What is a defining moment? Who decides? Who gets to choose? They happen in every one's life. Some lives have multiple moments, but every life has at least one. When do you know it's a defining moment? Usually, you don't look at it as defining until you are looking back on it.
Throughout the Bible, we see many people who walked through their defining moments. Some of those moments left the people hurting, after they "chose poorly," to borrow the phrase from Indiana Jones. Adam and Eve chose poorly and they were kicked out of Eden and the life they knew was over. Others, however, were carried into much love and success, as was Joseph and Daniel and many others, who held faithful to God even in the midst of events that could have ended their lives.
My favorite of all the defining moment stories is the one told of Esther. Esther, a.k.a. Hadassah, was kidnapped in the night, from her home and taken to the palace, along with all the other virgins in the village. The girls were pampered and given queen lessons, but it was Esther who won the heart of the king. Her uncle, who had raised her from the time she was a child, sent a message to her, that the king and his men were plotting to wipe out all the Jews in the land--being Jewish, herself, that struck fear in her heart. However, in those days, to approach her husband the king, without being summoned, would have cost her her life.
After a short time, her uncle send her a second message: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). Esther's future and the lives of the Jews stood at a precipice. Do nothing and all was lost. Speak up, and who knows...?
What about you? Have you ever faced a decision that could change your future forever? Perhaps the decision you had to face was not "life or death," like Esther's, but maybe yours would bring about the death of your dreams.
I had a decision like that to make. I had stopped at a friend's house on the way home one night and when I was about to leave, I was upset because I didn't know what I wanted for my future. My friend asked me what I wanted to do with my life and I said I didn't know. She looked at me and said, "Yes, you do." So I began to cry and said that I wanted to write. I've always wanted to write. Being able to write was my saving grace as a child, it gave me a stress release as a young adult and teenager. Writing has always been my companion. When I stood in my friend's entryway, crying, I was fearful. I had this passion deep inside of me and I wanted God to bless it, but I didn't know if He would. My friend looked at me and said that I needed to give it over to God to do what He wanted to do with it. I said I was afraid, because what if He didn't want me to write anymore? She said that if He didn't want me to write anymore, He'd take away the desire from my heart. I cried and we prayed and I gave my gift to God that night. Since that night, I've been writing things for God's glory. Thank you, Lord, for this gift you've given me.
The reason that such stories, like the story of Esther, who did go against tradition and approach the king without being summoned, are in the Bible, is so that they can teach us. We will all have at least one defining moment in our lives. Your most important one might still be before you. I pray that as you approach decisions that make you hold your breath, that you would think back to Esther and remember, "And who knows but that you have come...for such a time as this."
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Held Up Together
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites...Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out and fight. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." So Joshua fought the Amalekites...and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired...Aaron and Hur held up his hands--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. ~ Exodus 17:8-13
Moses was one of those people who never did anything "on the fly." He sought God with strong determination. He prayed and was daily walking with the Lord. But, like all of us, he was just a man and needed his friends on each side to help him win the battle. Moses was very intentional. He specifically chose Aaron and Hur to accompany him, because he knew they would not abandon their post at his side, but would help to keep him going.
Are you battling something today? Perhaps your marriage doesn't look the same as it did when you were engaged. Perhaps your rose-colored glasses have fallen off and you now see the world only through dark lenses. Or perhaps your children aren't the angels they were when they were younger and you're tired of sleepless nights, worrying about where they are and what they are doing. Perhaps your pain is a medical issue and "standing strong in your faith" isn't quite as easy as it sounds. Perhaps your job, the "perfect" job, boss, pay, etc., isn't all it's cracked up to be and things have become so stressful that you're thinking of walking away. Perhaps money is tight and you or your spouse hasn't worked in several months. But instead of leaning more on each other, you're bickering with each other. Instead of fighting for each other, you're fighting with each other. You're so stressed to the core that your heart aches for better days long ago that you think will never be again. What are you to do?
