Oh Lord, I Am so Wounded!

By Yvonne Rose

Oh Lord, I Am So Wounded! is an inspirational book that ministers to those who have emotional scars. Have you ever been wounded, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually? Then this book will inspire you. It is written with the aim of reaching all age groups and ethnicities and genders. Mrs. Yvonne Rose looks at some of the people in the Bible who also suffered tremendous hurts, from family members, strangers, and other people who should have shown them love, but instead rejected and abused them.
Hannah was married to a man who loved her, but because she was barren, he had to take another wife who could give him the children he needed. The second wife made life miserable for Hannah, because Peninnah knew that Hannah was the love of Elkanahs life. Peninnah had his children, but Hannah had his heart. Hannah became very depressed due to the vicious attacks from her jealous rival until she decided to call on God to help her, and He answered her prayer.
Leah and Rachel were sisters who were married to the same man. How did this happen? It was love at first sight for this man Jacob. He had swindled his brother Esau out of the inheritance that rightfully belonged to him, now he was a man on the run, from a brother who threatened to murder him. He ran to his uncles home and fell in love with his beautiful daughter Rachel. His uncle Laban agreed to give Rachel in marriage to Jacob in exchange for seven years of hard work. However, on the wedding night, Laban switched sisters, and the next morning, Jacob woke up to find the ugly sister Leah in his bed.


Leah would spend the rest of her life having babies and trying to win the heart of a man who could never love her. She did not know that God loved her and because God saw that she was not loved, he opened her womb and made her fertile, while Rachel was barren. This only created a Baby-Mama-Drama in Jacobs household. The sisters were in a struggle for babies. Then the servants were given to Jacob, and they also had his babies. There was a battle for Jacobs love between two sisters who were emotionally wounded because of their fathers greed.
Joseph was a teenager who God had chosen for greatness. He was the love of his father, and the envy of his brothers. His eleven brothers hated him and sold him to strangers who took him shackled in irons to Egypt. The man who bought him was a high official in the land. He put Joseph in charge of his household, but his alluring wife could not keep her eyes off this handsome young slave with the great body. When Joseph refused to sleep with Mrs. Potiphar, she cried rape and caused him to be imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. But God was with this young man, and everywhere he was placed, he was put in a position of authority, until he was promoted to become the prime minister in the land of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.
Naomi was a bitter mother-in-law who left own land when her husband took his family to a strange land away from the protection of the God they served. Naomi lost her entire family in this foreign country, her husband, and her two sons. She blamed God for her troubles, but what seemed at first like a bad situation, turned out to be a blessing because God had given her a daughter-in-law who loved her and vowed never to leave her. Her daughter-in-law Ruth married a rich man who was able to provide for both of them.

This blessing only took place when they left the place of death to go to the place of life. Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem.
Then there was the case of the princess who was raped by her eldest brother, but their father, King David, did not do anything about the situation. As a result, Tamars other brother Absalom murdered the brother who had dishonored their sister. Princess Tamar would remain an emotionally wounded woman for the rest of her life, because of the brother who humiliated her, abused her, and then turned and threw her out of his house.
Jephthah was a young man who

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469159706

Yvonne Rose

Mrs. Yvonne Rose originally came from Jamaica, West Indies, where she attended Shortwood Teachers College and worked in the school system there before migrating to the USA. She is retired from government service where she worked for the past twenty-two and a half years. She attends the Calvary Cathedral of Praise Church in Brooklyn and takes an active part as an Altar Worker and a teacher in the Children’s Church. She is married to Glenford Rose since 1976. She attended the Community Bible Institute and obtained several degrees in Biblical Studies. She is also an evangelist.

