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked.”

Today I wrote the following in my journal: “I praise you, Lord God, that you are my high tower, my salvation, my rock in whom I can trust, for my hope comes from you (Psalm 62:5). I praise you that you have a plan in this situation and will work things out. I thank you for all that you will do for me, in me, through me here. Glorify yourself through delivering me from the evil one and from these people doing evil.

I thank you for sending out your light and truth, for leading me to worship you, my God, my joy and my delight (Psalm 43:3). I choose to praise you for allowing all this, for you have a plan to use it for good. Therefore I choose to find my rest in you alone, for you are the King of glory, the God of goodness and the Lord of love.

I choose not to be downcast, not to be disturbed, but to put my hope in you, Lord, for I shall yet praise you because you will come through for me!(Psalm 43:5). “I will call upon the Lord in the day of my trouble, for He will answer me.” (Psalm 86:7)

As it says in Psalm 23, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life….” Right now I can’t see any goodness or mercy, but later as I look back I will see it, for you, Heavenly Father, are faithful.

Whatever the outcome here, God will use it for good: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.

I would appreciate prayers for the situation, for God’s protection and that He would bring the best out of it. Pray also for the salvation of my unhappy renter, may God bless him with insight, understanding and surrender.

Hello Friends! Last night I was unable to post due to internet problems. My apologies.

Tonight, like David, I am facing attacks, legal attacks on multiple fronts. All of them are illegitimate and lies, but they must be faced and worked through. One of my renters is harassing me, harassing our town officials to harass me, having his friends post big lies about me on the town website, threatening to turn me into higher authorities, trying to ruin me financially.

What should my reaction be?  Certainly not my natural reaction, which would be anger, fear, retaliation and revenge. Instead I need to think like God. Here are several ways for  me to do this and to respond like Him.
Col 3:13  “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Mat 5:11,12 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Psa 37:4  “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psa 37:5  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

Psa 37:6  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

Psa 37:7  Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psa 37:8  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Psa 37:9  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.”

Psalm 62:5 “My soul find rest in God alone, for my hope comes from Him. He only is my rock, my salvation and my high tower. I will never be shaken” as I stay in the tower.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.” This situation is a green pasture (like the picture below) for me to grow and mature in.

Bottom line? God has a plan, He will lead us through this valley of the shadow of death and out into the light again. As David said in Psalm 43:5,  “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I WILL YET praise him, my Savior and my God.”

We would appreciate it if you would pray with us for God’s protection, provision and guidance. Pray also for the salvation of this man who is attacking us. May God bless him with eternal life! Steve and Barbara