Tag: faith

Honesty is far more than the words we say. It is a posture of our hearts. Matthew 23:27-28

Matthew 23:27-31 New American Standard Bible 1995

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been  living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in  shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are [a]sons of those who murdered the prophets.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Façade … a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect. (verse 28)

Façade … any face of a building given special architectural treatment. (verse 27)

The earliest meaning of the word Façade in English was in reference to the front portion of a building, its “face,” so to speak (and face itself is sometimes used to describe this part of a structure as well).

Somewhere along the highways of history the word façade took on a figurative sense, referring to a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation.

This is similar to the figurative use of veneer, which originally had the simple meaning of a thin layer of wood that was used to cover something, and now may also refer to a sort of deceptive behavior that masks one’s actual feelings (as in, “he had a thin veneer of politeness”).

Honesty is more than the words we say. It’s a posture of the heart.

We weren’t made to try and be something we’re not. God never asks us to keep up appearances. He longs for us to have the real courage to be vulnerable. He longs for us to be so founded in his unconditional love that we will live honestly.

Matthew 23:24-32 The Message

23-24 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?

25-26 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You buff the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.

27-28 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds.

29-32 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You’re cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count.

The greatest testimony you and I could possibly give to honor God, to give to the Kingdom of God and our neighbor is to have the audacity to live honestly.

It takes enormous courage to be yourself.

It takes genuine security in the unconditional love of your heavenly Father to acknowledge not just your strengths and successes, but also your weaknesses and failures.

But in doing so your life will proclaim the powerful, beautiful work of God.

And in doing so you will experience the peace and joy only freedom from building a façade can produce.

A façade is “an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.”

So often, to cover up what we know to be imperfect we devote ourselves to creating a false picture for others.

We even devote so much energy to building a façade that we try and deceive ourselves.

We muster up our pride and look only at what we’ve done well, all the while ignoring what we need help with.

As a result, we will spend all our time living a life apart from reality.

And to live apart from the reality of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is to live far apart from the grace and love of our ever-present, wholly real Father.

Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus passionately rebukes those who try and build facades: 

27 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 So you, also, outwardly seem to be just  and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

God solely cares about the heart.

1 Samuel 16:6-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

6 When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for [a] God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Next Jesse made [b]Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and [c]bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”

He’s not worried about our perception.

He’s not worried about status or societal acceptance.

He cares about what is authentic.

He cares about what is genuine.

He cares about what is real.

He knows that any energy spent devoted to building a façade is energy you can’t devote to receiving help, healing, and grace for what’s real and important.

He knows that all your efforts to be accepted pf men aren’t of value because the opinions of others are nothing in comparison to his unconditional love for you.

And he knows that ultimately all facades will inevitably be torn down, and we will be publicly exposed, seen and known by him for who we really, truly are.

What does it mean to be whitewashed tombs?

To be whitewashed means to be cleaned so well that there is not a speck of dirt to diminish the shining brilliance of the tombs. In His example, the outside of the sepulcher tombs appears beautiful as it catches and reflects pure light. But inside they are full of rotting corpses—dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.

God longs for you, me, the church to live fully alive, fully known and fully loved.

He longs for us to live in and to live outward from a revelation of his love and grace rather than striving for affection and acceptance by building up facades.

Take time to experience his love and grace today.

Assess your heart and tear down your walls. May freedom burst forth in your life today as you proclaim the glory of God’s grace by being who you really are.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on the importance of living in reality. 

Allow Jesus’ words to stir up your desire to tear down any façade you’ve built up.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27

2. Where are you striving for acceptance or affection by building up facades? 

Where are you portraying yourself to be something you aren’t?

Why are you doing it?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to be yourself today. 

James 5:14-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [a]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;  15  and the  prayer [b]offered in faith will [c]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [d]they will be forgiven him. 16  Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [e]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed [f]earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the [g]sky [h]poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

Psalm 103:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.In the

Tell others of your weaknesses today.

Don’t be afraid to be yourself with all your strengths, successes, weaknesses, and failures.

May God’s grace and love empower you today as you live honestly.

May you stop devoting your energy to falsely manufactured appearances and give yourself and to God to what’s real. And in doing so may you genuinely encounter the unconditional acceptance and affection of your loving Father.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained;
4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the [g]beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” Mark 10:41-45

Mark 10:41-45 New American Standard Bible 1995

41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with [a]James and John. 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [b]life a ransom for many.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

While walking with the Lord of glory on His sacrificial journey towards the Cross and the glorious Resurrection, and having been forewarned by Jesus of the future suffering and tribulation both He and all His followers were to face, we discover the disciples overly preoccupied, squabbling about who was be the most important person in Christ’s coming kingdom!

They were automatically expecting the Lord to set up His kingdom on earth at that time, and the deep bewilderment they must have felt when He announced that He was to suffer and die, only adds to the depths of this pitiful scenario.

And so, another important lesson to all of us began to be taught, that the world may seek after pride of place, power, and prestige, but in Christ’s economy: it’s all about “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”

We sometimes look at the foolish actions and attitudes of the disciples and the many selfish comments they made, and, with an air of automatic superiority, we will quickly think to ourselves: “I would never say such unspiritual remarks or engage in such carnal actions and attitudes.”

But every lesson that the disciples were taught in their brief but untense three-year sojourn with the Lord, is an equally important lesson that we too must be about the daily business of learning and applying in our journey through life.

Mark 10:41-45 Amplified Bible

41 Hearing this, the [other] ten became indignant with James and John. 42  Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their powerful men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. 43 But this is not how it is among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first and most important among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a [a] ransom for many.”

Let us take to heart the truth we’re in the world but we’re not to be of the world.

The world may relish the achievement, important positions and seek to exercise authority over others: “But it should not be this way among you, for whoever wishes to become great among you is to be servant of all.”

Leadership is not about exerting power and control but about serving others with humility and love. Jesus, our ultimate example of leadership, taught us that true greatness lies in our sacrificial servanthood and selfless influence.

In a world that often values ambition and self-promotion, leadership that is rooted in humility and compassion stands out.

A servant leader seeks the well-being and the spiritual development of the people they lead, empowering them to reach their full potential. A servant leader is available, listens, supports, and guides with empathy and grace.

True leadership is not defined by titles or positions but by the impact we have on others. Every interaction, decision, and action provides an opportunity to lead with honesty, integrity, authenticity, and a genuine concern for others.

As leaders, we are called to follow Jesus’ example.

We are called to lead with love, inspiring and empowering the people around us to grow and flourish. Our influence should reflect the character of Jesus Christ, nurturing an environment of truth, trust, collaboration, and mutual respect.

May we embrace the call to leadership with humility and grace.

May we put the needs of others ahead of our own, seeking to serve rather than be served.

As we lead with His compassion and His integrity and His truth, let’s not dare hesitate to point others to the truth of our ultimate servant leader, Jesus Christ.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 143 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance.

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore my spirit [a]is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is [b]appalled within me.

5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your doings;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a [c]parched land. [d]Selah.

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
[e]I take refuge in You.

