I have seen their ways,
but I will heal them;
I will guide them and
restore comfort to
Israel’s mourners.Isaiah 57:18
In our lives we all have had instances of brokenness, despair and desolation. Those times when we feel we are on our last leg, at the end of the rope about to lose our grip and fall on our last gasping breath before we give up and begin to drown.
Where we go from that point and what we do next speaks volumes about your current state of faith.
Do we lash out and blame those around us and our circumstances for the state of our woundedness? Or do we reach down into our inner core and summon the power of God’s promise to deliver us to a better place?
What I have learned about myself from facing trials in the workplace is that my faith, when strong, protects me with an armor of perspective. When I am weak and not connected with my faith, I am vulnerable to believe false accusations and claims of harm and wrongdoing. I recognize it, I know the feeling and know the damage it can do if I accept and embrace the crushing doubt.
When we are hurt we can reach in or reach out to God
What my defense mechanism triggers is a quick accounting of the facts: what do I have control of and what do I not have control of? Next, I better get right with God and do it quick. I remind myself — I am not in control, He is. Then and only then can I respond and act. Any other process, for me, is futile and ineffective.
One of my favorite scripture verses I lean on in times of introspection and self-assessment is this one:
And which of you by worrying
can add a single hour to his
life’s span?Luke 12:15
Uhhhh, guilty!
And if I am on my game and thinking clearly my first response is to slow everything down and pray. Asking for discernment, clarity, and focus surprisingly works like a gem. Once we slow our racing mind, cool our sweaty brow and take control of our breathing in an effort to focus on who is in controls then the problems diminish, and the solutions come into clearer perspective.
God is that lens of clarity we all need. We are many times our own problem. But as Jesus promises, we –as in me and Jesus together– are the solution. “Don’t be afraid; just believe”- Luke 8:50
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”Mark 5:34
Time after time in scripture Jesus proved and made examples of the power of healing through faith in the Lord. Jesus was the conduit, but faith was the pathway to the healing and rebirth.
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.Isaiah 58:8
It’s a partnership of pulling together. It is not a miraculous anointment from heaven, a surprise cleansing. It takes suffering, acknowledgement, surrender and faith.
Together, bound by faith and confidence, we are everything and anything we want to be. Alone, divided and broken we are only a sum of the remaining pieces–weakened by trial and doubt.
We all can heal, but only if our belief in the Lord is strong and steadfast.
Can a mother forget the baby
at her breast and have no compassion
on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget, I will
not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on
the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.Isaiah 49:15-16
I just was having a bad day. Nothing really seemed to fall into place. My husband got some bad news from work which makes me worry about him and our financial situation. And then we decided to go get my car washed. My husband was vacuuming the back of my hatchback. I decided to walk around the back in order to reach the passenger front window. Unbeknownst to me he had pushed the button to close the hatch as he walked away. I walked square into the corner of the door with the top of my head. My husband was completely unaware as he was now on the opposite side of the car. I bent over holding my head trying to 1) not cry like a baby and 2) stay conscious.
I cried out to him like a mewling lamb. My first reaction was to blame him and then I apologized, saying it was just an accident. But that was the last straw for me that day. I wanted to sit down and sob. It has taken so much out of me to stay in tune with God during the trials and tribulations of the Covid pandemic that I just wanted to give up. No more joyful grasping for God. No more peace resting in His Word. I just was done.
Come to me, all you who
are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.Matthew 11:28
And God whispered to me, “I’m still here. And I still love you. And I know you are having a hard time. Come and talk to me.”
I still find it so hard to pray when I’m truly struggling. But God is so compassionate to us. He knows when we are holding on by a thread. He will take even the tiniest snippets of prayer from us to help us hold on. Like the mother in the Isaiah verse today, He longs to hold us in His arms if we would just run to him – or even crawl.
The process of sanctification this year made me realize quickly that I was shrinking away from not only God but my husband at that painful moment. I didn’t want to burden my husband any more than he already was. But after a little while, I shared with him how I was feeling. I know it’s hard for men to see their beloved wives in pain and not be able to fix our ills. But he gave me what I needed — a listening and compassionate ear, and a hug.
That’s what God wants to do for us too. Although we shouldn’t turn our prayer time into a litany of complaints, we should bring him our pain.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people,
holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness
and patience.Colossians 3:12
I like this visual of clothing ourselves. The fruits of the spirit are God’s way of giving us that spiritual hug and listening ear. He is compassionate, kind, gentle and patient with us. And Jesus was certainly humble. When we encase our minds and hearts in these gifts and then turn those fruit outward toward God’s people, we get them back tenfold.
