A Biblically Based Eye Opener & Life Changer
A Biblically Based Eye Opener & Life Changer
I've been a Christian for over 40 years and of all the Christ-centered knowledge that I've taken in during my walk with God, this book rises to the top tier of what has profoundly influenced my life.
I didn't want to put the book down, but because there are so many important things upon which to reflect, I read each chapter carefully, with my highlighter and Bible open. I took what I had just read to God in prayer.
I'm emerging out of a decades-long series of fairly severe trials that have included childhood neglect (three kinds of abandonment from my birth mother and 2 stepmothers), drug, alcohol and other serious addictions in my family, a 2009 stage 4 cancer diagnosis), depression, multiple phobias, anxiety, self-hatred and other hard "stuff." In spite of my faith and years of trying to gain victories, I've dragged along a ball and chain for everything done or said to me, everything withheld or stolen from me, every generational sin, and every mistake I or others have made.
I've done my best to get through it all by reading the Bible and seeking other ways to break free and grow spiritually, but for every step forward, I've taken two steps back. In one breath I have spoken light/life over my circumstances and in the next breath I've believed/spoken lies that don't align with God.
In a nutshell, Christina McCracken uses the Scriptures to remind me that although I have an accuser who tries almost 24/7 to convince me I'm powerless, I need not be discouraged. Why? Because as a believer, I have irrevocable rights and power through the authority of my Advocate (Jesus) who has made the devil His footstool. So I don't need to feel that I'm a footstool to the devil. In Christ's finished work on the cross, He experienced death and separation from the Father FOR me, and took on my sins and guilt and shame, so I would not have to. His payment(s) on my behalf satisfy the righteous Judge (God). When I receive (have faith in) everything He has done on my behalf by faith, God can restore what the locusts have eaten. The Bible clearly and often lists specific things that hinder restoration. Pride, unforgiveness, unconfessed sins, not loving others, and unbelief are some examples.
There are several powerful takeaways for me personally. First, I have a newfound desire to search the scriptures and dig for what pleases the Lord, like one mines for gold. I also no longer think "repent" is a negative word because turning from things that grieve God leads to blessings. I also no longer want to try and fix others. Instead, I want to love them where they're at, pray for them and let God do the work through the Holy Spirit. I have also learned why it is important to renounce -- or not come into agreement with -- things that don't align with God's truths.
In short, I have learned to spiritually fast from that which hinders my restoration. Divine Restoration has shown me where the roadblocks are.
Through the years I've neglected the spiritual practice of regularly confessing sins and I have not developed the discipline of taking my thoughts captive. I've semi-believed and semi-forgiven (which is really not forgiving), and I have never been too concerned about what my ancestors have done or said. But my grandfather abandoned my birth mother, and my birth mother and both stepmothers abandoned me. My grandmother excluded my father from her will, and my step-grandmother did the same. WhenI was younger, I thought my husband would leave me, and everyone who befriended me would abandon me, and so on. Until I read this book, I felt like I would have to spend my life having to work through what has felt like a generational curse. But this book showed me how to see things in light of scriptures that I've downplayed or overlooked in the past. Christina provides powerful scripture-filled prayers for us to use as a guide, so that we can break free.
While reading Christina's book, I scheduled a trip to the country and spent a week alone with God. It was a time of raw honesty. Together, we went back to my childhood. I asked God to open up my heart like a surgeon would to perform surgery, and to lead me in prayers that would help restore my soul. For the first time in my life, I took as much time as I needed to align myself with what God says about Himself and how my soul can be restored and at rest (Psalm 23).
I will always keep this book handy to re-read because from my perspective, the content is THAT important and helpful. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience freedom, rich communion with God, a deeper love for others and oneself, and a restored soul at rest.
We CAN break free. John 8:36: "So if the Son has set you free, you will be free indeed."