10 Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level [f]ground.
11 For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your lovingkindness, [g]cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“But if anyone truly loves God, he is fully known by God.” Galatians 4:8-9

Galatians 4:8-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be  known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless  [a] elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [b]over you in vain.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

This section speaks of the Galatians turning their backs to God. 

Paul is feeling like he wasted his time and effort with them since they have reverted to how they were before they knew God. 

Paul seems to not be able to understand how they could so easily go back. 

When he was with them to bring them the gospel the first time, they were a blessing to him, but now, not so much as they are causing him great distress. 

Paul even goes as far as to compare it to the pains of childbirth as he is waiting for Christ to be formed in them again. 

As someone who went through it a few times last year with my heart surgery, my sarcastic side thinks “Really, Paul?  What do you truly know about that?” 

But my somewhat more logical side can recognize that he is using that language to convey the seriousness of his concern – both in how much he cares for them as if they were his own children, and also how very hurt he is by the turning of their backs on what he taught them.

I imagine that the Galatians were not intentionally turning away from God. 

But by not being intentionally focused on God, that was the result. 

I know I am guilty of this. 

It takes incredible work to keep your mind and life exclusively set on God. 

You may not be actively doing things that would displease Him, but by not actively doing things that do please Him, you are still going to be drifting further and further from Him.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

Galatians 4:8-9 New International Version

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[a]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

While slavery still exists in parts of the world, for the most part slavery has been done away with. It is looked upon as a bad thing.

No one wants to be a slave to anyone for any reason.

Regardless of what the national rules and regulations are, the majority of people in this world are enslaved to sin.

They are bound up in sin that will keep them sinning more and more.

Selfish desires overcome them and causes them to sin.

This is a conscious choice of most people to live that way.

They see it as freedom of choice.

Every believer is taken out of that type of lifestyle.

They are removed from the bondage and slavery of sin when Jesus had died and rose from the dead.

He placed the powers of this world under His feet.

They are no longer a slave to those forces.

Yet, there are many believers who turn back to those weak and miserable forces and allow themselves to be enslaved again.

This is done when a believer turns back to an old way of living or begins to live like the world again.

He allows sin back into his life by choice on a regular basis.

He refuses to turn away from sin. Lying, stealing, cheating, cursing, hating, porn, violence, hatred all become a part of his life again, a way of living.

This is allowing the dark powers of this world to rule again in his life.

If you have accepted Jesus into your life and what He has done for you, you are known by God and also know God. He has set you free from the power of sin. He has pulled you out of that enslaved life of sin. Do not allow yourself to go back.

Take a look at your life on a regular basis and see you or what is enslaving you.

Who or what has control over your life?

God should be the only one who has control over your life. Do not allow the things and sin of this world to enslave you again and have control over you.

Turn away from the sin of this world and back to God.

“But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.”

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 The Message

Freedom with Responsibility

8 1-3 The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.

While we absolutely serve an all-knowing, omnipotent, omnipresent God, there is a truly stark difference between God’s knowledge of everything and allowing ourselves to be known by him.

To be known by God is a two-way street.

It’s a conscious decision to open our hearts to this all-knowing God that we might experience him in even the deepest, most secret places of our lives.

Galatians 4:8-11 says,

Galatians 4:8-11 The Message

8-11 Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them. But now that you know the real God—or rather since God knows you—how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those tin gods? For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years. I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!

Being known by God is the birthplace of freedom.

When we allow our Creator and Savior to truly know us he brings with him all his power, love, and deliverance.

Only when we allow him to know the wounds of our past do we truly position ourselves to receive his healing.

Only when we discover that he cries, mourns, laughs, and celebrates with us will our hearts be finally founded on the reality of true relationship with him.

Your God doesn’t just want to teach you, lead you, empower you, or use you—he wants to know you.

You don’t have to go through this life on your own.

You don’t have to process decisions, pains, relationships, doubts on your own.

You can be known by your Creator and know Him.

Unhindered relationship with your perfect, loving Father can be your source.

Psalm 139:23-24 The Message

23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

It is entirely possible to go through this life as a believer without letting God fully know you.

As tragic as it may be, many Christians do it every day.

We live as if God is distant from us.

We live as if we don’t have full access to his heart, will, love, and presence in the Holy Spirit.

We live as if all Christ came to do was give us a “get out of Hell free card” rather than restore us to right relationship with the Father.

And when you fully live fully known by God you will experience a love more sure, more real, and more transcendent than any love you’ve experienced.

Dear Reader; I pray today you will know what Jesus has done for you; that you will know the freedom you have in Jesus; that you will give to God full control of your life; and that you will fully choose to turn from sin to God every time. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Take time as you enter into guided prayer to truly let God know you.

Open up the secret places of your heart.

Tell him about your insecurities, fears, doubts, and wounds. May you find a deeper level of intimacy with your loving Father than you thought possible.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of being known by God. 

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” Galatians 4:8-9

“But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” 1 Corinthians 8:3

2. Are you living your life known? 

Or are you hiding pieces of your life from your heavenly Father? 

3. Tell God about anything in your life that’s stayed in the dark. 

Bring it to the light with him. Allow him to fully know you. And experience powerful freedom as he reveals the depths of his love for you.

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

Ephesians 5:8 says, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” 

You can live with confidence and joy today.

When you are fully known by God and still fully accepted and loved, your heart is unshakable.

God will not reject you.

He has loved you at your worst.

Trust in him today and experience life in the light of his presence. 

Psalm 139 The Message

139 1-6 God, investigate my life;
    get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
    I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
    before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
    then up ahead and you’re there, too—
    your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
    I can’t take it all in!

7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
    to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
    If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
    At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;
    night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.

17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
    God, I’ll never comprehend them!
I couldn’t even begin to count them—
    any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
    And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
And you murderers—out of here!—
    all the men and women who belittle you, God,
    infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
See how I hate those who hate you, God,
    see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
    Your enemies are my enemies!

23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“… for I AM the LORD, your Healer.” Exodus 15:26

Exodus 15:22-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord Provides Water

22 Then Moses [a]led Israel from the [b]Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters [c]of Marah, for they were [d]bitter; therefore it was named [e]Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26  And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”

27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Yahweh Rapha: “the Lord Who Heals”

In the desert at Marah, we have another story of God’s provision and testing.

With empty water sacks, standing before a pool of bitter water, the people of Israel begin to grumble.

Although they complain bitterly against Moses, they are really complaining against God.

Their grumbling seems very shortsighted.

Only a few days earlier God had parted the Red Sea and saved them from Pharaoh’s army! (Please Read Exodus 14-15.)

But again, as we see in this story, God delivers his people, making the water fit to drink.

At Marah, the Israelites learn God is Yahweh Rapha, “the LORD who heals.”

This name comes from the Hebrew word raphe, meaning “to heal, to make healthy.”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/exo/15/26/t_conc_65026

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7495/esv/wlc/0-1

The people also learn that God expects his people to trust him in all things, and he expects them to be devoted, obedient, holy, as he is holy.

Indeed, a few chapters (Ch. 20) later at Sinai, he lays out a code for holy living.

In the New Testament, however, we will discover an irony about Yahweh Rapha.

There we learn that “the LORD who heals” suffers to heal us and to forgive our sins.

In the words of Isaiah 53:5, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.”