My husband is a godly man. Because of this, God used him to give me the compassion and gentleness I needed that day. And I was able to pull myself back on track.
I could have easily given in to my despair. I mean my head was killing me and felt like I had a concussion. Nothing I could do would fix any problem around me. But I have learned to grab hold of the promises of God for my rescue.
Be on your guard; stand firm
in the faith; be courageous;
be strong.1 Corinthians 16:13
My head still hurts a few days later but I can almost (almost) laugh about it now. I’m glad I don’t have to keep apologizing to anyone for losing it – since I pulled back my anger almost immediately. My husband felt bad enough as it was. And my compassion toward him helped me to stay in line with God’s Word.
I thank God for His promise to never forget me, always hold me tightly and guide me with the fruits of His spirit.
Join me starting January 11 for my next series! Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help create a vision of you! The words we speak and think and pray have a great impact on our life. We will embark on a journey of praying changes into our lives. New Year’s resolutions have nothing on what God can accomplish when we ask for miracles to transform us!
For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name. 16 I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand— I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
Isaiah 51:15-16
When we picture warcraft during the United States Revolution we typically envision lines of soldiers from each side marching toward each other. Here’s a description by the American Battlefield Trust:
“Under normal circumstances, 18th century combat entailed that two armies march toward one another, shoulder to shoulder, and usually in ranks of about three men deep. When the opposing sides were within range, orders were given to halt, present arms, to fire, and then to reload.
After several volleys, one side gained the upper hand, and they would begin to close the distance with the enemy, bayonets lowered. This typically culminated in a full out charge at close quarters; sabers, bayonets, and rifle butts were used to sweep the enemy from the field and claim victory.”
And how did one side get the “upper hand?” The lines would break down either by death, injury or desertion. The battle would be won or lost based on who could hold their line the longest.
We Christians have been in a similar battle since the time of Christ. We link arms in communion and espouse the greatness of God to unbelievers. We are tasked, by God, to go out into our communities and battle against evil through our works, our testimony, and our telling of the Good News of the gospel.
However, from my, albeit, limited experience so many of us have chosen to desert our place on the battlefield. I live in a very liberal state within the United States. Church and Christians are not valued members of many communities. In fact, we are frequently described as racist, hateful, bigots because of our adherence to the teachings in the Bible. And that, I believe causes us to shirk our duties as soldiers for God.
I know too many people who feel uncomfortable sharing the Word of God. Some are afraid to even mention their faith in the course of conversations at work. And yet, it is this responsibility that Jesus gives us. We are not called to be closet Christians, afraid of what to say, how to say it and when to say it. God himself promises to put the right words in our mouth at the right time. We just need to be willing to do the one thing that we are called to do – obey Him.
My BSGs did a study on The Armor of God (Ephesians 6). What stood out to me is the preparation we are admonished to complete before taking up the final Word of God.
Therefore, put on the full armor
of God, so that when the day of
evil comes, you may be able to
stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness
in place, and with your feet
fitted with the readiness that
comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up
the shield of faith, with which you
can extinguish all the flaming arrows
of the evil one. Take the helmet
of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.Ephesians 6:13-17
Once we have studied and learned the character and promises of God we need to pray to have Him send us out into the world and speak His words. Each morning when we rise, we should ask God to place someone in front of us that day to whom He needs to say something. And be watchful and ready for that moment. He will give you the words to speak.
Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.James 1:22
A few years ago, I held on to that promise of God’s words when my daughter and I were in a great battle. We were pushing and pulling constantly. She was off at college and her faith was growing by leaps and bounds thanks to the organization Athletes in Action. But each time we would talk it would end in a fight or tears. I finally prayed to God to give me His words to bring this battle to an end.
The mother-daughter battle is a timeless one.
One day as we talked, the Holy Spirit gave me these words to say, “I’m so glad your faith is growing. I can see that you have learned how to give a lot of grace and forgiveness to your friends and teammates. I know that I fail you frequently in trying to not hold on too tight to you. What I’m asking for is some of that same grace and forgiveness.”
God’s words, spoken through me, began our path toward reconciliation. I just needed to stop trying to speak my thoughts and my desires and instead let God do the heavy lifting.