Follow the example that Moses gave. Moses took two people to stand with him for his part of the battle. Those two people eventually held him up when he had no strength left of his own. Remember, whenever Moses lifted his hands up to the Lord, the Israelites were winning. But, whenever he lowered his hands, the other side was winning. If you are in a battle and you feel like the "other side" is winning, don't give up, don't call it a day; call in reinforcements! Lift your hands up to the Lord and ask others to join with you, to stand with you, to pray with you, to encourage you. Then, when the day comes that you're too weary and weak to lift your hands up on your own, your friends, your partners, your brothers and sisters in Christ can hold them up for you. We were never meant to walk through this life alone, that's why God gave us brothers and sisters in Christ. Call upon them, ask them to stand with you, and win the battle.
Moses was one of those people who never did anything "on the fly." He sought God with strong determination. He prayed and was daily walking with the Lord. But, like all of us, he was just a man and needed his friends on each side to help him win the battle. Moses was very intentional. He specifically chose Aaron and Hur to accompany him, because he knew they would not abandon their post at his side, but would help to keep him going.
Are you battling something today? Perhaps your marriage doesn't look the same as it did when you were engaged. Perhaps your rose-colored glasses have fallen off and you now see the world only through dark lenses. Or perhaps your children aren't the angels they were when they were younger and you're tired of sleepless nights, worrying about where they are and what they are doing. Perhaps your pain is a medical issue and "standing strong in your faith" isn't quite as easy as it sounds. Perhaps your job, the "perfect" job, boss, pay, etc., isn't all it's cracked up to be and things have become so stressful that you're thinking of walking away. Perhaps money is tight and you or your spouse hasn't worked in several months. But instead of leaning more on each other, you're bickering with each other. Instead of fighting for each other, you're fighting with each other. You're so stressed to the core that your heart aches for better days long ago that you think will never be again. What are you to do?
Follow the example that Moses gave. Moses took two people to stand with him for his part of the battle. Those two people eventually held him up when he had no strength left of his own. Remember, whenever Moses lifted his hands up to the Lord, the Israelites were winning. But, whenever he lowered his hands, the other side was winning. If you are in a battle and you feel like the "other side" is winning, don't give up, don't call it a day; call in reinforcements! Lift your hands up to the Lord and ask others to join with you, to stand with you, to pray with you, to encourage you. Then, when the day comes that you're too weary and weak to lift your hands up on your own, your friends, your partners, your brothers and sisters in Christ can hold them up for you. We were never meant to walk through this life alone, that's why God gave us brothers and sisters in Christ. Call upon them, ask them to stand with you, and win the battle.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Though it Linger
Habakkuk's Complaint:
How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? ... Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds...(Habakkuk 1:2-3)
The Lord's Answer:
Look at the nations and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told...(Hab 1:5)
Habakkuk's Second Complaint:
O Lord, are you not from everlasting? ... Why are you silent...(Hab 1:12,13)
The Lord's Answer:
The revelation awaits an appointed time...though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay...(Hab 2:3)
We all complain and cry out to the Lord. We demand answers! My way and my timing, is what we tell the Lord. The Lord does not rebuke, but gently reminds us that it will come, for certain, but in His way and His timing, not our own. The Book of Habakkuk began with two complaints and ends with this prayer: Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known, (Hab 3:2).
Today, I make that my prayer:
Lord, I stand in awe of you. All that you have done, the beauty you have laid before me, the miracles I have seen in my life and the lives of those whom I know, it takes my breath away. Lord, forgive me for standing at your throne, as if it were a drive-thru window, demanding my way in 30 seconds or less. Father, you have given me a revelation and a time--your time. You said, "though it linger, wait for it." Lord, I have been talking these last few days, about the challenges that waiting present: doubt, fear, anxiety. I know those feelings are not from You, but You have given me the opportunity to overcome them, by drawing closer to You. As I sat on the couch a few hours ago, fear and doubt just beyond the edge of my thoughts, I thought about the story of the woman who was swimming in the fog and had she known, if she could have seen, that the shore was just a few more feet, yards, whatever, up ahead, she would not have given up. Lord, I do not want my story--Your story--to be that I came so close and let fear and doubt overwhelm me. Lord, I want you to get all the glory and all the fame. Father, I am within a short distance of victory, adorned to the world as full healing. Lord, I'm going to run into your arms of victory and lift You high, for all the world to see. Thank you, Father, that you have been my strength and you have sustained me. I love you, Lord. Good night.
