prayer

Faithful

Good morning, friends. I hope you are enjoying your Saturday morning so far. I am sitting here this morning, Bible in hand (well, Bible open on the couch and pen and coffee in hand at this very moment), reflecting on my year. I am headed off to Savannah for an annual work conference this week that happened right around this time last year. What a difference a year has made.

I saw a friend’s Instagram post after the Great American Solar Eclipse. Her simple comment referencing the picture was so profound. She viewed the eclipse from Florida; and as anyone else that did the same from south Georgia or Florida knows, the picture was a bunch of clouds. Some grey, some white, but all just clouds. Her comment said something along the lines of [paraphrasing] “We didn’t see the Eclipse, but I know God was performing a miracle right behind the clouds.”

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8

We serve an amazing God who knows, sees and has authority over all things. Just take the miracle of the eclipse for example; still amazing and significant even when unseen. He orchestrates things in our life outside of our power and understanding, even when we can’t see it happening.

Back to my reflection on this time last year..

I was in a tough place. Still wrapped up in a previous relationship that I should have allowed myself release from. Please don’t misunderstand, I thank God for that relationship because it taught me things about myself and Jesus that I treasure today. But the time for me to let go had come, and as usual *eyeroll*, I was refusing; exposing myself to new pain each day that I clung. I was directionless at the time, with no idea what was to come next in my life as far as purpose. I felt captive to my anxiety and fear. I remember laying in that hotel room bed, feeling lost and unsure of what to do to change my situation.

Through this year, as I have shared in previous posts, God has worked miracles in my life. Ones that probably seem small to a onlooker, but have moved mountains for me.

Today, I write while my precious significant other sits on the other end of the couch playing a video game (the manly kind of course *wink). I actually sat down to reflect and write because of his influence. This man is a God-send. If I could have pieced together a heart to compliment mine, it would be his. But to tell you the truth, we got together under tough circumstances. Really tough. The beautiful thing is, God took a broken situation and covered it in grace. So today, I sit here with this man overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s eclipse behind the clouds.

What else? I have direction. I may be unsure of my day to day steps right now, but I have vision of a career purpose and how to get there. I can honestly say if I had not walked through mental hell this year, I would not have come to this place of clarity concerning who I am and what I want. Thank you Jesus!

Anxiety and fear- the demon twins. To be honest, I am still in a back and forth with these two. I am in a valley season right now and its really hard. But, I have peace in knowing God is fighting for me. When I have exhausted all my efforts, He still stands strong. I will eventually defeat it for good; I am speaking and believing that this morning. In the meantime, I praise God for the victories in the daily battles and pray for peace in the losses.

“But I have trusted in Your unfailing love; My heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.” Pslam 13:5-6

God works, even when we don’t see it friends. He always loves and always calls to us. I am praying for a mental victory today and thankful for the clarity and joy I have in Him. I am praying for your need to be met, whatever that is.

Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness and thank you friends for reading today.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

Refocused

Good morning! How are you?! Enjoying your summer so far I hope. I have missed this.

Distraction. What does it take to become distracted? Is it always something wrong? I suppose if it takes your attention from the Lord, it is an idol in a way. What about discouragement; does discouragement distract you?

It’s distracted me. I’m not going through a process of identity confusion or backsliding. I know truth and I love our faithful Jesus. I’m just discouraged. I’ve let whispers of negativity tie my hands; then allowed busyness to distract me from fighting it. I just lost focus.

I was approached recently by a friend, and she asked me about my writing. She asked if I had written anything recently because she wasn’t getting her email notifications. That was so encouraging, knowing that she eagerly joins me in this journey. [It was also confirming what the Holy Spirit had been stirring in me. I knew I had not written, and I knew I was neglecting this ministry.] But, the part that really stood out to me was that she said she felt like she was experiencing the things that I was writing about and found it encouraging that someone else was too. I found just as much encouragement and comfort in knowing I was not alone in this stuff as she did. It was that same warm, fuzzy feeling I get when you leave comments on the posts, or share encouraging texts and conversations with me. God is good.

So for her- and for the rest of you in this online community God wove together, and for myself- I’m moving forward. Refocusing.

It is difficult. I have to tell you I’ve sat down several times determined to reach out and just couldn’t come up with the words. However, I realized last night I was searching myself for them and not seeking God’s. This makes me feel super vulnerable to admit, but I promised myself I would be authentic through this. So, here I am. Asking for your mercy as well as the Lord’s before I go any further. Hoping that even if you haven’t experienced this before, you can understand what I am describing.

Father, forgive me for being selfish with your gift. Thank you those that push me along in love. Forgive me for neglecting this time together.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Now let’s kick that dust off our heels and get to walking together and explore God’s word. I love you and I thank you. Talk to you soon!