God needs us to fill our spot on the battlefield line. He can give us all the tools we need – including the right words to say. We just need to show up and hold the line.
Join me starting January 11 for my next series! Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help create a vision of you! The words we speak and think and pray have a great impact on our life. We will embark on a journey of praying changes into our lives. New Year’s resolutions have nothing on what God can accomplish when we ask for miracles to transform us!
Listen diligently to me, and eat
what is good, and delight yourselves
in rich food. Incline your ear,
and come to me;hear, that your soul
may live;and I will make with
you an everlasting covenant,
Isaiah 55:2-3
Jesus said to them, “I am the
bread of life; whoever comes to
me shall not hunger, and whoever
believes in me shall never thirst.
John 6:35
As so many of us prepare to enjoy delicious Christmas meals and beautifully wrapped gifts it’s easy to overlook that most of what we call “Christmas” isn’t necessary. Stripped down, Christmas is about one thing – God’s promise to deliver us the greatest gift, His son Jesus.
This year our “Christmas” seems a bit different. We are missing family and friends. But the promise I wanted to share with you is this, he always provides for us. Even in times that seem bare, He provides. In fact, the opportunity to truly appreciate what we do have is when situations seem the most difficult. It’s lessons like that which Jesus passed along to us through His bloodline.
He will provide in the most God-like ways – a stranger lends a hand, a paycheck bonus comes at the right time, an offer of food from a neighbor when you need it most. And the covenant agreement we need to uphold and hold on to is to trust in that promise.
I pray every day that what I write in this blog is what someone, even just one person, needs to hear from God. And the other day I was thinking about which Isaiah verse to use for Christmas. That day, my friend Betsy shared a story written by her sister for her local church. As she read it, all I kept hearing was “He provides.” I asked if I could share her beautiful family story here. Betsy’s family bloodline has passed down some amazing lessons. I hope you enjoy it!
A Privileged Life Growing Up By Rachel Mueller
I’m the oldest daughter of an Episcopal priest. I found growing up totally immersed in the culture of the Episcopal Church something very special.
This photo was taken July 2, 1953 for the Glendale California News Press announcing that my father was to be the new rector of St. Luke’s of the Mountains, La Crescenta, California and it introduced our family to the community. One of five and the oldest, you will see me pictured to the right of my father and holding my favorite Madam Alexander doll. My younger two brothers and two sisters completed our family – yes, five children in six years, something my mother said raised eyebrows at our new church! We lived in the large rectory, which was next door to the church and suited our big family perfectly. Apparently while constructing this new house, there was some opposition on the vestry to its size. And supposedly the previous Rector said, “Well, who knows? The next Rector might have five children.” Perhaps the Search Committee went looking for a priest with five children to justify their new building.
Living next door to the church, we were very much aware of all the church activities on a daily basis. There was always something, be it the regular church services, a wedding, funeral or special events. My father believed his family was an extension of him, so we were taught to answer the telephone properly; in my case “St. Luke’s Rectory, Rachel speaking” and to take messages in detail and often answer questions such as the times of the church services, or dates of meetings. In a way our parents used us as extra employees — we gave out keys, opened doors, passed the cookies at vestry meetings, set up the tables and chairs for parish events, washed the coffee cups after church on Sunday, went with our father to visit people in the hospital, took food to orphanages, helped relocate refugees (first the Dutch Indonesians, then Cubans, and later Vietnamese), and helped load real sheep into our station wagon for the live Nativity outside the front of the church at Christmas. Anything going on at the church was dinner table conversation, including who was sick and in the hospital, or just died, or had a baby. The doorbell rang morning, noon and night with someone wanting something, or wondering “Where’s Fr. Sadler?” It was a constant in our life. The parish got to know us, and we quickly learned the names of all the parishioners.
In contrast to many clergy today, our father always wore a black shirt (not grey, or blue or some other color) and his clerical collar. I don’t remember ever seeing him not wearing this “uniform” until years after he retired. Even on his day off he was dressed in “the collar”. He was very active in our community which made him well known, which in turn brought great benefits to our family. He was usually the clergyman on stage at our school graduations, there to give the invocation or benediction, which made me very proud. Everywhere we went folks would stop him to say hello and show us special kindness. We were often invited to parishioners’ home to swim on hot afternoons. We were treated to Disneyland when it first opened. There were always special gifts of food and goodies at holidays – items that weren’t part of our regular family fare.