These words refer to Jesus, the Son of God. “By his wounds we are healed.”

” … for I, the Lord, am your healer.”

God progressively revealed the many facets of His eternal character throughout the pages of Scripture and it was to His Servant Moses that the Lord God has now just revealed Himself as Jehovah-Rapha –  “I am the God Who heals you.”

God had already revealed Himself to Abraham as ‘the Lord God’ ‘the Almighty God’ and ‘the everlasting God’.

He also identified Himself as Abraham’s ‘Provider’, when He spoke those words, which are pregnant with meaning, “I will Provide Myself – a Lamb.”

Genesis 22:6-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.  7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will [a]provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

It was God Who saved His people Israel, after 400-years of bondage in Egypt, when they applied the shed blood of the Passover lambs onto the lintels of their doors – a striking picture of the true Passover Lamb,

Whose shed blood at Calvary would provide the means of healing the nation that was saving His people from slavery to sin and its terrible consequences.

And as the attributes of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continued to be revealed to His chosen people, as the years rolled by, so each of God’s revealed characteristics, was one more beautiful picture of the coming Messiah

– the Mighty God and Prince of Peace, Who would also be the one Who would heal His people Israel, the nation whom Isaiah described as being sick, ‘from the crown of their head to the sole of their foot’.

Isaiah 9:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995

Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace

9 [a]But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the [b]Gentiles.

2 [c]The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3 You shall multiply the nation,
You shall [d]increase [e]their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness [f]of harvest,
As [g]men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as [h]at the battle of Midian.
5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will [i]rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

He would come as the Horn of salvation for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

He would come to heal the nation from their spiritual sickness, awake them from their spiritual slumber, He will remove the blinkers from their spiritual blindness… for He said to them,

“If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your Healer.”

He would save His people from the hands of their enemies and rescue them from those that hated them.

He would come in holiness and righteousness to bind up their wounds and heal His people from the sin and the suffering that has plagued this world since the fall of Adam and Eve and their forceful expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

He would come as the Promised one, Who would fulfil the covenant God made with His people. He would come as God’s ‘perfect Lamb’ Sacrifice for their sin.

Jesus is the one Who heals the brokenhearted and Jesus is the one Who sets the captives free. Jesus is the one who made the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the dead to rise into newness of life

– for every attribute of the Almighty, Everlasting God, pointed towards the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, and perfect Man –

The Lord our Healer.

It was to Moses, in the nation’s infancy, that God revealed Himself to His people as Yahweh-Rapha – “I am the Lord that heals you.” 

David expanded this glorious truth in so many of his psalms, for we read:

“He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” Psalm 103:1-5 –

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven – whose sin is covered.” Psalm 32

He is the one Who rights all wrongs, and He is the one who performs righteous deeds and judges the oppressed in righteousness.

And as with all of God’s good and perfect gifts, the healing He gives to all the redeemed is beyond our understanding and has an eternal perspective.

James 1:16-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

16 Do not be [a]deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or [b]shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be [c]a kind of first fruits [d]among His creatures.

God often heals the physical wounds and earthly diseases that trouble our mortal bodies, and play heavily on our minds and emotions.

But oft-times He whispers into our hearts, “My grace is sufficient, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness… in your sickness, in your hardship – in your loss, and your pain.”

But the incomprehensible truth of Jehovah-Rapha, is that His healing touch also spans the eternal sphere and the spiritual realm.

I am the Lord Who heals you SPIRIT, SOUL, and BODY.

I am the one Who heals your spirit – when you were justified, through initial faith in Jesus as Savior – PAST salvation.

I am the one Who heals your soul – through the sanctification process, as you walk in faith and grow in grace – ONGOING salvation. 

I am the one Who heals your body – at the Rapture of the church and resurrection of the dead-in-Christ – FUTURE salvation.

God’s gradual unveiling of His perfect character throughout the pages of Scripture, progressively reveals His eternal plan of redemption, which is perfected and completed in the Lord Jesus.

Let us always remember that our eternal healing took place at the cross – and if physical healing is withheld, there is a reason that God alone knows about – and His grace is and will always remain sufficient.

May you have peace today, knowing that all your sins have been forgiven.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 103 New American Standard Bible 1995

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows [e]our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him,
And His [g]righteousness to children’s children,
18 To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His [h]sovereignty rules over [i]all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Heavenly Father, thank You, that You are the great healer. I am thankful I can lay my burdens at Your feet. I pray for Your healing touch in my life. You are my Jehovah-Rapha, and Your grace is sufficient. O God, you are the one who heals. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, Your Perfect Lamb, Your Perfect sacrifice, we have been healed and have been forgiven. Help us to live fully with this blessed assurance. In Jesus’ name.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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When Checking into God’s Hospital: Let us remember to say a Prayer for the Doctors and Nurses. Mark 2:14-17

Mark 2:14-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

Levi (Matthew) Called

14 As He passed by, He saw [a]Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

15 And it *[b]happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and [c]sinners [d]were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and [e] sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Jesus came to save sinners.

Yes, all of us are sinners. Unfortunately, many — even some people who consider themselves religious — try to pretend they are not sinners or defend the sins they have committed as “normal failures” or “mere mistakes.”

Jesus reminds us that he came to rescue sinners.

He came for us. He came to call us to join him in the work of rescuing sinners.

Will we respond?

How will we respond?

There’s so much I love about this passage and so much we could talk about in it.

Mark 2:16–17 Shows how the Spiritually Needy were Drawn to Jesus

But what I want to point out in particular and lead us to pray according to is the dynamic at work here as tax collectors and sinners are drawn to Jesus, these people who, especially the religious leaders, would have scoffed at.

They are scoffing at them.

Yet, they’re still drawn to Jesus, people who are in need of salvation, sinners, people who see that they are sick spiritually. They were being drawn to Jesus.

And I just think about my life, about my family.

I think about the church I’m a part of.

I am accountable to God, I want to serve God, I want to live and I want to be a part of a church where sinners feel welcome, where people who are far from God, feel loved and cared for, are drawn to, not because we are like the world.

That’s obviously not the case here.

In Jesus life, it was evident he was totally different from the world in such a way that those people were drawn to the grace and the mercy that was found in him.

Oh, I want my life to look like that.

I want my life to overflow with grace and mercy and love in such a way that people who are far from God through my life would be drawn to Jesus.

I want to be a part of a church where people who are far from God are strangely drawn to the love and the grace and the mercy they find in the body of Christ.

Mark 2:16–17 Encourages Us to care for the Spiritually Needy

So, can we just pray that for our lives, for our churches, that we are a part of?

God, we pray that you would help us to live and assemble as your people and operate as your people in the churches we’re a part of, in such a way that to use language from Mark 2 tax collectors and sinner, find a welcome place there in our lives, in our homes, and in our houses of worship as the body of Christ.

In this devotional we’re going to look at Mark 2:14-17.

In this passage we’ll see that Jesus reached out to and called very unlikely people to follow after Him as His disciples, people no one else would have chosen, people who were unlovely because of their sinfulness.

We come across unlovely people every day, rough and unkind people, people who reject the help that Jesus offers and anyone who talks negative about Him, people whose lives are fully corrupted and controlled by sin, people whom it’s difficult and undesirable to show even minimal love and minimal kindness to.

