"When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble." (Proverbs 4:12)
Let's look at some selected statements of this chapter. "Hear....Keep my commands.... Get wisdom! Get understanding. Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth....Get wisdom....Get understanding....Take firm hold of instruction....Do not enter the path of the wicked....Avoid it....Turn away from it....Let you eyes look straight ahead....Ponder the path of your feet."
Consider vv. 20-22, "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh." Strong's says that the word for, "health," literally means "medicine, health, healing, cure, remedy, soothing, tranquil." When a seminary classmate said to the professor, "That means spiritual medicine, right?" The professor replied, "The Hebrews did not think like that. They were very literal in their thinking and expression." Okay, a liberal professor affirms that the words of God are medicine, health. Why would this be difficult for anyone to grasp. "The Word of God," Jesus Christ, Is our Savior, Deliverer, Sustainer, and Healer. Remember when we really believed this?!?
Time and delay, or what seems to be unanswered prayers wears on us. We think, "Well, maybe as Paul, I sought Him three times and He just doesn't want to do this." I never see Jesus in the Gospels saying that He did not want to do what is best for people, including healing them of their diseases. In fact, we read in Matthew 8, "He...healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 'He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'" It cannot be any more clear than that.
Covenant with me to stop any other "theology," any other reasoning. For most people, the older we get the more, "our infirmities and...our sicknesses." I have a 55 year old football injury to my shoulder (yes, it is a football injury) which has been giving me a lot of problems, and, there are other "things." I continue to believe that healing is "the children's bread." We read that whenever hurting humanity came to Jesus in the Gospels, the "theology" was always, "According to your faith let it be to you." The power and authority is in Jesus Himself, and He apparently delights to release all to us. "According to []our faith let it be to [us]."
Father, in Jesus' Name, You see my "faith," or lack of it. I believe You, nothing else. Amen.
*************************
Here are prayer Scriptures for our Fall Mission, October 27-November 23:
Psalm 143:8-12; Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 4:3-6
Let's look at some selected statements of this chapter. "Hear....Keep my commands.... Get wisdom! Get understanding. Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth....Get wisdom....Get understanding....Take firm hold of instruction....Do not enter the path of the wicked....Avoid it....Turn away from it....Let you eyes look straight ahead....Ponder the path of your feet."
Consider vv. 20-22, "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh." Strong's says that the word for, "health," literally means "medicine, health, healing, cure, remedy, soothing, tranquil." When a seminary classmate said to the professor, "That means spiritual medicine, right?" The professor replied, "The Hebrews did not think like that. They were very literal in their thinking and expression." Okay, a liberal professor affirms that the words of God are medicine, health. Why would this be difficult for anyone to grasp. "The Word of God," Jesus Christ, Is our Savior, Deliverer, Sustainer, and Healer. Remember when we really believed this?!?
Time and delay, or what seems to be unanswered prayers wears on us. We think, "Well, maybe as Paul, I sought Him three times and He just doesn't want to do this." I never see Jesus in the Gospels saying that He did not want to do what is best for people, including healing them of their diseases. In fact, we read in Matthew 8, "He...healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 'He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'" It cannot be any more clear than that.
Covenant with me to stop any other "theology," any other reasoning. For most people, the older we get the more, "our infirmities and...our sicknesses." I have a 55 year old football injury to my shoulder (yes, it is a football injury) which has been giving me a lot of problems, and, there are other "things." I continue to believe that healing is "the children's bread." We read that whenever hurting humanity came to Jesus in the Gospels, the "theology" was always, "According to your faith let it be to you." The power and authority is in Jesus Himself, and He apparently delights to release all to us. "According to []our faith let it be to [us]."
Father, in Jesus' Name, You see my "faith," or lack of it. I believe You, nothing else. Amen.
*************************
Here are prayer Scriptures for our Fall Mission, October 27-November 23:
Psalm 143:8-12; Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 4:3-6
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