The most important lesson I learned from my father was “God will provide.” So many wonderful things happened to us, I thought we were very wealthy. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I learned what salary my father actually made. I couldn’t believe it. On paper we were poor. But our lives were rich and much more interesting than those of my friends. For example, we might suddenly have some homeless folks at the dinner table. My mother would just say “Rachel, please set the table for three more.” We often would never see those people again but the memory and lesson of hospitality remain.
I could fill a book with stories of wonderful things that happened to us as a result of living in a family grounded in love, trusting that “God will provide” and accepting life as it comes; but enough for now.
And he said to his disciples,
“Therefore I tell you, do not
be anxious about your life, what
you will eat, nor about your body,
what you will put on. For life is
more than food, and the body more
than clothing. Consider the ravens:
they neither sow nor reap, they
have neither storehouse nor barn,
and yet God feeds them. Of how much
more value are you than the birds!
Luke 12:22-24
I’ve heard a lot of media types say this year is one of the most difficult “of all time.” As humans we tend to look at history from our own timeframe. When we do that it negates all the trials and tribulations so many before us have endured. . As Christians we need to grasp hold of the many promises of which God clearly states in His Holy Word. When we do, we find that people have successfully endured extreme hardships for 1,000s of years because they placed their faith in Him. . Join me and a few guests these next few weeks as we explore just some of those promises which help us, not only endure, but to find joy and peace no matter what the world hurls at us. . Go to https://emboldened.net/ and follow to receive your daily email of promises made and kept by God.
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11
I think a lot of us feel like 2020 has been one giant interruption in our lives. We had beautiful weddings planned, vacations to experience, new jobs on the horizon, a blossoming business, a full retirement schedule. And then February descended upon us. To put it mildly it’s been one giant cluster. Recently, I saw an Instagram post by the Christian women’s group Proverbs 31 that addressed our need to rely on God during these tough times. One of the commentors posted a very distraught list of what she has been dealing with, including the loss of a loved one. She said she was having a hard time seeing God in the middle of everything. And yet He is right there if we truly know His character. He’s the one interrupting our plans.
In the verses today Simon, an experienced fisherman, had just pulled his boat in after a long, hard, unsuccessful day of fishing. He sat and listened to Jesus as he preached to the masses on the shore. Suddenly, Jesus asks for a ride out away from the shore to better speak to everyone. I’m sure Simon had a mix of emotions. Here he was, probably dead tired but still might have been honored to have the famous rabbi use his boat. And then Jesus really interrupted his plans to get home, have dinner and finally get some sleep. The experienced fisherman was quite sure that another few hours out on the lake would produce nothing – he should know he’d been a fisherman on that lake all his life. Jesus wasn’t even from a fishing family! But something about the rabbi made Simon comply. And as the story finishes, we see Simon and the other fisherman completely interrupting everything about their lives and deciding to become disciples.
God frequently tries to interrupt our “bright ideas” and “best laid plans.” The question for us is when we hear or feel His Holy Spirit urging us to take a new direction are we like Simon, willing to comply? Or are we like the rich king, unwilling to give up what we have and know? So many of us say we want God to speak to us but do we really?
A couple years ago I was amazingly interrupted by Jesus. I worked as an administrative substitute in our local school district. I was very busy. And I wore that busyness as a badge of honor. I had jobs assigned five days a week. And then Jesus interrupted me. He urged me, through a vision, to take specific action each week and feed the homeless for a year. This was not in my plans. But it was something I had asked for. I had been praying for growth in my trust in the Lord. I kept asking for direction. Feeding the homeless in our large downtown was never on my radar. What also wasn’t in my plan was giving up working a few days a week to accomplish Jesus’ vision for me. It was an amazing interruption.
He said, “Do this for me.” And I did. The lessons I learned during that year were ones that no sermon or Bible study could ever teach me. My patterns of worry, distrust, control, over-planning, pride, feeling alone, all were tested. It was never about feeding the homeless. It was about God finding a way to snap me out of destructive patterns – interrupting me and re-setting me.
The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters.
Job 42:12-13
I’ve told many people about this experience. And, at the same time I tell them they should pray for something equally amazing to interrupt their lives. So many of them either look scared or even voice their fear of such an occurrence. That’s why I ask, “Do you really want to hear from God?” Because I can almost guarantee that what He says to you will be unexpected and will challenge you to interrupt your life. But like Job whose life was severely interrupted, the amazing blessings you receive will be immeasurable. God has interrupted my life a few more times since my vision. And each time has brought me closer to Him. I urge you today to pray for interruption. To pray to do God’s work. To pray that He asks to guide your boat out into the open water.