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Copyright © 2012 by Yvonne Rose.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

Rev. Date: 03/28/13

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1-Our Emotional State

Chapter 2-Hagar, A Woman Used And Abused

Chapter 3-Two Wives—One Spouse

Chapter 4-Joseph, The Dreamer Rejected And Abused

Chapter 5-Dinah And Tamar—Teenagers Raped And Cast Away

Chapter 6-King David’s Emotional Wounds

Chapter 7-Jeremiah, The Weeping Prophet

Chapter 8-Leah—The Woman Unloved

Chapter 9-The Virgin Mary And The Samaritan Woman—The Talk Of The Town

Chapter 10-Job—The Man Who Lost Everything

Chapter 11-Tamar, The Woman Who Played The Prostitute

Chapter 12-Naomi, The Bitter Mother-In-Law

Chapter 13-There Is No Hurt Like Church Hurt

Chapter 14-Hurt By Family Members

Chapter 15-Jesus Christ Despised And Rejected

Chapter 16-Healing For The Wounded Spirit

My Notes

Bibliography

Dedication

I give God thanks and praise for the ability and the desire that He gave me from the time when I was a child to write books. Without the help of His Holy Spirit, this would not have been possible. So this book is dedicated to my heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit without whom, I would not be able to do anything.

I also dedicate this book to my spouse Glen and all the people who have encouraged me to write. Those in Community Bible Institute in Brooklyn, New York, who told me that I should write a book and they would read it. The fellow student in Bible class whom I saw at Staples and said, When are you going to write your book? It is finally here, and I hope everyone will enjoy reading it and it will minister to many.

INTRODUCTION

Our emotions are a part of our makeup. It is who we are on the inside; this is manifested in our behavior or personality and determines our character. Sometimes the emotions of a person become wounded due to the circumstances in life. The trials and tribulations brought on by the daily process of life can cause an individual to become jaded. A rape, divorce, the tragic death of a family member, betrayal, financial loss are some of the causes of wounds that can run deep in a person’s mind. How they react to these issues and challenges of life determines how they will view life and how they react to others.

In this book, I took a look at some of the biblical characters and how they lived their lives in spite of what had been done to them. Hagar was an Egyptian slave used by Abraham and Sarah to produce a child. She responded with arrogance toward her mistress, when she realized that she was able to give Abraham what his wife could not. As a result, she was thrown out. Jeremiah was a prophet called by God to do a hard task. He was told he would not succeed in the task God had called him to accomplish. He spent many days in tears as even his own family turned against him. The teenagers Dinah and Tamar were raped and disregarded by family members. No one considered the trauma they were going through. Joseph was despised and rejected by his family, falsely accused of rape, and thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit.

This book is written in a simple style in hopes of reaching both Christians and non-Christians, male, female, and young people. It is also written in story form, but this does not take away from the truth of the Bible. Some things are added to make the story interesting and inspirational to the reader. For example, it is not stated in the Bible that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had swollen feet and was feeling abdominal pains as she was about to give birth. It is not stated in the Scriptures that Leah and Rachel had to agree with their father Laban for the deception to take place. However, if Leah did not agree with her father to deceive Jacob, she could not have gone to his bed, knowing that he was madly in love with her sister Rachel and had worked for seven years so that he could marry her. These facts do not take away from the truth of the Word, and Scriptures are quoted to show the meaning. For this reason, every age group is represented as these different groups all experience trauma in their lives regardless of their backgrounds or ethnicity.

As you read this book, you will see that it is only God who can give peace and comfort in every situation. Whatever challenges and issues you may have gone through or are presently facing, remember Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and those who have been physically, spiritually, and mentally wounded. Let Him remove your emotional scars today and give you beauty for ashes, because He cares for you.

Yvonne D. Rose

Oh Lord, I Am So Wounded!

Yvonne D. Rose

Oh Lord, I am so wounded!

I am hurt, and feeling pain. I

have been lied on, criticized,

ostracized, ridiculed and

rejected.

Oh Lord, I am so wounded!

I have been used and abused.

They have slandered my name.

Oh Lord, I am so wounded!

I come to you for help, because

you understand my pain. You

are touched with the feelings

of my infirmities.

Oh Lord, I am so wounded!