How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? ... Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds...(Habakkuk 1:2-3)
The Lord's Answer:
Look at the nations and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told...(Hab 1:5)
Habakkuk's Second Complaint:
O Lord, are you not from everlasting? ... Why are you silent...(Hab 1:12,13)
The Lord's Answer:
The revelation awaits an appointed time...though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay...(Hab 2:3)
We all complain and cry out to the Lord. We demand answers! My way and my timing, is what we tell the Lord. The Lord does not rebuke, but gently reminds us that it will come, for certain, but in His way and His timing, not our own. The Book of Habakkuk began with two complaints and ends with this prayer: Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known, (Hab 3:2).
Today, I make that my prayer:
Lord, I stand in awe of you. All that you have done, the beauty you have laid before me, the miracles I have seen in my life and the lives of those whom I know, it takes my breath away. Lord, forgive me for standing at your throne, as if it were a drive-thru window, demanding my way in 30 seconds or less. Father, you have given me a revelation and a time--your time. You said, "though it linger, wait for it." Lord, I have been talking these last few days, about the challenges that waiting present: doubt, fear, anxiety. I know those feelings are not from You, but You have given me the opportunity to overcome them, by drawing closer to You. As I sat on the couch a few hours ago, fear and doubt just beyond the edge of my thoughts, I thought about the story of the woman who was swimming in the fog and had she known, if she could have seen, that the shore was just a few more feet, yards, whatever, up ahead, she would not have given up. Lord, I do not want my story--Your story--to be that I came so close and let fear and doubt overwhelm me. Lord, I want you to get all the glory and all the fame. Father, I am within a short distance of victory, adorned to the world as full healing. Lord, I'm going to run into your arms of victory and lift You high, for all the world to see. Thank you, Father, that you have been my strength and you have sustained me. I love you, Lord. Good night.
Personal Care
I've heard that when a "new believer" asks, "Where do I begin reading the Bible?" you should tell him or her to begin in the Gospels. A lot of people think that Mark is the easiest to read, so start there. Others say that Luke is the most detailed, so that's the best place. And so on and so forth. There was a young man we were talking to recently who said he wasn't sure about this whole "Christian thing." Of course, we asked him to explain. He said he didn't like the examples he'd been given and so that left him feeling that all Christians were fake and he didn't want to be like them. We told him that a relationship with Jesus didn't have to be like what he saw in so many other people. We said that his relationship with Jesus would be unique to him. He said he still wasn't sure, so we challenged him to read the Book of Luke.
A few weeks later, we saw him again and asked him what he thought of it. He said, "There's a lot of healing in there. Every time I turn around, Jesus was healing someone else." His answer was such a unique way of looking at it, that it just kind of struck me as...eye opening. Here's someone who feels he has everything to lose by searching out "this Jesus person", and so read the Book of Luke and felt he's not gotten much out of it, because all he's seen Jesus do was heal people.
What if that's what we saw? Depending upon the version you read, the word, "healed" appears 39 times in the Gospels, and a total of 52 times in the New Testament. For someone actively seeking a healing for their life, that should provide a lot of hope. As we read in the Gospels, all who touched Jesus were healed, and many He healed with just a word. What about the man who was born blind, in John 9. The man, then healed, described the personal care that Jesus took in healing him, "[He] made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see," (John 9:11).
Perhaps, like this man, you did nothing to call upon you the pain or suffering you are feeling. Perhaps you were simply born into a fallen world, but Jesus wants to use your circumstances to touch you in a personal way, so that you will go and share with others all that He has done for you. Ask Jesus today, if He will touch you in a personal way. Ask Him to show you if there is anything that you must do. Like the blind man, are you to wash off the mud, the healing salve, or are you to just wait and believe. James 1:6 says that we must believe and not doubt. Waiting can leave you feeling weary, and weariness allows easier passage for doubt to creep in. Perhaps your only "assignment" is to wait without doubt. Pray and ask the Lord to give you strength, so that you will rise up, above the doubt and weariness, on wings like eagles, (see Isaiah 40:31).
A few weeks later, we saw him again and asked him what he thought of it. He said, "There's a lot of healing in there. Every time I turn around, Jesus was healing someone else." His answer was such a unique way of looking at it, that it just kind of struck me as...eye opening. Here's someone who feels he has everything to lose by searching out "this Jesus person", and so read the Book of Luke and felt he's not gotten much out of it, because all he's seen Jesus do was heal people.