Do you know anyone like this, at your workplace, in your neighborhood, maybe in your family?

As we look at how Jesus showed love to these kinds of people we can imitate our Savior and ‘Learn to love the unlovely like Jesus did.’.

Please turn with me in your Bible to Mark 2:14-17.

May God speak powerfully to our hearts through His Word and use it to change our hearts and give us His love for unlovely people. This is God’s Word.

Levi (Matthew) Called

14 As He passed by, He saw [a]Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

15 And it *[b]happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and [c]sinners [d]were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and [e] sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This passage starts off in a normal way showing Jesus teaching a crowd of people.

He was doing what Rabbi’s and itinerant preachers did, teaching God’s Word to these needy people.

But then Jesus did something no one expected and something which people were greatly offended by.

Jesus saw Levi, also known as Matthew, collecting taxes and He called Levi to follow him. Immediately Levi got up from his tax booth and followed Jesus.

Now to us this is just another example of how radical Jesus’ call on people’s lives was.

He called them and they dropped everything and followed after Him.

But unless we understand how a Jewish person would read and understand this passage and view Levi, we will not understand the radical extent of Jesus’ love and call of Levi.

So, let’s spend a few moments looking at what tax collectors did and how their Jewish people viewed them.

The Romans had conquered Judea in 63 BC, so they had been ruling Judea for over 90 years before Jesus’ ministry.

The Romans taxed the Jewish people heavily, but to collect taxes they didn’t use Roman officials, they used Jews to collect taxes from their own people.

These tax collectors would not only collect the taxes the Romans demanded, but they would collect extra taxes and so they became very rich.

The tax collector did this job with the support of Roman soldiers so the Jews had no choice but to pay up.

So, Levi, also known as Matthew, was probably a very rich young man, at the expense of his own people.

Now the Jews hated the Romans who had occupied their country and oppressed them, but the Jews hated tax collectors even more.

They saw them as traitors to their own people, people who supported the hated Romans and stole from their people. 

Read through the Gospels you see tax collectors lumped in with the lowest of the low, with sinners like prostitutes and other notorious people who did not keep the Jewish Law.

No self-respecting Jew would ever be caught dead with a tax collector.

This is the environment that Jesus lived in.

Well, Jesus is teaching this big crowd walking by the sea and He looks right at Levi as he’s collecting his taxes and calls Levi to follow after him.

Everyone knew this man and everyone hated him, but in His amazing grace and love Jesus just called him to be His disciple.

People’s jaws must have hit the ground and Jesus current disciples must have been flabbergasted.

Jesus wanted this notorious sinner, this traitor to be His disciple?

This was an absolute scandal, but Jesus didn’t care what people thought.

Jesus saw past Levi’s exterior to his heart that was broken by sin and He loved Levi and called him to be His disciple.

Jesus not only called Levi to follow Him, but then He had dinner at Levi’s house.

Now no religious Jew would ever eat with tax collectors and sinners, but Jesus wasn’t concerned with what people thought.

He wanted to show love to Levi and these other sinful people.

Notice also that there were many tax collectors and sinners at Levi’s house.

Levi must have spread the word to his fellow tax collectors that Jesus had showed him love and kindness to him and called him to be His disciple.

Levi instantly became a faithful disciple of Jesus calling others to meet and talk to Him so they too could follow after Jesus.

This is the impact of God’s love on unlovely people. 

When we show rough, unkind, broken people Jesus’ love it takes root in their hearts and powerfully affects them.

Some will come to saving faith in Jesus and let other unlovely people know about Jesus so they too can experience His love and be saved. 

So, Jesus’ love for Levi had a profound impact not only on him, but gave Jesus many opportunities to eat, talk with and show radical love to others as well.

Check Your Own Pulse as you Check in to the Hospital

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 New American Standard Bible 1995

16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one [a]according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ [b]according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [c]he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and [d]He has [e]committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We so often as human beings we will take for granted our being able to breathe properly, having the strength to stand, walk around, or the ability to see clearly.

Yes, the Lord is our Healer, the Lord is our Great Physician and He fully does miraculous things through His touch and His words, but He also has provided people with the minds and the abilities to work alongside Him to help others.

I am a retired Registered Nurse!

My late Mother was a Registered Nurse for 42 years.

I still remember quite vividly and quite physically my experience last July 2023 when I required that urgent Triple Bypass Open Heart Surgery to save my life.

I thank God for the skills of my Surgeon and his Cardio-Thoracic surgical team.

I thank God for the skills and compassion and care of the Nursing staff and the Nursing Aides, those calm, calming demeanors and words of encouragement.

It absolutely needs to be over-emphasized that Doctors and nurses, healthcare professionals, play an oversized key role in our society and around the world.

Inside and outside of the hospitals and healthcare facilities, they help keep communities healthy and are there in some of the most difficult times in life.

Who are some specific names of medical workers who come to mind?

Take a moment and write them down or create a mental list of doctors and nurses, healthcare professionals, who serve you, your family, or your town.

This reminds us that these are real people who are making authentic sacrifices every single day to go out of their way to meet those exacting needs of others. 

Mark 2:17 tells us that the sick are the ones who need the doctor.

Ultimately we are all spiritually ill.

We all need the gospel of Jesus to set us free and to heal us from the eternal sickness that is death and punishment.

Sickness reminds us that health is a gift.

Our sin indicates that Jesus is our antidote.

Has there been a time in your life or the life of a loved one when sickness constantly ruled?

Maybe you never thought things would get better, or maybe they did not.

Perhaps you are still living in an ongoing battle with illness.

Even though our bodies can be physically worn, we are reminded by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

Our spiritual lives can become more healthy and fruitful even when our physical health is declining.

Today, I pray we will take some time to praise God for His kind gift of doctors and nurses and the vast diversity of Healthcare Professionals who care for us!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Exodus 15:26 New American Standard Bible 1995

26 And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, thank You, that You are the great healer. I am thankful I can lay my burdens at Your feet. I pray for Your healing touch in my life. You are my Jehovah-Rapha, and Your grace is sufficient. In Jesus’ name I pray, Alleluia! Alleluia! AMEN.

Righteous Father, we thank You for being Jehovah Rapha, the Lord God who heals. Thank You for keeping our bodies healthy. Thank You for our health, for guarding our hearts, strengthening our immune systems and helping us to ward off infections and viruses. Thank you for our Heath Care professional whose God given skills and desires towards compassion and care for us We sing praises to You and Your Name.

May your favor be showered upon all of our healthcare workers, God. pray Give them favor and place a hedge of protection around their bodies to guard them from illness so that they can care for the sick. Protect their families and their homes from disease. And use them, Lord. Use them to your Glory in the healing of your Kingdom on earth.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A Man Born Blind: A Time of Prayer to Understand How Jesus Heals Us. John 9:1-12

John 9:1-12 New International Version

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus 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.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

They Come Across A Man Born Blind

The disciples see a man who was born blind, and they assume that his blindness is someone’s fault.

This was a common way of thinking about suffering in those days. Sickness and disability were often believed to be a result of sin somewhere in the family line.

