Several years ago we obtained a used car from a family member. She had purchased it new, but then just a few years later the engine began to sputter, and several check engine lights came on while on vacation.
She took it back to the dealership and they told her it would cost more than $4,000 to do the repairs. At that time she had other modes of transportation so she decided to park the car, and wait on the costly repairs.
So, a few years after that, when we were looking for a used car she made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. If we wanted to see about having the repairs done, we could have the car. Long story short, our mechanic did some checking and found out the source of the problem.
A 25 cent fuse.
This caused all those warning lights to go off. One 25 cent fuse. (In light of this, we of course offered our family member something for the car, and spent a few thousand more for new tires/brakes, tune up etc. But all and all, with just 119,000 miles on the engine, it was a huge blessing.
In fact, when our mechanic handed us the keys he said, “Congratulations! You’ve got yourselves a new car here.” (And it is still serving us well.)
Well recently, a friend contacted me about some problems she was experiencing. Over the years she had spent a great deal of money seeking medical attention for various illnesses, and had been placed on so much medication (and more meds to counter the side effects) that it was severely affecting every area of her life.
Now, she and I had spoken back in May and I shared some verses that she was already aware of for healing. In fact, she knew them by heart so I was very confident that the Word of God would work in her life and she would be healed.
But I was saddened to learn that all the symptoms in her body were not any better and instead had grown increasingly worse.
As we talked she divulged that there was a lot of strife in her marriage resulting in a recent separation. It appears she had been angry at him for about 5 years. Several times she mentioned how hurt and bitter she was at him for not showing sympathy for her condition. There were other issues in the marriage but her anger and frustration at him was very evident.
My heart went out to her. She loves God so much and was trying to believe for her healing but nothing was changing.
I had been praying in the Spirit (tongues) that morning before we spoke and right away the Lord told me what to say.
I told her about the car. Then I said, “1 Peter 5:8 tells us, ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” According to this verse the devil cannot just devour anyone. He has to have our consent and cooperation.
All these symptoms in her body are like those check engine lights in our car, and while she was chasing all the symptoms and trying to figure out what’s causing them, the root problem is a “25 cent fuse” … her unforgiveness toward her husband.
Now remember what the Lord told us, ‘Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. AND whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:24-25 (Caps mine.)
And in 1 Peter 3:7 he addresses marriage and how we are to dwell together with understanding as joint heirs of grace “that your prayers may not be hindered,” and “not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”
Ephesians 1:3 says that God has already blessed all of His children with ALL spiritual blessings” because of Jesus.
The issue was not God’s willingness to heal my friend. She was WILLINGLY giving the devil place, or legal right, to “steal, kill and destroy” in her life by keeping/indulging unforgiveness towards her husband.
This is a strong statement, but it is a Biblical truth… unforgiveness is like having intercourse with the devil according to James 1:13-15, and then James 3:16 states, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” Not just some evil work but “every” evil work.
Sickness is evil. (Acts 10:38) Not all sickness is caused by unforgiveness, but I believe this is a major inroad of the devil into our lives. And most people do not even realize it, and sadly, many of the ones that do still feel justified to hang onto it. I know firsthand because I have done that.
I gently explained this to my friend. I told her that her adversary, the devil was before the Lord accusing her day and night, (Rev. 12:10), and she was giving him permission to do so, and by willing holding onto unforgiveness she was preventing the blessings of God from flowing in her life. Jesus paid for all of our sins- past, present and even future sins. Heb. 9:28. We are joint heirs of the grace of God together. Romans 8:17
But unforgiveness ties the Lords hands, so to speak, and we will reap what we have sown- good life producing seeds, or seeds leading to death. (“The Words that I speak they are Spirit and they are life.”John 6:63)
“… for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:20.
I felt lead to tell her to take her grievances to the Lord, hand them over to Him and forgive her husband. Then pray for him correctly. He needs to know the love Jesus Christ has for him. He needs to know the mercy and grace of God towards him. Her act of forgiveness, from her heart, will testify of God’s love and acceptance toward him. I believe we tend to treat people the way we believe God is relating to us, and the devil is lying and tempting her husband with the same things he tempts all of us with.
But in this time of grace the Lord is no longer inputing sin onto him, so neither should she. (Romans 4:8)
We can know and confess all the scriptures and even believe 1 Peter 2:24, that “by His stripes we WERE healed,” yet we are suffering and dying in the wilderness because of unforgiveness.
My friend humbled herself on the phone that day when we spoke and she chose to pray to the Lord to help her forgive from her heart. It is a choice.
“God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5
Now she can boldly tell her adversary, the devil, that he no longer has any legal right against her body, emotions, relationships and finances because Jesus is her Counselor, the Prince of Peace, reigning in her spirit, soul and body. She can arrest Satan, with authority, commanding him to get out of the temple of God and declare the blood of Jesus and His resurrection power over her and all of God’s blessings to flow to her and through her. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Cor. 3:17
This was a great lesson for me. If I experience check engine lights going off in my life, the first thing I do is search my heart for any darkness because it could possible be … a blown fuse.
“Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:48
“For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.” James 2:13
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