What if that's what we saw? Depending upon the version you read, the word, "healed" appears 39 times in the Gospels, and a total of 52 times in the New Testament. For someone actively seeking a healing for their life, that should provide a lot of hope. As we read in the Gospels, all who touched Jesus were healed, and many He healed with just a word. What about the man who was born blind, in John 9. The man, then healed, described the personal care that Jesus took in healing him, "[He] made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see," (John 9:11).
Perhaps, like this man, you did nothing to call upon you the pain or suffering you are feeling. Perhaps you were simply born into a fallen world, but Jesus wants to use your circumstances to touch you in a personal way, so that you will go and share with others all that He has done for you. Ask Jesus today, if He will touch you in a personal way. Ask Him to show you if there is anything that you must do. Like the blind man, are you to wash off the mud, the healing salve, or are you to just wait and believe. James 1:6 says that we must believe and not doubt. Waiting can leave you feeling weary, and weariness allows easier passage for doubt to creep in. Perhaps your only "assignment" is to wait without doubt. Pray and ask the Lord to give you strength, so that you will rise up, above the doubt and weariness, on wings like eagles, (see Isaiah 40:31).
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Got People?
"Your 'hit-by-a-bus' person," that's what Pastor Sean called it. He asked, is there a "job" or a "calling" you are doing that is important enough that it should continue if you are hit by a bus? If so, then you need a person or a few people to carry on the work you are doing once--or if--you are gone. He said to start raising them up early, because it takes time to raise up new leaders.
This isn't a new concept that Pastor Sean had. And even when it was passed on to him, the previous person wasn't the first one to come up with it. Granted, this may have been the first time it was called a "hit-by-a-bus person," but the concept goes all the way back to the beginning. Not the beginning of our church, but the Beginning.
In Genesis 1:27, God created man and woman. In Genesis 1:28, God told them, "Be fruitful and multiply." The phrase, "be fruitful," comes from the Hebrew word, "parah," meaning, "to branch off, to increase, to grow," (blueletterbible.org). The word for "multiply" is the Hebrew word "rabah," meaning, "to become great, become many, become numerous, to increase greatly and exceedingly," (blueletterbible.org). Now, fast forward in time to when Jesus walked on the earth with His disciples. In John 15:16, Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit..." Just as Jesus' disciples were chosen--hand-picked--to learn Jesus' ways and to bring up others in the same ways, you have been hand-picked, chosen before the beginning of time, to raise up others to follow Jesus and to lead others to do the same.
This concept became a reality to me when I was injured over a month ago and was unavailable to lead Bible study at work. There have always been a couple people whom I felt could do it--could lead if I was not available. Fortunately, one of those people stepped in and picked up the slack while I was out. Do you have a "job" or a "calling" that's important enough that it should continue if you become unavailable? If so, do you have at least one "hit-by-a-bus" person? Paul had Timothy, Jesus had the disciples, who do you have?
This isn't a new concept that Pastor Sean had. And even when it was passed on to him, the previous person wasn't the first one to come up with it. Granted, this may have been the first time it was called a "hit-by-a-bus person," but the concept goes all the way back to the beginning. Not the beginning of our church, but the Beginning.
In Genesis 1:27, God created man and woman. In Genesis 1:28, God told them, "Be fruitful and multiply." The phrase, "be fruitful," comes from the Hebrew word, "parah," meaning, "to branch off, to increase, to grow," (blueletterbible.org). The word for "multiply" is the Hebrew word "rabah," meaning, "to become great, become many, become numerous, to increase greatly and exceedingly," (blueletterbible.org). Now, fast forward in time to when Jesus walked on the earth with His disciples. In John 15:16, Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit..." Just as Jesus' disciples were chosen--hand-picked--to learn Jesus' ways and to bring up others in the same ways, you have been hand-picked, chosen before the beginning of time, to raise up others to follow Jesus and to lead others to do the same.
