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… We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him— our sins!

He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him. (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:2)

There was a time when I couldn’t get over the fact that I had made a mistake. The dark and gloomy cloud of self-recrimination wouldn’t leave me. Toxic self-doubt plagued my life, and I constantly carried the painful thoughts of ‘if only I had thought about it more and done it this way ..!’

I knew (in my head) that Jesus had been tasked by GOD to carry all my failures, but I saw myself as a perfectionist, and that truth just never sank down enough from my hardening head to my breaking heart.

Then one day, a guy at our church (that I never got on with and didn’t particularly like) approached me and said, “I was praying for you and believe GOD told me to tell you to write down all your failings on one side of a piece of paper, and on the opposite side write down all the good that you’ve learnt from your mistakes. When you’ve done it, then burn the paper and give it all to the Lord! You will then be free.“

As I didn’t particularly like the guy, I didn’t tell my wife what he’d said, but on the drive back home, she just came out and said, “Whatever that guy has just told you to do, I believe you should do it!”

NB - I could have simply written a lovely but trite ending here that told you that I did as he said and became free ... (but) what really happened was that as I did what he said, I 'somehow' saw all my hurts, pains and failures being taken from me and into my beloved Jesus! It was the most saddening - and yet freeing experience ever!

Thank You, Lord, for your Gift of Freedom (and for what it continually costs you). 

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  URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS 

NB - New and urgent prayer requests and updates are coming in thick and fast and getting too long to just be tagged onto the daily encouragement. As such, I've created a separate page for you to view on the below link, which will be updated constantly ...

The Lord Bless you for caring 

https://www.muchgracepublications.com/urgent-prayer-requests/