“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”
Mark 10:29-31
There was one point in my life – actually a few weeks ago (I hate to admit) – where I would sit on my couch in utter angst and anxiety. No, not about important things, but about wall décor. Yup, you heard it. I would sit on my couch with anxiety about the lack of cute, trendy wall décor and decorations in my apartment. I was so anxious about what people would think of us when they came over, I was so anxious about having cute Fall décor before “Pumpkin Spice Season” hit. What was I going to do? Hobby Lobby FOR SURE by now has already off-loaded all of their Fall décor for Christmas stuff – the best stuff has already been bought and picked through. What was I going to do? As my heart rate started to rise, I heard the Lord say to me “Do you think I care about any of this?” My anxious thoughts stopped. I listened and heard again – “Do you think the things on your walls are treasures you will store in Heaven?” Woah – I heard the message loud and clear.
I was toiling over useless, temporary, meaningless possessions INSTEAD of spending that time storing up REAL treasures in Heaven. I was convicted.
Now, I’m not saying decorating your house or shopping at Hobby Lobby is a sin. What I am saying is to consider the weight we put on those things. I’m asking us to consider if we’ve made material things idols in our lives.
Jesus’ words in Mark 10:29-31 cut me deep to the core – I hope they do for you too. These verses stir me to ask myself, “How much of my life is spent toiling over temporary gains?” Reading Jesus’ words over again alleviate many of my silly – yet very real – anxieties about possessions and material things. We must remember that the Lord God does not look upon us and see the things we’ve collected, the money we’ve made or the beautiful house we’ve decorated for Fall. No – He sees His son standing as an eternal sacrifice for our sins. He sees us as his prodigal children whom He loves.
This truth truly amazes me. As the world tells us that we need this, we need that – this will give you favor in the eyes of man and this will surely bring you pleasure and happiness – God says lay it all down. Give it all up. And for those of you that ask, “Does He really mean ALL of it?” I would say – to some extent – yes. Our first fruits (earnings) should always go to the Lord, and as Jesus said in Luke 16:
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”
Luke 16:10
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Luke 16:13
If I am covetousness of what little I have – how much more will sin grow within my heart the more I gain? The Lord was speaking a very important truth to me that day. For material things are not of ANY value to Him. He wants my heart. He wants my attention. He wants my full dedication – things that cost nothing – but everything at the same time.
The disciples couldn’t believe what Jesus was saying. For their entire lives they saw the Chief Priests and Kings lavished with riches and luxuries. To them, those were the people who were closest to God. They were experiencing a real-time paradigm shift. You mean to say that now the lame, the weak, the poor are the blessed? Not the rich and noble? Pretty amazing stuff!
What Jesus was getting at here is that the more possessions one has, the more divided his heart becomes. The more his money has gone to things other than Kingdom purposes. He warned his disciples loud and clear that being rich was not the way into the Kingdom of God. No, it was intimacy with the Father, sacrifice and a dedication to seeing salvation sweep across the nations.
So – why are we so enthralled by things of this Earth? I urge you to spend time in prayer today asking God to reveal what you’ve been idolizing recently. I pray that the next time you find yourself coveting someone else’s possessions, you direct your thoughts, your anxieties and worries to the amazing God-given things above – blessings that will reward you many treasures in Heaven.
“When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”So, they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.[a]”
Mark 9:14-29
My eldest daughter is a doctor of physical therapy. That alone is a miracle. She studied and worked hard throughout her public school years and yet the results were not always reflective of that work. Once she entered college she leaned on the lessons learned from getting help early and how to study. She excelled beyond belief. As a physical therapist she has seen the fruits of her labor – the healing power of her education. She has helped many women in the specialty of lower abdomen and uterine pain. I’m so proud of her. That being said, as my faith journey moves along, I’ve accepted that some healing only comes from prayer.
“Begin to rejoice in the Lord, and your bones will flourish like an herb, and your cheeks will glow with the bloom of health and freshness. Worry, fear, distrust, care—are all poisonous! Joy is balm and healing, and if you will but rejoice, God will give power.”