This concept became a reality to me when I was injured over a month ago and was unavailable to lead Bible study at work. There have always been a couple people whom I felt could do it--could lead if I was not available. Fortunately, one of those people stepped in and picked up the slack while I was out. Do you have a "job" or a "calling" that's important enough that it should continue if you become unavailable? If so, do you have at least one "hit-by-a-bus" person? Paul had Timothy, Jesus had the disciples, who do you have?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Make Lemonade
Therefore, thus says the Lord, "If you return, then I will restore you--before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman," ~ Jeremiah 15:19
Have you ever heard the phrase, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade," or "If life is bowl full of cherries, why am I always in the pits"? Those are cute and funny sayings until you are the person they are being said about. Going through a test or trial is hard enough without the world standing and pointing a finger. Have you ever been some place, possibly a church or youth group, where different people where sharing their testimonies and your thought was, "Wow! Wish I had one of those." You don't really mean that, because to have someone else's testimony, means that you would have had to go through all the same pain and turmoil that the other person went through in order to have their story to share.
Every person, once they have come through a test or trial, has a testimony--a story--it's what they do with it that makes the difference. The Lord said, "And I...will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say: it [is] my people; and they shall say, the Lord [is] my God," (Zechariah 13:9). The Lord said He will "refine" us, meaning He will "smelt" or will separate what is pure and precious from the worthless waste. The Lord also said He will "try" us, meaning He will test our hearts to see what is truly hidden inside.
The Lord wants to use us and He will use us, if we will let Him. But first, we must allow Him to lay waste anything that is not of Him, anything that is not pure. It is not until we are "under fire" or going through harsh circumstances that the truth about a person comes through. A person may look pure, but when they are pressed on every side, what is it that comes out? Matthew 12:34 quotes, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." It is only when we are pressed on every side, squeezed like a grape, that the Lord can truly reveal what is hidden deep inside our hearts. It is through trial by fire that we are refined, that what is pure can be separated from everything else in our lives.
Jeremiah 15:19 says, "If you extract the precious from the worthless..." After your trial period has ended, you have a whole story to tell. What things will you carry on with you? What things will you share with others? Will you talk only about those who treated you badly? Will you carry with you the onset of the trial, the pain and grief it caused you? Will you stay in your pity party and invite others to commiserate with you? Or, will you share with others what God did through your trial? Will you allow His glory to be revealed? Will you use your testimony, your story, to lift people up and encourage their faith through the sharing of God's grace? It is only when you can extract the precious from the worthless that you will become the tool that God can use. God wants to use you, but the choice is yours. Will you stay in the pits or will you make lemonade?
Have you ever heard the phrase, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade," or "If life is bowl full of cherries, why am I always in the pits"? Those are cute and funny sayings until you are the person they are being said about. Going through a test or trial is hard enough without the world standing and pointing a finger. Have you ever been some place, possibly a church or youth group, where different people where sharing their testimonies and your thought was, "Wow! Wish I had one of those." You don't really mean that, because to have someone else's testimony, means that you would have had to go through all the same pain and turmoil that the other person went through in order to have their story to share.
Every person, once they have come through a test or trial, has a testimony--a story--it's what they do with it that makes the difference. The Lord said, "And I...will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say: it [is] my people; and they shall say, the Lord [is] my God," (Zechariah 13:9). The Lord said He will "refine" us, meaning He will "smelt" or will separate what is pure and precious from the worthless waste. The Lord also said He will "try" us, meaning He will test our hearts to see what is truly hidden inside.
The Lord wants to use us and He will use us, if we will let Him. But first, we must allow Him to lay waste anything that is not of Him, anything that is not pure. It is not until we are "under fire" or going through harsh circumstances that the truth about a person comes through. A person may look pure, but when they are pressed on every side, what is it that comes out? Matthew 12:34 quotes, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." It is only when we are pressed on every side, squeezed like a grape, that the Lord can truly reveal what is hidden deep inside our hearts. It is through trial by fire that we are refined, that what is pure can be separated from everything else in our lives.
Jeremiah 15:19 says, "If you extract the precious from the worthless..." After your trial period has ended, you have a whole story to tell. What things will you carry on with you? What things will you share with others? Will you talk only about those who treated you badly? Will you carry with you the onset of the trial, the pain and grief it caused you? Will you stay in your pity party and invite others to commiserate with you? Or, will you share with others what God did through your trial? Will you allow His glory to be revealed? Will you use your testimony, your story, to lift people up and encourage their faith through the sharing of God's grace? It is only when you can extract the precious from the worthless that you will become the tool that God can use. God wants to use you, but the choice is yours. Will you stay in the pits or will you make lemonade?