If we think about it, we can see how people could fall into that kind of thinking.

It has happened in many cultures.

If a person has a disability or a terrible disease, if they are mentally challenged or if they are down and out in some kind of hardship too, it can be convenient to point fingers, blame them or their family or even their friends or community.

It calms our fears if we can state a reason or a cause for something we don’t understand—or don’t want to, or gives us a sense of “I am glad I am not like that” or gives us the sense that we are better than others, we are the strongest.

In this story Jesus complicates things even more by implying that God allowed the man to be born blind so that through his healing by Jesus, could help people see the miraculous works of God being done, that God is indeed in their midst.

This is a very hard teaching to understand—there is no getting around that.

Human suffering is a lot more complicated than we would like to believe.

Sin has broken this world in ways that goes way far beyond our understanding.

But at the same time, this story offers comfort because we see that God can and will work to bring good out of challenges and suffering. God works for our good in all things (Romans 8:28)—and he has redeemed us in Christ (Isaiah 43:1-7).

When the works of God shine through all manner of conceivable adversity, he shows in a unique way that he is good and merciful and loves us without limit.

A Prayer to Help Us Understand How Jesus Heals Us

God’s ways and thoughts are not the same as ours (Isaiah 55:8-13).

We can can expend every available ounce of energy and money to try and ‘work’ life out all the time and we’ll run the danger of missing what’s really important.

Healing is a case example.

Prayer for the miraculous can be boxed in, and we may have an agenda for it.

Line up this way, kneel that way, read these words, worship with these tunes, come forward for prayer IF you have true faith, and hold your hands out, etc.

It almost sounds like a pharmacy prescription!

And if nothing supernatural happens, some believers think God has not lifted a finger or a thought to relieve that person’s ordeal. They may refuse medicines in their own lives, too, seeing hordes of tablets, pills, and injections as worldly.

Yet our passage in John 9:1-12 seriously challenges this view.

Let’s take some time here to contemplate what happened.

Jesus rubbed clay into a man’s eyes to heal him!

Why?

What an unusual thing to do.

Other blind men in the Bible were healed by the Lord instantly, without mud on the eyeballs (Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-42).

Jesus said this particular healing would bring glory to God by the works of the Holy Spirit in this man.

That was destiny.

But why did he use mud?

What was Jesus saying by doing this?

He always did things for a reason.

Is there an underlying message here?

I believe there is.

The same Lord God who formed the first man “from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7) used dust, dirt, of the ground to bring life to this blind man’s eyes.

Jesus is reminding us that he is the Creator.

The image of the invisible God with the authority to create and recreate.

He is the master sculptor who uses ordinary things like mud to regenerate.

And, of course, if  Christ used clay to heal – how can that be interpreted by the world of modern-day medicine?

If ethically developed, it means that medical treatment is approved by God for our welfare here and now.

Antibiotics, cancer drugs, insulin – all these things are like clay used by God to bring healing to our temporary earthly bodies.  

Medicine is essentially the stewardship of the fruits of all God’s creation from the earth reshaped for healing purposes.

That is why we can expend ceaseless amounts of our praise the Lord for non-supernatural, ordinary medicine, as well as miraculous healings from prayer.

So, if your doctor is suggesting a certain medicine today – respect his or her wisdom! Praise the Lord for using clay, the fruits of His creation to bring you healing! And if or as you are healed through prayer – praise Him for that too!

Lastly, whatever your health struggles, never forget the bird song.

Jesus once said (Matthew 10:29) that “not one [sparrow] will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” Trust Him.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Proverbs 3:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [a]body
And refreshment to your bones.

Father God – dearest Creator,
Healing can seem like a subject too big for my understanding. Thank you for the truth that you look after us here and now through prayers and miraculous healings and via ordinary medicine. I marvel at the fact this body I wear cannot be compared to my future state when you return. 2 Corinthians 5:1 compares it to moving from a tent to a house! What a thought. Your grace is sufficient for me with any thorns in my flesh, here and now. I trust you for your goodness to me. Thank you for your ever-present lovingkindness. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

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A Prayer to Keep a Grateful Heart; For still Finding Hope in God’s Promises. Psalm 42

Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995

BOOK 2

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c]pants for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and [d]appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him
For the [j]help of His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The [p]help of my countenance and my God.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In our lives we can often face times of discouragement.

Our spirits can feel heavy and our hearts burdened.

When that happens, however, we can either turn it against ourselves or we can turn it to God and lean on him, finding hope in his promises and unfailing love.

Disappointment, discouragement and its consequences can come from various sources—poor decisions, poor choices, failures all sizes, prolonged challenges.

Yet even in the midst of such trials we can choose to put our hope in God. He is our surest refuge and strength, the one who sustains us through every season.

Yesterday my devotional message was that when discouragement threatens to overwhelm us, we can decisively and will definitely find solace in God’s Word.

His mighty acts and daily provisions remind us of his faithfulness, and his promises give us hope for the future.

God is always present to help in times of trouble, and his love and grace are sufficient for us (Psalm 46:1-11; 2 Corinthians 12:9).

As we anchor (Hebrews 6:17-20) our hope in God, our perspective shifts.

17 [a]In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, [b]interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have [c]taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 [d]This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters [e]within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

As we anchor ourselves in God’s promises, we begin to see beyond our present circumstances, and we focus on the unchanging nature of our heavenly Father.

He is the source of true joy and peace, and in him we find strength to persevere.

Today, if you find yourself discouraged, turn to God in prayer.

Pour out your whole heart before him and listen for his still comforting voice.

Trust in his perfect timing and purposes, knowing that he is working all things together for your good.

Anchoring Your Soul and Keeping a Grateful Heart

Colossians 3:15-17 The Message

15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Having a grateful heart seems to be rare these days and at a premium to find.

Social media is full and overflowing with discontented hearts–hearts that are angry, disappointed, hurt, grieving, and more. Still, God calls us to be thankful.

So where and how do we gain gratefulness in such an ungrateful world?

Many individuals are living with an outlook of lack, seeing all things they don’t have because it’s much easier to look at our glasses half-empty than half-full.

Seeing our lives as lacking leads us to believe if we only have more—more of the things we believe we need to be happy— our lives our attitudes would be utterly different.

But it’s not even close to being minimally true.

Matthew 6:25-34 The Message

25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Grateful hearts don’t come from comparing ourselves to those front covers on magazines or to owning things, holding positions, or having everyone love us.

In an ever-changing world, there is no guarantee of hanging onto earthly possessions, especially in the shadow of natural disasters, wars, and more. 

It’s Up to Us to Choose

Whether we believe it or not, especially as Christians, it’s up to us to choose to where or how we gain our self-esteem, we focus on what God has so graciously given us rather than what the sinful world gives and takes away on a daily basis.

Godly gratefulness is not dependent on what we own; yet, God has given us so much to be thankful for in life.

Colossians 3:15-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

15 Let the peace of Christ [a]rule in your hearts, to which [b]indeed you were called in one body; and [c]be thankful. 16 Let the word of [d]Christ richly dwell within you, [e]with all wisdom teaching and admonishing [f]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing [g]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Even if we have nothing to our names, we have incredibly valid reasons to thank Him daily.

