To the Hurting: God Massages Our Hearts on the Hour

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© 2013 by Denise M. Woods. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse 03/19/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-2518-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-2516-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-2517-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013904184

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Contents

Introduction

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1   Trusting God to Make All Things Right

Chapter 2   A Rebellious Spirit

Chapter 3   Revere God

Chapter 4   My Beloved

Chapter 5   All Glory And Honor Belong To God

Chapter 6   In That Day

Chapter 7   Acknowledge God

Chapter 8   Rejoice In God’s Salvation

Chapter 9   Our Hearts! God’s Glory!

Chapter 10 Sufficient Unto The Day Is The Evil Thereof!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 11 He Keeps His Covenant Promises!

Chapter 12 Thy Word

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? [Micah 6:8 KJV]

Introduction

To The Hurting, God Massages Our Hearts On The Hour, is written to give my God thanks and praise for His goodness, His mercies, His loving kindness and His intimacy during the darkest periods in my life. It is my hope that this book will bring comfort to those who are going through a storm at this very moment. To those who have come out of a storm, and those who are about to enter into a storm, I trust that you will continue to find assurance in knowing that we serve a Mighty God, and because of His grace, His loving kindness, His tender mercies, His compassion; we can say like the Psalmist David, "Yet the LORD will command his loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life" [Psalm 42:8 KJV].

May the Scriptures, poems, and inspirational pieces; provide comfort to your hearts and minds as you continue to persevere, as you continue to press on in Christ Jesus.

Acknowledgement

I would first and foremost like to give thanks and praise to Almighty God; His Son Christ Jesus, and The Holy Spirit who guides us, for without Their presence and direction in my life, the writing of this book could not be possible. God is wonderful. If you haven’t experienced Him for yourself, you are missing out on the real deal. I strongly suggest that you get to know who God is, and in so doing, He will reveal Himself to you.

I would like to thank my Husband for selecting me as his Wife; Anthony, you are the Boaz of my life. Thanks for all the support and encouragement you give to me each day. I would like to say thanks from the bottom of my heart to Rev. James A. Williams, Senior Pastor Yonkers Christian Assembly; Pastor Rich Weller, Senior Pastor, Northwest Assemblies of God; Rev. Dr. Rupert A. Clarke, Senior Pastor, Yonkers Central Church of God; and Rev. Reginald B. Fletcher, Senior Pastor Living Word Baptist Church. Their guidance and direction have enabled me to attain a deeper level of Spirituality in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I would like to say many thanks to my Mom, my Daughter Sophia, my siblings Pearl, Charles, Dyonne, and Bernadette, and my many nieces and nephews for the support they have provided to me and for encouraging me to attain higher heights. To my dear friends Zita, Wendy, Parthenia, Florence, Meaux, Janet, Georgia, Janie, and so many others who, having high expectations of me to see this book in print, have often encouraged, prodded and supported me throughout this endeavor. I say Thanks.

Chapter 1

Trusting God to Make All Things Right

People stare at me, but I mask the pain. I muster the strength to smile, even though I feel claws tearing at my inside. Where is happiness I ask? Why has it not found me by this time? Why has it passed by and all that is left is an empty feeling deep down inside? The sky is the limit they say; somehow we aspire to reach it, but in our ambition we fail to realize that God must be the focal point of our lives.

I am at a crossroad in my life; I cannot go back neither can I move forward; can You enchant me with Your love like no other? Hold my hands as I move along; Lord, help me to smile through the storm. Tell me You will always stay close by my side, even in times of hardship, let me know that things will get better. Tell me that my days will become brighter. Let me know it is just a hurdle I must cross over, even when I feel empty and cannot focus. Say to me how much You feel my pain. Why can’t I be! Why can I not see beauty! For I am destructive in this state of being!

I do not know what tomorrow holds. I do not know where I will go. What I do know is that I have a chance to create a brighter future; but, I must have a plan, for without a plan I am like a ship as it drifts from side to side, because of a broken compass it uses as a guide. Unsure of anchoring! Quite sure of sinking! I need a compass to map out my plans, I must be pointed in the right direction, so that I can find solace in what I undertake; so that I can do the best I can each day.

We mask the pain, which can be attributed to loneliness, failure, personal loss, fear, regrets, insecurities; this pain is so real, it is the cause of much of life’s unhappiness, much of life’s uncertainties. During dark moments, we mask the pain so much that even close family members and friends cannot detect. How terrible it is to mask any form of pain. How much more terrible it is to know that our Savior is waiting and watching, hoping that we would call on Him. For this is what the Lord says, our Redeemer; I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou has not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the LORD do all these things [Isaiah 45:5-7 KJV].