Monday, February 8, 2010
11:24 Healing
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it, and it will be yours ~ Mark 11:24
What does it mean to be healed? You could look it up in a college dictionary or even a Bible dictionary and you would read some standard answer along the lines of "cure" or to "made whole", etc. But what does it mean? I suppose it depends upon what it takes for you to be healed. I don't mean necessarily just "pain free." I've had plenty of doctors tell me that they were surprised by how much pain I was in considering how little they found wrong with me. But I don't think healing is simply about physical hurting. There is a woman I have heard about, but do not know, who suffers physically when things change in her world. So for her, "pain free" is not the answer, because it is something that happens in her mind (no, that is not to say it is all in her head) that causes her to experience physical anguish.
Healing is experienced differently by everyone, and while sometimes we are still left with physical ailments for one reason or another, I believe we have received our healing when we have handed over our lives to our Lord. Of course everyone who is sick longs to be delivered from that sickness, whether the sickness is physical, mental, emotional, or physiological. But I believe healing begins with freedom from the chains and the restraints that the "issue" has on you.
For example, I have a friend with a couple herniated discs in her back. It causes her tremendous amounts of pain. But, she has told me that when she is doing the work to which God has called her, He gives her grace and allows her to not experience pain while she is doing His tasks. Is she healed? She's not 100% pain free. But, she is free to do the work of the Lord. There is someone else I know who is in a lot of physical pain and that pain has only gotten worse to where it causes her a great deal of stress and emotional anguish. While the stress did not cause her pain, I believe it hasn't helped it and has probably, to some degree, exacerbated it. So, if she became free of the stress and emotional anguish, is that considered healing? Or, if her doctors to could find a way to alleviate her physical ailments, but her stress level was just the same, would she then be considered healed?
Healing is something the Lord delivers. To receive it is up to us. One definition of the word "heal" is "to be made whole," (blueletterbible.org). I believe it is when we allow Jesus to come in and fill up the cracks, dings, dents, and missing pieces of our lives--even if we don't know the extent to which we have them--our healing begins. For the girl whose pain was getting worse, she lifted her hands up to the Lord and declared, "Lord, I give it all to you. If it is for your glory that I am going through this, then I praise you. And Lord, if it is for your glory that you have not found fit to take this pain away, then Lord, I praise you. This life is yours and I give it all to you. Take my life. Take all of me. I'm yours." It was once she gave it over to the Lord that her healing began. She is still in pain today, but received word from the Lord that she would be healed--even more so than she had been before--soon.
But they that wait upon the Lord... Isaiah 40:31
What does it mean to be healed? You could look it up in a college dictionary or even a Bible dictionary and you would read some standard answer along the lines of "cure" or to "made whole", etc. But what does it mean? I suppose it depends upon what it takes for you to be healed. I don't mean necessarily just "pain free." I've had plenty of doctors tell me that they were surprised by how much pain I was in considering how little they found wrong with me. But I don't think healing is simply about physical hurting. There is a woman I have heard about, but do not know, who suffers physically when things change in her world. So for her, "pain free" is not the answer, because it is something that happens in her mind (no, that is not to say it is all in her head) that causes her to experience physical anguish.
Healing is experienced differently by everyone, and while sometimes we are still left with physical ailments for one reason or another, I believe we have received our healing when we have handed over our lives to our Lord. Of course everyone who is sick longs to be delivered from that sickness, whether the sickness is physical, mental, emotional, or physiological. But I believe healing begins with freedom from the chains and the restraints that the "issue" has on you.
For example, I have a friend with a couple herniated discs in her back. It causes her tremendous amounts of pain. But, she has told me that when she is doing the work to which God has called her, He gives her grace and allows her to not experience pain while she is doing His tasks. Is she healed? She's not 100% pain free. But, she is free to do the work of the Lord. There is someone else I know who is in a lot of physical pain and that pain has only gotten worse to where it causes her a great deal of stress and emotional anguish. While the stress did not cause her pain, I believe it hasn't helped it and has probably, to some degree, exacerbated it. So, if she became free of the stress and emotional anguish, is that considered healing? Or, if her doctors to could find a way to alleviate her physical ailments, but her stress level was just the same, would she then be considered healed?