You love me, and care about

my hurts. You said You

would never leave me,

nor forsake me

O Lord, I am so wounded!

You are my Helper, my

Deliverer, My Healer, so

I come to You, holy Father

in the name of Jesus,

because You are my very

present help in times

of trouble.

CHAPTER 1

Our Emotional State

God made humans as tri-part beings. We consist of body, soul, and a spirit. Our body is the physical part that can be seen. It is a container or a house for our spirit and our soul. Our soul and our spirit cannot be seen by the naked or natural eyes. The Bible tells us that we cannot exist without our spirit, because at death, the spirit leaves our body and enters eternity. The spirit and soul or the mind, however, will always exist. In our soul or mind is contained our emotions. What are our emotions? It could be described as the state of our being. It forms our personality and leads to our character.

Bruised Emotions

Some people have strong emotions, and this can be seen in how they behave. They are outgoing, friendly, and sometimes loud. They can be abrasive, while others have a quiet personality. They are quiet and timid. They do not make friends easily and tend to keep to themselves. Some people are described as being very emotional and wear their emotions on their sleeves. They are affected by things such as music, books, and poetry. I have been described as being an emotional person. Music affects me in a tremendous way. I will sing and dance at the sound of certain songs. I like different kinds of Christian music, but worship is my favorite form of music. Even before I became a Christian, I used to prefer the slow, romantic form of music. Men and women behave in different ways according to how they feel. Women, for example, will respond to flowers by adoring them, sniffing at them, and making adoring exclamations. Most men are not usually affected by flowers and may not even notice the flowers, their wives or friends have used to decorate the room. An emotional person will tend to like romantic novels and movies. They can be artistic and creative. They are inspired by poetry and flowery speeches.

Our emotions are an important part of our being, but they can be affected by events that affect us as we go through this life. A person with damaged emotions can become a threat to society. Many crimes such as murders and rapes are sometimes committed as a result of a person who has been deeply wounded by society. This can be seen in the schools and the universities in this age. Students who have been ostracized and ridiculed have allowed their emotions to erupt in rage and destroyed not only their own lives but the lives of other innocent people who had nothing to do with their problems. The prisons are full of enraged men and women who have taken matters into their own hands and destroyed the people who have abused and rejected them. They did not know that if they had prayed and asked God for help, He would have given them the peace they needed and taken care of the people who had abused them. God says in His Word, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom. 12:19).

People have to be careful today because of what is termed road rage. Enraged drivers may have weapons that could be used in a confrontation with other drivers on the road. They will scream and swear at the people who upset them, because of the state of mind that they left home in. Children who have been sexually abused by parents or other family members sometimes become sexually abusers themselves. They have nursed their wounds and resort to the same action that they despised, that was done to them. Some people who have sexually transmitted diseases will deliberately pass it on to other lovers, because they are angry of what was done to them. I remember a case some years ago, where this teenage young man knowingly passed on AIDS to teenage girls that he had relationships with. This was an angry young man whose life had been messed up by someone, and he decided that he was going to destroy as many lives as he could.

Mental Illness

The asylums are packed with people who have had emotional breakdowns. They could not cope with the problems that life had dealt them. They gave up on life due to the emotional strain on their minds, and this led to a mind out of control. What are some of the causes that led to such an emotional state? A divorcee left alone with no one to care for her, because her spouse has found someone he is more attracted to. She has gained weight and lost her youthful appearance. The divorced man who has lost everything to a deceitful wife. The marriage covenant states in sickness and in health, but when sickness comes to either spouse, one may decide to take off. They cannot cope with the breakdown of health and decide to leave. At the moment when he is needed the most, he is gone. I remember a case when I was living in Baltimore, Maryland. I was working as a nursing assistant in a nursing home. There was a young woman who I believed had a stroke. She just lay in bed all curled up in an almost fetal position. I was told that her husband left her there and never bothered to return. It was so sad to know that the woman he once loved and married, he rejected due to ill health. He wanted to get on with his life, and she was a hindrance to him. I do not think I can imagine the state of mind she must have been in, as she lay there thinking about the man she loved—the spouse who left her, even though he had taken a vow until death do us part.