A.B. Simpson
I like this quote because it reminds me of an amazing healing I saw take place in a friend many years ago. She had fallen and broken her upper arm. For many months she went to doctors’ appointments and had all sorts of imaging. And yet her bone was not naturally re-growing and healing. It became the usual sight to see her in an arm sling that year. She was like a baby bird with a broken wing. Her disappointment after each doctor’s appointment was evident. And yet she kept praying for healing. At the end of that painful year I still recall seeing her at church one day and she was full of joy! Her doctor, on the other hand was so perplexed. At her appointment that week she had another x-ray. And her bone was completely healed. The specialists had no explanation. But she knew the amazing answer. Her prayers were heard.
I love how the father in the Bible verse today has the guts to admit to Jesus’ face that he has doubts. “IF you can do anything” is what he says. And then asks for help in overcoming his unbelief. My friend Betsy once shared a powerful prayer technique with my BSGs. She said if you aren’t ready to believe or take action then ask, in prayer, for help in believing.
How many of us, when faced with illness or injury aren’t really sure God can heal? So many of us tend to rely solely on our surgeons, psychologists, specialists, etc. And we forget to turn to God for healing or even to ask for His guiding hands for those gifted doctors. If you are unsure, pray to resolve your unbelief. When the disciples asked Jesus why they weren’t able to cure the boy in this amazing Bible event he responded by telling them they needed to draw on the power of God through prayer.
The disciples had been careless with their personal spiritual walk and had neglected communing with God through prayer and fasting.
Warren Wiersbe, New Testament Bible Commentary
Notice this is not about praying “enough” or being faithful “enough.” It’s about praying and being faithful and believing. His amazing healing power is available to the faithful. And while we may not always know why or when He chooses to heal someone or not, we need to rest in trust that He has a plan far greater than ours. We must never stop praying and asking for His amazing healing power.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.“
Matthew 6:24
This week has seen many opportunities to make a choice. To choose the amazing peace given to us by Jesus or chaos. To choose to take our amazingly ordinary selves and be transformed by God into something extraordinary. To choose between demanding our will or God’s amazing will be done. To be double-minded or single-minded in our quest for closeness with the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus stepped up to preach on the mountainside to the believers, He laid out a series of directives intended to help us understand and attain true righteousness. As Bible scholar Warren Wiersbe says about the Sermon on the Mount:
The religious leaders (at the time) had an artificial, external righteousness based on law. But the righteousness that Jesus described is true and vital righteousness that begins internally, in the heart.
Warren Wiersbe, The New Testament Bible Commentary
He goes on to state the lessons Jesus preached in Matthew 5 through 6 were not for the unsaved world at large but rather for individual believers. Which brings me to the concept of choosing. Throughout our faith journey we are continually called to choose — God or an idol of our own making — as we reach for that true righteousness. The testing of our choices may seem to take place every single minute of the day at times. Other times in our life we seem to be easily cruising along with Jesus and then a serious trial interrupts our lives and we are faced with choosing our faith over our fears.
I have a very good friend who is not a Christian. The day after the election we went to lunch and she said something amazing to me. My friend: “During election night I started praying. I knew you were praying too. And I know that God will probably listen to your prayers over mine and I took comfort in knowing you were praying.” I was slightly stunned. I’ve been much more open about my faith this year when talking with her. Showing her how I rely on Jesus’ amazing peace to keep me together during hard times. But I was shocked that she was praying. I told her God listens to all our prayers. We then went on to another topic. Later, while at home, I felt called to send her a text message. This is the conversation:
Me: “You said something today that I don’t think I paid enough attention to. You said you thought my prayers would hold more weight with God. God is for all of us whether we believe in Him or not. He wants to be our “go to” for peace and grace and trust — no matter where we are along our faith journey. The only difference is that as a follower of Jesus I am held to different expectations. I know His Word. I know what He expects of me. I know He wants me to be obedient and turn all my worries over to Him and not trust in anything else. So, He expects me to act accordingly— and I fail many times over. But because I know I have failed I also know to ask for His grace and forgiveness. He won’t answer my prayers any more than yours if they don’t come from a desire to do His will. It’s frequently at times of great worry and distress that people turn to God. However, He considers those “friends” and “faithful” who rely on Him at all times and thank Him for His for blessings. I hope this doesn’t sound all Jesus Freaky but I think it’s important to understand how much love He has for every single person — Christians and not yet Christians 😂
My “non-yet Christian” Friend: “Thanks! I hope all our prayers help! “
I’d call that pretty amazing. Friends, as followers of Jesus, we are expected to choose Him over our idols of fear, worry, earthly kings, money, relationships, our political stances, and anything else from which we think we artificially gain righteousness. We are expected put our eyes and our hearts and our minds squarely on the Lord and slough off the world from our backs. Because God has mightier plans for us. He has solutions we can’t even imagine. He is fighting our fight for us in the spiritual realm. And he expects us to choose Him and act here on earth as His faithful friends.