Things, positions, locations, and more don’t bring authentic happiness; rather, true gratitude comes from deep within us.

Gratefulness as a Sacrifice

Sadly, life sometimes brings tragic losses of loved ones, homes, jobs, and more, but still God calls us to be thankful.

He knows our weaknesses and understands how it can be difficult for us to do so when we’re disappointed, discouraged, suffering, or grieving.

Although 1 Thessalonians 5:18 instructs us to “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” it doesn’t mean we thank God for the sad situations, but thank Him in the midst of them.

Some believers are confused by this verse, thinking God expects us to thank Him for the sad and tragic situations and losses that bring us disappointment, discouragement, suffering, and grief.

But He’s not.

God’s given us so many spiritual blessings, which are not dependent on our circumstances, we can praise Him and give Him thanks no matter our situation.

He is compassionate, recognizes this kind of gratitude as a sweet sacrifice to Him. 

Psalm 116:17 encourages our sacrificial thankfulness. “I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the Lord.” 

Psalm 116:12-19 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits [a]toward me?
13 I shall lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.
16 O Lord, [b]surely I am Your servant,
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.
17 To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people,
19 In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
[c]Praise [d]the Lord!

When we do, God responds, as recorded in Psalm 50:23. “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor Me, and to the blameless I will show My salvation.”

In uncertain times, God calls us to focus on Him and His faithfulness instead of our situations, to remind ourselves of His promise to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and to trust Him to help us through everything we face in life.

O God, when disappointed and discouraged, in our failures, may we turn around to find hope, peace, strength in you. Fill our hearts with praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [e]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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God, who is our source: A Prayer for Seeing God’s Light in the Darkness. Psalm 18:28-29

Psalm 18:25-36 New American Standard Bible 1995

25 With the kind You show Yourself kind;
With the [a]blameless You show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the crooked You show Yourself [b]astute.
27 For You save an afflicted people,
But haughty eyes You abase.
28 For You light my lamp;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness.
29 For by You I can [c]run upon a troop;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is [d]blameless;
The word of the Lord is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God,
32 The God who girds me with strength
And [e]makes my way [f]blameless?
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
And sets me upon my high places.
34 He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your right hand upholds me;
And Your [g]gentleness makes me great.
36 You enlarge my steps under me,
And my [h]feet have not slipped.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

As David recounts the works of God in his life, he acknowledges that everything comes from the Lord – oil for his lamp, military help, strength to climb a wall.

His great song rises out of his many years of trusting God and seeing him deliver, whether it was when David defeated Goliath with God’s help, five stones and a sling, or when the Lord gave him a hiding place from Saul.

These testing times provided David with a choice; he could trust God to take him through the difficulties or blame him because things weren’t going to plan.

As we read throughout the books of Samuel and Kings, David wasn’t perfect, high energy intrigue, bad decisions, was too often his best friend but he learned from his mistakes and sought after God. And after a long lifetime of seeing God make good on his promises, he wants to attribute all the glory, honor to him.

Our Westernized world is so vastly different from that of David’s. We have the conveniences of modern life such as travel, communication, and technology.

With all of these things making our lives easier (but more complicated), we can be ever so easily tempted to think that we have all of the control over our lives.

But if our hearts are tender towards God, we see that he is the source of all we have and do. Sometimes, however, we only turn to God as a last resort because of disaster, calamity, or sickness and our utter failures to bring control to any.

Today, how can we follow David’s lead in attributing all the glory to the Lord?

Perhaps it is in offering to God that misunderstanding with a friend.

To seek his wisdom when the circumstances of our lives go far off the rails.

To ask him to help us see all those annoying circumstances as he sees them.

To, without any hesitation whatsoever, say thank you when we complete a project, have a joyous time with a loved one, make it to our destination safely.

God’s help is as present today as it was for David.

As we come to learn how, when to trust in him moment by moment, we too will be able to say he has provided for our needs and turned our darkness into light.

A Prayer to See God’s Light in the Darkness 

Psalm 18:28 Amplified Bible

28 
For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness.

I sit here at my computer right now, wanting to type, but not really knowing what and how much to say.

So many things, circumstances and places and events and people are on my surgically repaired heart, with so precious little that I know to do to help out.

The world as a whole, as well as our little worlds around us, can look so very bleak, and incomprehensively dark at times – wars and conflicts just abound.

So, I do the only thing I can: I go to God’s Word for reassurance of who He is.

I remind myself of all that He’s done, and I find hope in all that He is able to do.

If you are near or in, those places today, read over this list, mark these verses in your Bible, and know, without a doubt, these things are true and can be trusted:

The Lord is here in our midst (Zephaniah. 3:17).

17 
“The Lord your God is in your midst,
A Warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with joy;
He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

In the middle of dark, messy, incredibly painful things.

I know that He illuminates all of the darkness when nothing and no one else can (2 Samuel 22:29).

29 
“For You, O Lord, are my lamp;
The Lord illumines and dispels my darkness.

I know He will never change, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.

I know that the same Jesus who walked this earth thousands of years ago is here with us now (Matthew 28:20).

18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”

In our hearts, in our homes, in our day-to-day moments when we invite Him in (Revelation 3:20).

20 Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me.

I know that with each year that passes the hard things don’t seem to get any less…maybe even more (Ecclesiastes 7:14).

14 
In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider that
God has made the one as well as the other,
So that man will not find out anything that will be after him.

And I know that the Lord has sustained me and those I love through them all (Psalm 54:4).

4 
Behold, God is my helper and ally;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul [my upholder].

I know that when I am weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; 9  but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 10 So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].

That when I am weary, He gives me rest (Matthew 11:28-30).

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].  29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”

That when all else fails, He doesn’t (Psalm 121).

121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]—
From where shall my help come?
2 
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber [briefly] nor sleep [soundly].

5 
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 
The sun will not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 
The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your life.
8 
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do]
From this time forth and forever.

I know that when I am afraid, I can trust in Him (Psalm 56:1-4).

56 Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled on me;
All day long the adversary oppresses and torments me.
2 
My enemies have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.
3 
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust and faith in You.
4 
In God, whose word I praise;
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not fear.
What can mere man do to me?

I know that He has been faithful in the past and He will be in the future (Hebrews 10:23).

A New and Living Way

19 Therefore, [a]believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus, 20 by this new and living way which He initiated and opened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh, 21 and since we have a great and wonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, 22 let us approach [God] with a true and sincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]; 24 and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, 25  not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.

I know that He holds all things together…He holds me together (Colossians 1:17).

15 He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation. 16 For [a]by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. 17 And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.] 18 He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the [b]church; and He is the beginning, [c]the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything. 19 For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son), 20 and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.

I know that His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

I know that He bends down to listen when I pray, so I will never stop (Psalm 116:2).

Thanksgiving for Rescue from Death.

116 I love the Lord, because He hears [and continues to hear]
My voice and my supplications (my pleas, my cries, my specific needs).
2 
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.

I know that He hurts when I hurt (Isaiah63:9).