Mental illness is sometimes due to depression. Tragedies in the lives of some individuals are so unbearable that the mind breaks down, and the individual ends up in a mental institution. Medication is given to alleviate the condition. People experiencing psychiatric problems find it easier to sit on the psychiatric couch, spending at least one hundred dollars an hour, to pour out their innermost secrets to a stranger. These forms of therapy do help in some instances. However, I firmly believe that the emotional state of a person can only be helped by the Creator who made them.

The Spirit World

The spirit world is very real. People who have performed heinous crimes stated that they heard voices telling them to commit these acts. A mother who drowns her young babies will state that voices told her to drown the children she bore and love. Mental patients will be seen conversing with themselves. Who are they talking to? Is this just an emotional state of ill health? Are they pretending as some crime prevention officers believe? No! There is an unseen world that some people are able to see and hear in, as the Lord allows. Even some Christians do not believe that the spirit world is real. However, Jesus had many encounters and confrontations with the unseen world of spirits, whether of angels or demons. I have had personal experiences with the world of spirits both of angels and demons. I have seen angels many times. About a month ago, I saw a huge angel in my bedroom, while I was praying. He was suspended in the air with his wings spread out. This is the fourth time I have seen angels while praying. On September 24, 2010, I was on jury duty at Queens County court in New York. While trying to park, I was suddenly aware of a white male standing by my car. He looked Italian. I remember thinking, He is handsome. I had just driven by and did not see anyone standing there. I said in my mind, Where did he come from? I was startled, but he helped me to park, because the Lord knows I have a problem parking. After parking, I turned around to tell him thanks, but he had disappeared just as suddenly as he appeared. I looked all around after I got out the car, but he was nowhere to be found. The Bible tells us that we must be careful how we treat strangers because we may be talking to an angel. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Heb. 13:2). I have also seen demon spirits and heard them speaking daily. Sometimes when I rebuke them, I can see them running away and cursing at me. I was in a church near my job for a midday service one day, and suddenly while praying, I saw a huge serpent trying to bite me. I rebuked it, and then I saw a huge demon spirit flying away over Broadway in NYC. This was recently in July 2010. On another occasion, I was also in a midday service near my job. This was several years ago. Suddenly I heard a click and saw a beautiful angel in the air looking straight at the lady who was preaching. Then I heard another click, and I could not see him anymore. I knew he was still there, but the Lord opened the spirit realm for a second and turned it off again. I have had many of these experiences, but I just want you to see how real the spirit realm is. I have had these encounters since I was a child. My grandmother once told me that she did not know that I was born with cord over my eyes. This was after I told her of what I was seeing. This is a West Indian way of stating that I was seeing in the spirit world.

I know that when a person becomes depressed or just feeling down during times of stress, these demon spirits will take advantage of their emotional state of mind. They will attack the individual’s mind, and if that person is not a child of God, they will not have the ability to rebuke these spirits. These spirits will be around the individual and even in their faces speaking things in the air, and that person will think these thoughts are his own. I am giving my personal experiences. I can see these spirits around me and in my face talking all kinds of thoughts that I know are not my own. They will speak profanity and say the most horrible things about people and try to get individuals to do things that are not right. I remember the Holy Spirit saying to me once, Recognize where it is coming from. I did not realize that the things I was hearing were not my own thoughts.

