Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble;
Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7
Earlier today, I was thinking about a few of the many times the Lord helped and protected me from people who tried to take advantage of me...
Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7
Earlier today, I was thinking about a few of the many times the Lord helped and protected me from people who tried to take advantage of me...
They hurt me, yes. But the Lord came right behind them to heal my hurt and to restore my peace of mind. God watched over me with His protective hands.
Recently, a troubled woman from the Midwest who had reached out to me because, according to her story, she was struggling with the loss of her infant son through a criminal act allegedly committed by a local doctor in her area. She took the letters of encouragement I'd written to her and somehow managed to change the body and content of these letters while leaving the headings at the top, and my signatures at the bottom of each letter, intact. She sold these forgeries to the National Enquirer.
This woman then tried to dupe me further by writing a letter to me shortly before the Enquirer article was to be published (it came out on 12/31/02 in another two-page feature article); alleging that her sister snuck into her home and stole the letters and sold them to the Enquirer. A subsequent investigation by my attorney, however, revealed that this woman was lying. She herself sold the forged letters.
In any event, my attorney wanted to sue both her and the National Enquirer for publishing fabricated letters, not to mention the terrible and ridiculous things that were printed in the article, claiming of course that I gave bizarre confessions to this person in my writings to her.
I, however, after much prayer, told my attorney to stop any legal action against this woman, as well as against the National Enquirer. I had a legitimate lawsuit. But following Jesus' example, I chose to "turn the other cheek" and forgive. I did not want to cause her or her family any pain, even though she did wrong.
I know that God heard my cries of pain. He has taken my anguish and has instead filled my heart and mind with joy. God has given me the supernatural ability to love people who hurt me, and to pray for them.
Going through this type of situation has given me a stronger spiritual backbone. For this is a godless world where many people have no qualms about befriending others and under false pretenses so as to take advantage of them. But God has been faithful. He has not allowed anyone to destroy me or ruin my testimony. Jesus, my Messiah, always makes ways to hide me from trouble. He has surrounded me with songs of deliverance, and He has triumphed gloriously. My enemies have hated me, but they have not permanently hurt me. For God has fully healed whatever pain, anguish, and disappointment I've experienced by the bad deeds of others.
I too, have been guilty of deceiving and taking advantage of others in my lifetime. My past is not clean. But I have confessed my wrongdoings to God, and I know He has forgiven me. I pray that those I have offended will find it in their hearts to forgive me.
All told, I am a blessed man.
D.B.
Recently, a troubled woman from the Midwest who had reached out to me because, according to her story, she was struggling with the loss of her infant son through a criminal act allegedly committed by a local doctor in her area. She took the letters of encouragement I'd written to her and somehow managed to change the body and content of these letters while leaving the headings at the top, and my signatures at the bottom of each letter, intact. She sold these forgeries to the National Enquirer.
This woman then tried to dupe me further by writing a letter to me shortly before the Enquirer article was to be published (it came out on 12/31/02 in another two-page feature article); alleging that her sister snuck into her home and stole the letters and sold them to the Enquirer. A subsequent investigation by my attorney, however, revealed that this woman was lying. She herself sold the forged letters.
In any event, my attorney wanted to sue both her and the National Enquirer for publishing fabricated letters, not to mention the terrible and ridiculous things that were printed in the article, claiming of course that I gave bizarre confessions to this person in my writings to her.
I, however, after much prayer, told my attorney to stop any legal action against this woman, as well as against the National Enquirer. I had a legitimate lawsuit. But following Jesus' example, I chose to "turn the other cheek" and forgive. I did not want to cause her or her family any pain, even though she did wrong.
I know that God heard my cries of pain. He has taken my anguish and has instead filled my heart and mind with joy. God has given me the supernatural ability to love people who hurt me, and to pray for them.
Going through this type of situation has given me a stronger spiritual backbone. For this is a godless world where many people have no qualms about befriending others and under false pretenses so as to take advantage of them. But God has been faithful. He has not allowed anyone to destroy me or ruin my testimony. Jesus, my Messiah, always makes ways to hide me from trouble. He has surrounded me with songs of deliverance, and He has triumphed gloriously. My enemies have hated me, but they have not permanently hurt me. For God has fully healed whatever pain, anguish, and disappointment I've experienced by the bad deeds of others.
I too, have been guilty of deceiving and taking advantage of others in my lifetime. My past is not clean. But I have confessed my wrongdoings to God, and I know He has forgiven me. I pray that those I have offended will find it in their hearts to forgive me.
All told, I am a blessed man.
D.B.
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