Waiting

Hey there and happy Monday! Is that a thing? I know Mondays can be a drag for most of us, but I hope you had a good one this week. I can’t complain myself. I started out pretty slow, but I ended up making some time to spend in the Word this evening..and here I sit.

Waiting on the Lord. There are countless verses in the Bible that encourage us to do so. In Psalm 27:13-14, David said, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” I have found that waiting on the Lord always pays off. He is faithful to his Word.

Sometimes, I don’t even know what I am waiting for. Right now, I think it is an answer. I do not feel overwhelming confusion; I am at peace. I know (from experience doing the opposite), the best thing to do is wait on the Lord. However, my heart is expectant and when I begin to solely focus on that answer I think I may be waiting for, I experience impatience. Serious impatience. I know it is coming, but I can’t see anything else in the meantime.

It is important to maintain vision and await promise. It is important to trust God through the wilderness in order to reach the Promiseland. But, we must be careful not to sacrifice the time in the wilderness because we are solely focused on the promise. Remember, first God, then the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4).

Friends, there are miracles along the way. There is rich communion along the way; gifts and blessings of knowledge and relationship. Moses awaited the Promiseland, but he was still mindful of the blessing in the manna (see Exodus 16). Be mindful of God in the moment. He is not just God of the wonderful future and the ancient past; he is God in this moment.

One definition of worship according to Merriam Webster is devotion to an object of esteem. I don’t want the time gap of waiting to become the thing I worship; the thing that consumes me, that I devote all my energy and thought to. But, how? How do we stay expectant and eager for God’s promise but also mindful of His presence in the waiting?

I found a few practical tips in the Word that I want us to try to apply together, and I listed them here with some scripture to back it up:

Read the Word
- Psalm 130: 5- I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
- Psalm 119:105- Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Maintain a heart of thanksgiving
- Psalm 95:2- Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
- Philippians 4:6-Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
View the world through a filter of faith
- Matthew 18:3- And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (childlike faith)
- 2 Corinthians 5:7- For we live by faith, not by sight.

James 1:12 reads, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” We don’t only have that crown of life in the Promiseland; we are royalty now, bought by the blood of Christ, so we get to experience life (peace, joy, and hope) along the way!

So, what do you say? Let’s believe God for the answers and the promises: that financial miracle, the dream job, that Godly spouse, the healing, the salvation of a child. But, in the meantime, as we wait in faith, let’s enjoy God in the waiting.

Good morning and happy FriYAY! I don’t know about you but I am so very ready for this weekend. I am fortunate to have a fun one ahead with friends enjoying this warm Florida weather. How are you planning to spend yours? I hope you are getting this sunshine as well!

Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.” Paul is kicking us off this morning in his letter to the people of Philippi. These are instructions on prayer.

Prayer in it’s simplest form is communication with God. There is power within it. Jesus himself prayed all the time. I am currently exploring prayer myself. Don’t get me wrong, being a believer most of my life, I have always prayed. However, lately it has been a little different. I tend to spend a lot of time talking to the Holy Spirit these days. Personally, I think that is part of why I am in a season of alone-ness (being by myself a lot with the Lord, not being lonely- there is a big difference). To be honest, I am figuring out how to do it. I go through a lot of “I don’t know what to pray right now” moments.

I am torn between whether or not I should be praying for exactly what I want right now or not. Sometimes I feel selfish for doing that because there are so many hurting people around me. Also, I don’t know that what I want is within the will of God. However, in writing to you this morning, I experienced an ah-hah moment. I love those!

Ah-hah Moment: When I get wrapped up in what I should and should not pray, I am acting like a Pharisee. First of all, God knows my heart and the desires in it. So, praying those desires only begins a conversation with him about it. It is an act of obedience and faith in inviting him into the situation. Second, succumbing to the anxiety about what is politically correct to pray is not trusting God to respond. It is idolizing law without grace or relationship. Which totally disregards the cross. Lord, forgive me and thank you for grace!

Intercessory is something we are called to do. I believe as Christ followers, it is our responsibility to lift others up in prayer. Pray for your lost loved ones. Pray for the broken, hurting and confused. I think the most genuine act of love you can show toward a person is presenting their pain or issue to the Creator of life and asking him to infuse grace and peace in it. Jesus prayed for us all the time, even when we hurt him. Was it because God did not know us or love us? No. It is because Jesus did. His intercession was an act of love just as ours is.

As I was reading this morning, I came across Romans 8:26-27. Read that passage with me.