God’s Ancient Mercies Recalled

7 
I will tell of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
According to all that the Lord has done for us,
And His great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has shown them according to His compassion
And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.
8 
For He said, “Be assured, they are My people,
Sons who will not be faithless.”
So He became their Savior [in all their distresses].
9 
In all their distress He was distressed,
And the [a]angel of His presence saved them,
In His love and in His compassion He redeemed them;
And He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

I know that He wants all of us to come to Him (1 Timothy 2:4).

A Call to Prayer

2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people, 2 for [a]kings and all who are in [positions of] high authority, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This [kind of praying] is good and acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who [b]wishes all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge and recognition of the [divine] truth.

I know that He created me with a purpose that every situation in my life is a part of (Ephesians 2:10).

10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

I know that He fights for me if I will only be still (Exodus 14:14).

The Sea Is Divided

13 Then Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.”

I know that He is the Rock I can build my life on (Psalm 18:2).

18 “I love You [fervently and devotedly], O Lord, my strength.”
2 
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;
My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.

I know that if I grow my roots down into Him my faith will not be shaken when hard things come (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

5 
Thus says the Lord,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind,
Making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength,
And whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord.
6 
“For he will be like a shrub in the [parched] desert;
And shall not see prosperity when it comes,
But shall live in the rocky places of the wilderness,
In an uninhabited salt land.
7 
“Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord
And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.
8 
“For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters,
That spreads out its roots by the river;
And will not fear the heat when it comes;
But its leaves will be green and moist.
And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought
Nor stop bearing fruit.

I know that the work I do for Him is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).

57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

I know that He’s real (Romans 1:19).

Unbelief and Its Consequences

18 For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them.

I know that His Word is Truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

14 But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I know that He can make impossible situations possible (Mark 10:27), unbearable situations bearable, and the unthinkable thinkable.

24 The disciples were [a]amazed and bewildered by His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is [for those who place their hope and confidence in riches] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were completely and utterly astonished, and said to Him, “Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?” 27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

I know that He will be with us wherever we go, that we don’t have to be afraid (Joshua 1:9). Ever.

7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do [everything] in accordance with the entire law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper and be successful wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be [a]successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I know that He is the light of the world and darkness cannot overcome Him (John 1:5).

The Deity of Jesus Christ

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ([a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and [b]the Word was God Himself. 2 He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines on in the [c]darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].

And you can know these scriptural truths too. John 14:5-6

5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “[a]I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

In the verse from Psalm 18:28 at the top, David said “my God” and “my darkness” because they were his personally.

We all have dark places at times.

Hard things can leave us feeling lost and unseen.

But you are not lost, and you are not unseen by Jesus.

He is the light you are looking for.

He is the One, the only One who can make things right in your world.

Neither you nor I don’t sit alone in those hard places.

Call out to Jesus, your personal Savior, to bring you out of the darkness and into the light with Him-in the fullest assurance, I fully know He will meet you there.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Dear Jesus,
Life can feel so very dark at times, not just for the world around me but for me personally. Help me to turn my eyes to you, to remember the truth of who you are, and to put my hope in you and your Word. Thank you for lighting up my darkness and meeting me where I am. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Having Our Heavenly Father’s Ear all to Ourselves: Time alone with God in our Prayer Closets. Matthew 6:5-6

Matthew 6:5-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day [b]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [c]evil. [d][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Daddy’s Ear

Jesus invites his followers into an intimate love relationship with God the Father.

The privilege of that intimacy might best be seen in how Jesus teaches us to pray.

Though God is almighty and maintains the entire universe, he also attends to the prayers of his children.

Most citizens think of their president as the most powerful person in the nation.

Most would feel fortunate to get even a few minutes of his time.

But when one of his children calls, if he is a good dad, he’ll answer and listen.

They have an ear with the president that any CEO or political leader would envy.

They are the only one’s who can call him “Daddy.”

Their agenda is not national security or some international crisis.

Their access is based on the fact that he is their loving father, who always cares for them and wants what is best for them.

With us, God wants a relationship that is infinitely more caring and loving.

He has given his heart to us.

Jesus came to be one of us and to die so that we could live forever with God.

Our Father has made himself available to us anytime, anywhere. Almighty God is our loving Father, who is never too busy to hear the prayers of his beloved children. Do you have this kind of relationship with the God of the universe?

Do we ever, even take daily advantage to “tug” on our Heavenly Father’s ear?

Our private alone time with our Heavenly Father, does it even exist in our time?

What Is a Prayer Closet?

Matthew 6:5-6 Easy-to-Read Version

Jesus Teaches About Prayer

5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray loudly. They want people to see them. The truth is, that’s all the reward they will get. 6 But when you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father. He is there in that private place. He can see what is done in private, and he will reward you.

Several years ago, there was a highly acclaimed movie that came out called “War Room,” which centered on the importance of the personal prayer closet.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend renting it tonight and watching with your whole family! 

In the movie, a woman is confronted with a crisis which forces her to get truly serious about her relationship with God, and to experience the power of prayer to change things.

She takes the King James Scripture translation literally (…when thou prayest, enter into thy closet…), and empties out her bedroom closet of clothes, shoes, jewelry and other personal items, and replaces them with a chair, post-it notes with Scriptures and family photos. 

Thereafter, the movie revolves around her regular and routine visits to this prayer closet, now effectively transformed into a spiritual “war room,” where she fights with all she has against the enemy’s attack on her family.

I promise you that after you see this inspirational movie, you will consider cleaning out your closet.

But before you box up your coats and shoes, you should understand a few basic things about what a prayer closet is and what actually should happen there. 

Where We Meet with God

With all due respect to the King James translation, most modern versions don’t use “closet” anymore, but rather “room,” “private room” or “inner room.”

The Greek word is tameion, which simply means an “inner storage chamber or secret room.”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5009/esv/mgnt/0-1

We might describe it today as a safety deposit box or vault. It describes that place where one’s most valuable possessions and treasure can be kept safe. 

So Jesus is telling us in Matthew 6:6, we all need a place where we regularly and routinely meet with our most valued treasure in this life… our heavenly Father!

He is the One whose resources never run out or run dry, the One who can solve any problem we have and deliver us from every demonic attack.

There is nothing more treasured, valuable to us than our relationship with God. 

Where We Become Vulnerable

Over time, this word translated as “closet” was used to describe a bedchamber where a husband and wife were able to be intimate.

The very act of disrobing makes a person vulnerable, exposed to their spouse.

So the idea of Matthew 6:6 also includes going to a place where we let down our guard before God, allow Him to examine our hearts, thoughts without shame.  

Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

It’s a place where we cannot hide our hurts, it is a place where we cannot lie about our failures or even try to pretend before God to have all the answers.

Where We Change Clothes 

King James’ residence in Edinburg, Scotland, is reported to have an interior room in the master bedroom.

Much like a large walk-in closet of today, it’s where the king changed his clothes.  

So to extend the illustration, our “prayer closet” of Matthew 6:6 will be a place where we experience change; it’s where we go to remove the soiled rags of this life and be clothed in His righteous image and His spiritual armor.

We exchange clothes of fear for the shield of faith, clothes of confusion for the helmet of salvation, clothes of hurt, shame for the breastplate of righteousness.

Ultimately, the private time we spend with God in our “prayer closet” will pave the way for public success. 