God, the Source of Help

How can we get help with our emotions? The Word of God is our source of peace and deliverance. God has promised to keep us in peace if we keep our minds on Him. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace; whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee (Isa. 26:3). Only God can give healing to a troubled mind and calm our emotions. He may choose to work through the medical doctor, but the God of the universe should be the first Person to turn to in times of stress. Demons cannot stand the presence of Christian music in the home and the preaching of the Word of God. It is a good idea to keep these things in the home and to listen to them constantly. Sometimes when I am praising God while listening to music, I can hear the demons complaining that they are tired of me and cannot stand me. A daily reading of the Bible also helps to calm a troubled mind. It is no wonder the Word of God tells us, Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them (Ps. 119:165). Are you burdened down today? Jesus invites you to come to Him and give Him your problems. You cannot solve them by yourself. You do not want to spend the rest of your life taking drugs for depression.

Children with Bruised Emotions

It is sad that in today’s society, even young children are being medicated with strong medication for emotional problems. I remember some children we intended to adopt who lived with us for a short time. They were being medicated for hyperactivity to calm their behavior. One of the girls told me she heard footsteps behind her, and she would call him a he. She was nine years of age at the time. She also had a visitation from the Lord. While sleeping, she dreamt of a Man coming on a cloud, and He spoke to her and told her she did not have to be afraid. She declared, I know it is God. She did not even know that the Bible states that Jesus will be coming on a cloud when He returns to the earth in Revelation 1:7. One of the girls told me that the reason for their bad behavior was me not giving them their medication. She was eight years old, but was learning to rely on drugs to help them to behave. Some of these drugs have side effects such as suicide. The youngest child said that she wanted to jump through the window. We had to send them back because of uncontrollable behavior. They needed daily medication to keep them calm. The mother was on drugs, and I believe this affected their minds. However, they had emotional problems as well. God has a plan for their lives, and He is going to use them. I could discern spiritual gifts in these children, and the devil did not want them in our home. The eight-year-old girl displayed preaching ability. She would imitate me by praying in tongues, rebuking the devil, and using the same words I used while praying. She would shake like she was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was interesting to listen to her when I asked her to pray. Even their social worker realized that there was something peculiar about these children because she stated these were special children and they were actors. She did not understand them, but she could discern that there was something different about them. The director told me that they needed a spiritual home.

Many teenagers commit suicide due to medication taken for emotional problems that they are unable to cope with. Once while I was out on the street in midtown New York, some young men stood around listening to me preaching and declaring that Jesus loves us and wants to save us. These young men were training to become comedians. One of them told me that Jesus did not love him, because He was telling him to commit suicide. Now this young man was training to make people laugh so that they could forget their problems. Yet he was depressed, because he was having emotional problems. I told the young man that it was not Jesus who told him to commit suicide. The Bible states that the devil is a murderer and a thief. There are different kinds of spirits, and they are assigned to affect our lives in various ways and suicide is one of them. Jesus said if we give Him our burdens, we can take His burden which is much lighter and then we will be able to cope and have peace. Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… Take up my yoke for… My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matt. 11:28-30, HCSB).

Sources of Stress

The death of a loved one can be the source of emotional stress. The death of a family member, a spouse, or a friend can cause the ones who are left behind to breakdown, due to sadness and depression. I had a close sister in the Lord who died. We were coworkers, but she went to another agency. We used to witness on the streets together, go shopping together, and visit each other’s church. We had not spoken for some time, because she did not tell anyone of her illness, not even her own sisters. When I heard of her death, I became depressed and declared that I was not going to enjoy Christmas. I sat in the bathroom feeling very down, when suddenly I heard poetry in my spirit about the Isabel I Knew. I had never written a poem before. The Holy Spirit said rise and be healed in the name of Jesus. As I arose, the depression left instantly. I wrote the poem, The Isabel I Knew, in memory of my sister in the Lord. I still miss her, because she was a good friend and a genuine Christian. She told me once that she had a dream where she saw herself flying around a house in the sky, with the name Isabel written on it. I did not realize that the Lord was showing her that He would soon be taking her home.