Friends, just as Jesus, the Son of Man, interceded for us while he was on earth, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we do not know what to pray. He knows us- our desires, our pain, our needs (Psalm 139). So, he prays to the Father on our behalf.

Thank you Lord for wanting relationship with us so badly that you sent the Helper (see John 14:26).

If you are at a place similar to what I confessed I was experiencing where you don’t know what to pray: praise. He inhabits our praise. Paul said with thanksgiving present requests. Thank God for being who he is because he deserves all praise for simply being who he is!

“I Am who I Am” Exodus 3:14. We serve the God; the only one. He is both intimate and infinite, and he love us so much. I am overwhelmed with peace and purpose just entertaining the thought. Talk with him today. If you don’t know what to say, ask the Holy Spirit dwelling in you to speak on your behalf.

Enjoy your weekend and remember that you are loved!

Gethsemane

Happy Easter!

Thank you Jesus for the love for us that You displayed many Easters ago.

Let’s dive in to Matthew 26:36-46 this morning. To set the scene here, Jesus and the disciples just ate the “Last Supper” and went to the Mount of Olives. After a brief conversation with Peter, Jesus went with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane.

Verses 37 and 38 say, “He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

He was heartbroken. Why do you think that was? He knew what was coming. He knew resurrection and newness were coming. So, even though these next several hours would be painful, there was a definite reward in store.

We have already established he was heartbroken. Verse 39 says, “Going a little farther…” Stop here. He was hurting, but he still kept going. A little farther. Another step. He kept moving in spite of what he felt. “..he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet, not as I will, but as you will.” He fell to his face on the ground, in complete submission to the will of God and pleaded for the cup to pass. He was entirely vulnerable.

In verse 42, he asked a second time. But, why, the resurrection was coming and he knows it? He prophesied about rebuilding the temple in three days himself (John 2:19). So he knows how this is going to end. Verse 44, he asked again.

But, after he spoke with God and submitted to His will. In verse 46 He said, “Rise, let us go!” He kept going, friends. He didn’t want to, but He did.

This moment Jesus experienced is such a human moment. He lived as we lived. He felt the things we did. He chose to walk within the will of God, just as we can. Knowing he was a lamb being prepared for slaughter, he kept walking. You can think what you like, but I do not believe Jesus experienced the cross because he wanted to. He chose to because he trusted God for the outcome. He trusted God’s word.

Lets think about what he may have feared: pain, leaving his loved ones behind, permanency, and lack of understanding from the people he loved.

Right now, I am heavy at heart about marriage. I am twenty-seven and from an area in the country that would consider me an ‘older bride’ from this point forward. Yes, I am aware that is not true, but many of my loved ones have not realized that. It is not the wedding I look forward to, even though that can be fun. I can’t claim to even be ready for a marriage- I honestly don’t know. However, I am ready to find someone to do life with. Consistently; everyday. I am over dating and the highs and lows. It may sound silly friends, and trust me I am embarrassed to even report it to you, but my best friend believes my words are most powerful when they are personal and from my heart and I really want to you to understand what I am challenging you to in this post.

I know, that I know, that I know that God has someone special in store. I am not talking about “The One” that most believe is out there. I , personally, do not believe there is one person designed for me; but I believe there are God-honoring choices that I get to make in selecting my spouse. I believe that by loving God first, he will deliver on his promise to give me the desire of my heart. How can I believe the God of creation is unable to do such a thing; even if it seems nearly impossible to me. So, friends, even though this lonely season is painful, and I fear change in leaving behind the man I loved before, and permanency of the decision is intimidating, and I fear that those around me don’t understand my patience or what I am praying for- I keep walking. If I am being honest, right now I am asking God daily to take this cup. Just give me someone that I can make life work with so I can experience it. However, because I trust God more than myself and I know he knows the depth of my heart so he is able to place someone in front of me that meets the desire, I keep walking. I trust his Word, his omniscience and his timing, so I keep walking. I will rise up, just as my Jesus did, and keep walking. Wading through the season of development to get to the resurrection- life.

Think about that thing you have been trudging through to get to the promise. The Son of God felt it to friends. But following Jesus means following Him through this part too. Keep walking with resurrection ahead. With death to these things today, comes life in resurrection and promise.

Trust God, our gracious and loving Father and stay heaven minded. Resurrection is coming.

Bread

Good morning and happy Holy Week!

Lets dive right in today with Matthew 26:17-30. This passage narrates the “Last Supper” between Jesus and the disciples before the crucifixion process began. You can also read accounts of the supper in Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-38 and John 13 and 14.

Side note– I am throwing a ton of scripture at you today so if you don’t have time this morning to read it all, just just the verses down and dive into them throughout the day.