It takes so many of us most of our lives to realize that we have such a wonderful Savior, a Savior who voluntarily waits for us to call on Him. God does not impose on His creation, for He has endowed mankind with free will. In the Book of Deuteronomy, God promises to bless Israel. The promise, however, calls for action on the part of the Israelites. The Giver charges the receiptants of His gifts with various requirements. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil. In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply, and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it [Deuteronomy 30:15-16 KJV]. Are we able to keep God’s commandments and His statutes without succumbing to temptation? Can we respond to God’s charge on our lives?

Life as I see it; is an adventure, it’s like a dream. What we dream of and where we go are determined by the choices we make. I dream of sunshine, I dream of brighter days. I dream of a world where there is harmony not dissension; where I can express my thoughts without any hesitation. I dream of laughter, not tears; of talents and abilities, not mediocrity; of good fortune not lack. Whatever I aspire to be, I envision it for me.

When I awake from dreaming I am challenged. No feeling of defeat diminishes me. My ability to see the big picture is ever present. I go forward with a passion; my mind is rejuvenated; my thoughts are only positive. I let no obstacle stand in my way. I am encouraged about my day. I am asked, what is going on? Why is there always a smile? Why is there so much laughter? Faced with situations, which could easily cause others to become despondent, what is the secret to your happiness? Tell us, we want to know, how can we achieve such?

There is no secret to the way I look and feel. I focus daily on my objectives, and never fail to dream. Regardless of any obstacles, which appear on the horizon, I continue to dream. I continue to expand my mind through my imagination. I dream! I dream! I put God first in every situation.

As I awake from dreaming, where do I go? How do I plan my existence? Life can be both brutal and cruel. What do I do? In my search for peace, tranquility and contentment, I seek God’s Grace, God’s Goodness, God’s Mercy, God’s Love, God’s Intimacy; I must look for Him. I realize that some directions I head in usually causes me to frequently stumble; they cause me so much pain, so much suffering, so much grief, so much heartache.

The daunting question is; where do I go from here? Has life passed by without knocking; not indicating; not telling? Where do I go? What do I go in search of? Is it my dreams? What is it that I seek? The world is filled with so many who have lost faith; you see this on the streets, on the subways, and in back alleyways. Those sad faces look back at you; their eyes tell you they have lost hope too. What has become of their dreams? Where are their aspirations? Are they trapped in the abyss of desolation? What is it that makes me not crack? What gives me the courage to reach out for help; Not giving up! Not giving in! Even, when in a state of hopelessness?

Sometimes I wonder, what is life? Where do I go? What is it that makes me want more? Why do I continue to expand my thoughts? Is there something within me, which pushes me forward? Where do I go? What is my mission? Should I just sit back and later regret my actions and my decisions? Should I not continue to see what lies ahead; to stretch out my hands; to grasp for that one last chance! To fulfill my dreams! To clutch at success! Tell me, where do I go? Tell me, what is next?

As I internalize my thoughts, as I act based on situations, where does it take me? Does it give me a sense of purpose? Tell me, O someone, where do I go? Tell me! O, tell me! Shouldn’t life offer so much more?

Oh, how good it is to be secured in God’s presence; to know that there is a Friend to lean on in times of trouble. When our world seems to be closing in, making it from one day to the next is excruciating. Yet, during such dark and bleak moments in our lives, if we reflect on God’s grace, we can surely survive.

That childlike innocence, so pure! So real! What would I give to recapture it! To dream! I see there is no concern in an infant’s eyes! There is no inclination of worry; there is only laughter, just plain smiles. What would I do for such pure innocence, I ask? Sometimes I wonder what has become of my innocence that has been lost, can it be found? Where could I go to reclaim it? Is it so far off; is it so difficult to go in search of?

I see the innocence in the face of children; there is pure joy, there is that sparkle in their eyes. We seem to lose that innocence as we mature; such innocence freely given to us from birth; such innocence we enjoyed during our childhood. Such innocence would cause us to appreciate life, to fulfill each dream and move forward; to succeed at whatever we set out to do; for there would be no thought of lack! No challenges would ever hold us back. Any obstacles we may encounter in life; we would easily surmount and continue to move forward. Who has taken away my innocence, I wonder. When did it leave me? I cannot recall! What price should I pay to regain it? My innocence, once pure; LORD, can I go in search of it?

King David prayed, asking God to hide him under the shadow of His wings. "Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. Thou has proved mine heart; thou has visited me in the night; thou has tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me. O God; incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Shew thy marvelous loving-kindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. Keep