But Why Do We Need a “Prayer Closet”?

So by now it should be pretty clear that you don’t really need to hire an architect to redesign your bedroom closet.

The prayer closet is not as much about “place” as it is about attitude and commitment.

Your particular prayer closet could indeed be a cleaned-out closet, or a small guest room.

It could be the man cave or the she shed.

Perhaps it’s an attic or bonus room or a even a particular chair in the corner of the living room.

It can be wherever you chose to spend time with God in prayer, without the interruption of family or daily life. 

So why should we select one, dedicated spot to become our “prayer closet”?

1. Sometimes, We Just Need to Shut the Door

Matthew 6:6 Easy-to-Read Version

6 But when you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father. He is there in that private place. He can see what is done in private, and he will reward you.

The real power of the prayer closet comes from claiming a space that you can inoffensively close off the entrance of others (children, pets, phone and social media notifications), invite the Holy Spirit to create the proper atmosphere and get quiet enough to hear His still, small voice speaking wisdom and direction.

It also protects you from being hushed by the unbelieving attitudes of others, as you stand and loudly declare in faith the promises of God over your situation. In short, behind closed doors make for a more powerful and successful prayer life.

Whether we realize it or not, one of the primary ways the enemy brings destruction into our lives is through constant interruptions and distraction in our pursuit of God. Any of this sound familiar?

– I would pray… but I’m exhausted trying to make ends meet.

– I would pray… but the kids keep pestering me.

– I would pray… but I really need to study.

– I would pray… but this business meeting just came up.

– I would pray… but my husband needs my attention.

– I would pray… but I have a deadline I just can’t miss.

– I would pray… but I don’t have enough time in the morning as it is.

– I would pray…but I must keep up with social media to stay relevant.

Short answer?

No, no, no… just no!

Actually, I must check in with my heavenly Father and get His power and wisdom for every task I need to accomplish in the day.

I need to confirm that He likes what I am doing, and that I get the inside scoop on what’s trending in Heaven.

I need to be filled with supernatural energy to perform with excellence in life, and to be a source of strength to my family and children. And to accomplish all of that, I must shut the door on every distraction when I go to God in prayer.

2. God Will Make Sure We Will Always Require, Need, Private Time with God.

Too often when we pray openly around other people, we become self-conscious and spend more time trying to impress them with our words, than we do truly pressing into God.

I’m reasonably sure you know exactly what I am talking about: those long and arduous prayers said in King James English… to bless the church potluck lunch!

These are the modern equivalent of the hypocrite’s prayers of Matthew 6:5.

True prayer is not a time to impress people – it’s meant to lock in and join forces with God; to wage war against an enemy which seeks our defeat and destruction -and as Jesus publicly said, it’s what we do in private that paves the way for what people will see in public.

One of my life mentors once told me,

“If you want the anointing on your life, make sure your private time in prayer exceeds your public time on the pulpit.”

I believe it’s the foundation of a Christian’s success in life, not just in ministry.

Here’s a little observation: it seems you can always tell who has a powerful prayer life, who doesn’t, simply by the fruit that is evidenced in their life! Selah.

Prayer is the spiritual discipline that is practiced in private, but the rewards are manifested in public.

It manifests in our character, our wisdom, our attitude, our blessings, our joy, our favor, our peace and our power!

Jesus said we need a “prayer closet” because that private place paves the way for our public success!

3. We Want to Know God’s Will for Our Lives

Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Clearly, our loving heavenly Father has amazing things for each of us to do and experience in this life.

And if I were to ask, I believe everyone would want to know the results of that God search, so we can make appropriate decisions to cooperate with His will.

We know intuitively and from Scripture that God’s will for us is “good and acceptable and perfect,” so we really should do all we can to discern what His will is!

John 13:34-35 New American Standard Bible 1995

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

However, between us and the manifestation of God’s good plans there is a cross that we must bear.

Matthew 16:24-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his [a]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then [c]repay every man according to his [d] deeds.

God’s good plans for us are often dependent on our denying ourselves and our doing things God’s way.

John 3:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 You yourselves [a]are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the [b]Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

What’s that look like for you? Is it…

– a habit you need to kick?

– an offense you need to forgive?

– a relationship you need to exit?

– a discipline you need to develop?

– an act of obedience you need to practice?

– a wound you need to allow God to heal?

What is it that is standing in the way of God’s will for your life?

And more importantly, how can you surrender your will in that area to God’s will, especially when everything in you doesn’t want to do it God’s way? 

Surrender through prayer.

Run to that prayer closet, shut the door and ask God to do heart surgery on you so that you can say, “Not my will but Yours, Lord Jesus!”

It’s in that place that you will receive the supernatural help that you need to fight that battle and every future one that you face in life.

His supernatural help comes when I enter my prayer closet and meet with the Source of my strength, and the strength of my life – God, my Father!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 27:7-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!

Thank you, Lord, for loving us and hearing our prayers. You are never too busy for your children. May we be as eager to pray as you are to listen and respond. Amen.

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The Importance of Discipleship: Do We Even Try to Embrace this Call? Matthew 4:18-25

Matthew 4:18-25 New American Standard Bible 1995

The First Disciples

18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He *said to them, “[a]Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, [b]James the son of Zebedee, and [c]John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Ministry in Galilee

23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the [d]gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

24 The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, [e] epileptics,  paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When Jesus quietly walked by the Sea of Galilee, he faced them, he called his disciples, he issued an invitation that went far beyond mere companionship.

He called for a radical commitment to follow him immediately, completely.

This call echoes through time, age to age, generation to generation extending to us as his devoted followers today, urging us to embrace the path of discipleship.

Discipleship is significantly more than attending church, learning about Jesus.

It is a transformative journey of surrender, obedience, and growth.

Just as he called his first disciples to follow him, Jesus invites us to do the same.

This might even mean changing the work we do.

This might mean looking at our own family members differently whether they be our spouses, or our in-laws, and our children and even our grand-children.

This might even mean looking at people (even complete strangers) differently.

This might even mean we have to do something we do not necessarily like to do and that is get into the middle of someone else’s life in the name of Jesus Christ!

The main point is to let go of pursuits that would hinder our devotion to him.

Our aim as disciples is to follow our Master by living out his teachings.

Through an intimate relationship with Jesus, we are transformed into his likeness and empowered to make an impact for good in the world around us.

Discipleship isn’t without its exceedingly great challenges, but it also offers abundant life and eternal purpose. We discover the joy of knowing Jesus deeply, experiencing his presence, and becoming agents of the harvest of his kingdom.

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/church/why-the-church-needs-to-get-serious-about-discipleship.html?utm_source=Pushnami

In this context our faith is refined, our character is shaped, and our lives bear lasting fruit and by the fruitful witness of our character, someone else is God’s.

Today let’s shake the trees of someone else’s heart and soul a little bit harder, walk onto someone’s beach front, call out to them to leave their cultural nets behind them, and just respond to Jesus’ call with wholehearted commitment.

And may our lives testify, witness, to his love, grace, and transformative power.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Lord Jesus, My ever living Savior Jesus, thank you for your summons to discipleship. Transform us with your love to follow you faithfully, knowing you are with us. Amen.

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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