Many people who lost loved ones in 911 are still suffering the result of that separation. They cannot seem to get over the grief of their loss. It is hard for them to go on with their lives. It is good to go through a period of grieving for a time, but it is not healthy to continue this for an indefinite period. This will cause ill health as the body becomes affected due to stress. The loss of a spouse can cause loneliness, especially if they had a good marriage. The remaining spouse has to seek God for another mate, which will help overcome the loss of companionship. God stated that He is a companion to the widow. "And shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood anymore. For thy Maker is thine husband: the Lord of hosts is his name…" (Isa. 54:4-5)

Our heavenly Father is the source of our comfort, and He has given the believer His Spirit to comfort and to guide us. Jesus told His disciples before He returned to heaven that He would not leave them without a Comforter. He was having the last meal with them before going to the cross. He had spent three years with them, and now He was telling them that He was going to die. They were very depressed. They could not understand some of the things He was telling them. He comforted them by saying, Let not your heart be troubled… (John 14:1). He told them not to be troubled because He was not going to leave them as orphans. He would send them another Comforter, who was His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a companion and a comfort to every believer. Jesus told them that the Holy Spirit would not only live on the inside of them, but He would also walk beside them. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor… He is the Spirit of truth… He remains with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17, Holman). Jesus is the problem-solver and the burden bearer. He is willing to take our fears, anger, stress, and all forms of mental disorders, if we only call on Him. Medication is not always the answer for emotional stress. Sometimes deliverance is what is needed to calm a troubled mind. Jesus told His disciples that He was giving them peace, because they were afraid and uncertain of what the future would be like. They had expected Him to overthrow the oppressive Roman government. They had left their families and business to follow Jesus. Now He was facing death and leaving them alone. Even though He tried to comfort them, they were terrified. They were hiding behind closed doors, after running away and leaving Jesus alone when He was arrested. It was only when the Holy Spirit came from heaven and they were baptized that they became bold men and were willing to die for the cause of what they believed in. Jesus had spoken peace over their lives, but this took some time to be manifested in them. Are you feeling alone, depressed, and fearful now? Remember the words of Christ, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid

(John 14:27).

In the other chapters, I will take a look at some of the people in the Bible who also experienced emotional hurts and problems and the effect it had on their lives. The Bible is our road map for a successful life. It points us to our heavenly Father who wants to protect and deliver us from the wear and tear of the effects of the world on our minds. He is the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort. The Word of God does not hide the problems of biblical characters. It shows us their failures as an example, so we can avoid these mistakes and turn to the right source for help. Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the end of the ages have come. (1 Cor. 10:11, HCSB).

CHAPTER 2

Hagar, a Woman Used and Abused

Ever since the beginning of time, both male and female and even children have been the target of abuse. Women, however, have been mainly the victims of these abuses. It is constantly in the news of the physical assault on women, and in many instances, it leads to their death.

Types of Abuse

Relationships that started out so beautifully, sometimes ends up in tragic circumstances due to a breakdown in their understanding of each other needs. Their desire and attitude toward each other have changed, and the love and respect that was once there is now lost. One spouse may try to make the relationship work by seeking counsel, but sometimes there is so much hostility that it is better for separation to take place. Abuse takes many forms—physical, mental, and spiritual.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is the most dangerous, especially if weapons and bodily harm is being done to another person. Women have become disfigured and suffered broken bones, kicked, and knocked downstairs even when they are pregnant. A mate who is an alcoholic, a drug user, or experiencing financial or emotional problems as jealousy may take out his frustration on the woman he has at home. He will subject her to a daily dose of beating, until she takes some action to end the relationship. Some women have gone to the law to get an order of protection against these men, but sometimes this does not help. They have been stalked and murdered when they filed for divorce.

Mental/Emotional Abuse

Mental abuse is just as humiliating. He may not hit her, but a male can use such abusive language toward a woman that her self-confidence is eroded daily. Her self-worth can be brought down to such a degree that she begins to see herself as being unworthy to be loved. She feels as if she is not worth anything. He can deride her about her weight, if she has lost the figure that she once had when they were first married. She begins to lack confidence in her ability to be a good mother and mate for her husband. He compares her to the other women on the job. He finds fault with her ability to be a responsible housewife, she does not know how to make herself attractive, she does not fulfill or even satisfy him sexually. She tries very hard to live up to his expectations, but it still does not work. She does not see her value. She does not realize that she is loved and valued by her Maker. God sees us as being beautiful in His sight,  . . . I have been remarkably and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14, HCSB).