Madison and I will see you again on Monday! Have a blessed weekend friends!
Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Matthew 12:22-28
I love the part in these verses that states, “Jesus knew their thoughts.” How amazing is it that right now, this very second, Jesus knows your thoughts? He knows the thoughts of believers and non-believers. What would He think about your thoughts right now? Are they focused on the worries surrounding the election in the United States? Are they worried about new virus-related shutdowns? Are your thoughts of your precarious finances or your failing marriage? Or, are they thoughts of how God has come through for you before and today is no different? He has shown the way; he has opened doors before and this issue you face right now can be placed securely in His hands.
The “people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’” How often when God paves the way to solutions we might not have ever dreamt, that we even ask the question, “could this be Jesus?” Or do we stand firm in single mindedness and state, “Thank you Lord.”? The Pharisees were so afraid of losing their power and control they wanted to be convinced that Jesus was healing with Satan’s power. And although when our prayers are answered we might not think Satan had something to do with it, how often do we just shrug and think of it as a coincidence?
I’ve written before of the struggles I have with my parents. They are non-believers. My father has stated he is an atheist. And to put it mildly they are miserable. They lead small, scared lives. I was led this year to pray vehemently for them. When I pray for them, I imagine the wall they have securely built around themselves. A nice, sturdy brick tower. I’ve asked God to break that wall down, to soften their hearts. I know I can’t do it. It must be God’s actions. And last week I had the chance to see their faces peeking through a few bricks that had been displaced. I’ve offered to assist them during this difficult time of isolation. I’ve brought them meals, puzzles, a Kindle. I’ve offered to buy a meal service for them. But each time I’ve been met with annoyance. But last week I received a desperate text from my mother. She explained they haven’t been eating right and are very lonely. So, I made up some meals and delivered them. They were so grateful. That may sound normal. But grateful isn’t normally in their vocabulary. I lost track of how many times they thanked me. As I drove away, I caught myself thinking like someone of this world – “well, finally they allowed me to help. I could’ve been doing that all along.” I forgot that this was not my doing. A few blocks away I stopped my car and I prayed. I prayed a grateful prayer to the Lord on High – the only way those bricks could’ve been removed. I don’t know if my parents will reach through and try and shore up those bricks again. But for that day, that moment, I thanked God for allowing me to do His works and be His hands. It was truly amazing.
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
James 4:6-8
We can’t continue to have one foot in for Jesus and one foot out. Because that equation is actually both feet out. In math, a positive times a negative is always negative. The covenant with God is based on trust. And when we vacillate between trusting Him and not, we allow Satan or worldly “solutions” to chip away at our peace.
Patterns are pointers. They can very much reveal where a person is headed. Positive patterns tend to produce productive outcomes. Negative patterns can’t help but produce negative impact. Obedient patterns tend to produce closeness with God. Disobedient patterns can’t help but produce chaos and destruction.
Lysa Terkeurst, Trustworthy
So, when take for granted the miracles that Jesus works in and around our lives, what we are saying is we don’t trust that it’s Him. Think of King David. He was promised the kingdom but not only was it many years before he was made king, he had a target on his back by King Saul. Put yourself in his shoes. Many of us may have just given up and thought either God was lying or we misunderstood. And, at the moment David had a chance to kill King Saul, he sought God’s counsel and remembered His promises. But what if on the day he were crowned he said, “Finally, I struggled and I fought and I accomplished this.” David instead said,
Because of your promise, and according to your own heart you have brought about all this greatness to make your servant know it. Therefore, you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
2 Samuel 7:21-22
Take a moment and read the full text of 2 Samuel 7:18-29. You will read of a man amazed by the greatness of God. A man amazed by the goodness of God. A man amazed by how God is so trustworthy. May we, this week in the midst of our fears and struggles and joys be so amazed. May we stop the car, sit down, stop thinking and look up to the heavens and say “I trust you fully God and I know that it is YOU at work. I thank you for prayers fulfilled.”
emboldened.net 