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Invisible Tent

 

 

“You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.”  Psalm 10:17

 

The night before I had said, “when the world points its finger at you, shouts, and tells you what you are not, open up your tent and ask Jesus to tell you the truth.”  (Note:  The tent is a symbol of a place of protection, provision, and relationship with Christ.  It is an invisible visual aid that I describe and give away during a particular message.  Strange, but effective)

 

I was slightly surprised when someone took me seriously within 12 hours.

 

Out on the basketball court the next morning a group of young men approached about twenty girls.  Their leader was looking to score some points with his friends and impress the girl he was attracted to.  But, instead of relying on character and kindness, he reverted to obnoxious behavior.  He lashed out at a girl in the group to get attention.

 

With his finger extended he singled out a young lady and said, “you are fat and you are ugly.”

 

Now, most girls would have crumbled, but she thought back to what I had said the night before.  “When the world points its finger at you, shouts, and tells you what you are not, open your tent and ask Jesus to tell you the truth.”

 

Right there, to the amazement of the people watching, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her invisible tent.  She opened it up and got down on her knees.  Out loud she prayed, “Jesus, am I ugly?”  The people around, with bewildered looks on their faces, looked on.  After a few seconds she began to smile.  She got up from her prayerful position, made a gesture as if putting away her imaginary tent, and turned to her attacker.  “Jesus said I am not ugly.  He says I am the crown of His creation.”

 

At that, the group of girls applauded and the boy ran away.

 

In the world, you will discover that there are things shouting at you trying to convince you that you lack something of value.  You aren't pretty enough, skinny enough, or smart enough.  If you listen to these voices, you will become discouraged and distracted.  Your esteem will suffer and your faith will take a back seat.  But, if you can train yourself to listen to the Lord's opinion about you encouragement will spur hope and you will become more secure.

 

You don't need to use an invisible tent, but whenever the world attacks your worth and esteem, you can run to Jesus and get an accurate report.  He adores you and thinks you are amazing.  He sees what is inside of you that no one has seen yet.  God is on your side and if you let Him, he will whisper encouragement into your heart.

 

 

Do you have a thought on your identity in Christ that you would like to share? Do you have a question about hearing God's voice that you would like to see addressed in this weekly email?  If so, send your thoughts and/or questions to info@groundwire.net.

 

 

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