Spiritual Abuse

Spiritual abuse is more subtle. This can take the form of playful jesting, crude remarks, rejection, criticism concerning spiritual growth, and judgmental remarks from both believers and unbelievers. This can also come from spiritual leaders, because the devil will use anyone who makes themselves available for his tactics. They may not even be aware that they are being used to abuse their brother or sister in Christ. I have suffered so much abuse both from believers and unbelievers. Sometimes, it was done deliberately by people who set out to hurt me; however, sometimes, believers do not realize that they were being used to create conflict. The devil likes to create division among the brethren because he knows that where there is unity, the anointing and the blessings will begin to flow in the church. In Psalm 133, David declared that it is a beautiful thing when believers are united. God wants us to be of the same mind and spirit, so that His power can be demonstrated in the church, and then the world will believe us because we love one another.

Abraham and Sarah

Abraham is described as the father of faith. He had faith to believe God, even when the promises of God seemed impossible to come to pass. God called Abraham His friend. It is really a great compliment when the Creator of the universe regards a human being as His friend, so that He would not hide what He was about to do from him. Such was this man Abraham. However, he too had human failings. God told him to walk before Him and be perfect. God simply wanted Abraham to live a holy life, because absolute perfection will not be attained until we go to heaven. While we are in this sinful world, we are subject to the sin nature of the world. God had asked this elderly man to leave his home in Ur in ancient Mesopotamia, which is today called Iraq, and travel to an unknown location. He obeyed God and left, but not alone as God wanted him to do. He took his wife Sarah with him. She was not only his wife, but his half sister, because they had the same father Terah, but different mothers. However, Abraham also took his father and his nephew Lot with him. After the death of his father, he traveled on to Egypt with his family, because of a severe famine in the land of Canaan where they had moved to, which today is called Israel. Now Sarah was an extremely beautiful woman even at age sixty-five. Abraham had made an agreement with her to tell everyone who inquired about their marital status that they were brother and sister. Abraham had a close relationship with God, yet he feared for his life. He believed that he would be killed by a suitor who desired to have Sarah. So Abraham lied to protect his own skin. He was willing to jeopardize his wife’s integrity, instead of putting his trust in God to protect them. The Bible tells us that we must be careful of negative thoughts and words, because what we have spoken will come to pass; we will have what we say. Besides this, the devil knew that God had a great plan for their lives, because it was out of their descendants that Jesus, the Messiah and Savior, would come. So you know the devil would try to derail the plans of God and hinder what God had planned to do. God has declared that He will work and asked the question, Who can hinder or stop Him? When they arrived in Egypt, just as Abraham had feared happened to him. King Pharaoh was told of Sarah’s astounding beauty, and Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house (Gen. 12:15, Holman). To compensate for the loss of Sarah, Abraham was given wealth in the form of flocks, herds of cattle, and male and female slaves. God had to intervene to stop Pharaoh from marrying Sarah, by sending a plague on him and his people. Pharaoh was very angry with Abraham for deceiving him and ordered him to leave the country. He asked Abraham, Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife… Why did you say, She’s my sister’, so that I took her… (Gen. 12:18-19, HCSB)

Sarah’s Mistake

It is the desire of every married couple to have children. Sarah could not have any children, and this was looked on as being shameful in the Bible days. It is said desperate people will resort to desperate means. Such was the case with Sarah. In biblical times, it was the custom of barren women to allow their female servants to have children on their behalf, and the children would be claimed as their own. To solidify this, the pregnant mother would give birth on the lap of the barren mistress. Abraham and Sarah had been given female servants before leaving Egypt, and it is believed that Hagar was one