Healing is something the Lord delivers. To receive it is up to us. One definition of the word "heal" is "to be made whole," (blueletterbible.org). I believe it is when we allow Jesus to come in and fill up the cracks, dings, dents, and missing pieces of our lives--even if we don't know the extent to which we have them--our healing begins. For the girl whose pain was getting worse, she lifted her hands up to the Lord and declared, "Lord, I give it all to you. If it is for your glory that I am going through this, then I praise you. And Lord, if it is for your glory that you have not found fit to take this pain away, then Lord, I praise you. This life is yours and I give it all to you. Take my life. Take all of me. I'm yours." It was once she gave it over to the Lord that her healing began. She is still in pain today, but received word from the Lord that she would be healed--even more so than she had been before--soon.
But they that wait upon the Lord... Isaiah 40:31
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Strangers in the World
Ever been some place new? What was the first thing you did? Did you get lost? Did you get lost a lot? Usually when I'm some place new, first I get lost, then I ask for directions, then I write it down or I get a map, or both. The building I work in is an entire city block long. On each floor, there are two kitchenettes and two sets of bathrooms. When I first started, it took me a good month to remember where I put my lunch. I remember how big and confusing everything was during my first weeks. Now my job is like clockwork. I don't even really need to think about the tasks that I need to do, I just do them. The same with finding my lunch or my desk, I just know where to look. The more time that passes, the more comfortable I am with my surroundings, and how I need to work in my surroundings. I think the opposite is true once we have given our lives to Christ.
I was reading 1 Peter and the opening sentence reads, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world," (1:1). That last part made me think a little bit. Peter said that God's elect are strangers in the world... in this world. I'm 29 years old. I've lived in this part of Florida for the past 9 1/2 years. I'd like to say that I'm pretty comfortable with my surroundings, and that I can pretty much find my way around. But, as God's elect, the more we walk with Christ, this world and everything in it should become foreign or alien to us.
There are a lot of places I've never been. If I went to Kansas, I'd consider myself a stranger there. I don't really know the unique laws there, or any city customs or celebrations. I would probably stand out as someone not "of" that area. There are many things that I love about living in Florida. One of my favorite things is that you can always tell immediately who does not live in Florida the majority of the time...we call them "Snow Birds" or "vacationers." They stand out really well, because they are the ones who think sunny and 45 degrees makes for a perfect beach day. I'm from Wisconsin, and I still don't think that 45 degrees makes for good beach weather.
From God's point of view, we're strangers, visitors, aliens in this world. We don't belong here and our spirits are not "of" this world, even though we must live in it. Even though I live in Florida, I'll always be from Wisconsin and Oshkosh will always be my hometown. However, my heart's desire and my future outlook is heaven bound. A question to ask yourself, to ponder: are you a stranger in this world or in the next?
I was reading 1 Peter and the opening sentence reads, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world," (1:1). That last part made me think a little bit. Peter said that God's elect are strangers in the world... in this world. I'm 29 years old. I've lived in this part of Florida for the past 9 1/2 years. I'd like to say that I'm pretty comfortable with my surroundings, and that I can pretty much find my way around. But, as God's elect, the more we walk with Christ, this world and everything in it should become foreign or alien to us.
There are a lot of places I've never been. If I went to Kansas, I'd consider myself a stranger there. I don't really know the unique laws there, or any city customs or celebrations. I would probably stand out as someone not "of" that area. There are many things that I love about living in Florida. One of my favorite things is that you can always tell immediately who does not live in Florida the majority of the time...we call them "Snow Birds" or "vacationers." They stand out really well, because they are the ones who think sunny and 45 degrees makes for a perfect beach day. I'm from Wisconsin, and I still don't think that 45 degrees makes for good beach weather.
From God's point of view, we're strangers, visitors, aliens in this world. We don't belong here and our spirits are not "of" this world, even though we must live in it. Even though I live in Florida, I'll always be from Wisconsin and Oshkosh will always be my hometown. However, my heart's desire and my future outlook is heaven bound. A question to ask yourself, to ponder: are you a stranger in this world or in the next?
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