Something I found so neat in this passage was within the first verse(17), “On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” When I compared the stories in each book, all but John specifically mentioned the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This interested me, so I looked more into this particular Jewish tradition.

Turns out, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was a tradition adapted by the Jewish people to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. Leaven is yeast. During this festival, bread would be made without yeast and no yeast was to be consumed in any Jewish household. Most households would even purge the home of all yeast containing products. When the Jews abruptly left Egypt, they did not even have time to allow their baking bread to rise. They gathered it, and fled. Yeast is what makes dough rise, so eating bread that has not risen is a symbolic of the deliverance from Egypt.

The most interesting part is what leaven symbolizes throughout scripture. In many passages, leaven, or yeast, is used to describe sin or falsehood. So, purging the household of yeast also symbolized purging of sin and falsehood. If you are wondering where on earth I am getting this information from (as you should be), I went ahead and listed a scripture chain below and a brief description of each:

Exodus 13:3-10: God commands the people to acknowledge their rescue from Egypt

Leviticus 23:4-7: Describes how the Festival of Unleavened Bread began and why.

Deuteronomy 16:3: Reminder of what the unleavened bread represents.

1 Corinthians 5:4-8: Parallels leaven to sin.

Matthew 16:5-12: Jesus compares yeast of the Pharisees to falsehood.

Matthew 26:26 says, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” The unleavened bread that he broke represented his body, his flesh. “..This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” John 6:51. The timing of the Festival of Unleavened Bread was no coincidence.

The yeast-less bread that He broke for them represented His sinless body that was broken for us.

Oh, how I love Jesus, that he gave his sinless body to be broken for us over 2000 years ago so that we may spend eternity with him and have peace on this earth by his Holy Spirit. The Bible is a love letter from God, a how-to for earthly dwelling, and a beautiful and poetic piece of literature. Isn’t it amazing that God utilized metaphors so that we can attempt to understand His heavenly being with our human minds? What an author; he began shaping the story thousands of years before the climax! That is a true testament to his majesty.

Held

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9

I remember a moment of complete brokenness that I experienced some years back. Reflecting on it now, I remember how it felt to come undone. I was 22 years old. In that moment, I realized I had lost the guy that I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. We had broken up a few days before but the reality that it was over did not set in until that phone call. The moment he ended the call– I was lost. I sobbed and yelled “No” repetitively. I think that is all I knew to do. I crumbled onto the living room couch.

I idolized planning back then. I had lists for my lists and mapped out every detail of my life. Then, in that moment, the plan was ruined. I loved that boy to my core. As frustrated as I had grown with the relationship, I was so dedicated to the life I believed we would have. My world felt like it had been ripped out from under me.

Moments after my breakdown began, my brother came downstairs and witnessed my devastation. He heard my wailing from his room upstairs. He said nothing; he just reached down to me, lifted me up onto his lap, and held me. Just held me. That moment, as dark as it was, will always be the best moment I have shared with my little brother. Reflecting on it now brings tears to my eyes. Not tears of sadness, I have completely healed and been restored of everything that I considered loss that day; thank you Jesus. They are tears of gratitude and humility for that special moment. He transitioned from little brother to protector and has maintained that role, in my mind, ever since.

I understand that this story sounds more like a diary entry than a scripture study. However, I decided to go this route today because of what God is doing in my life right now. I want to testify on His behalf. This story is a perfect real-life illustration of the unconditional love and faithfulness of God.

He is so faithful. I’ve walked away from Him, disrespected Him, and sinned against Him. Yet, He never leaves me broken. If I allow the world to get me there, I can call on Him and He heals me. It looks different each time, sometimes immediate and others a longer process. But, He always does. He holds me when I come undone. When I crumble in despair, just like Devin did, He reaches down, picks me up and holds me closely. He whispers truth in my ear, “I love you child. Get up child, you are a victor. I’ve got you beloved.”

He is holding me now. I am in a much better place than I have been in the past. But right now, I am battling fear. Fear of an uncertain future, fear of being alone and fear of rejection. I am right in the middle of it. But friends, He is holding me. He is right here in the with me. Taking on every question, cry and confused prayer; whispering words of truth in my ear. I am not reporting on my deliverance from these things…yet. I am testifying to His presence in the now.

I love Jesus. Honestly, I consider myself a pretty tolerant person but I would have given up on me a long time ago. He doesn’t though, isn’t it amazing? He loves me, He holds me. When I am together, He celebrates with me and guides me. When I am undone, He holds me and breathes life into my decaying heart. I imagine in the spiritual realm, it looks a lot like what my brother did for me that day.

So thank you Taz for being the big little brother that I needed. Thank you Father for loving me so.

“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91: 2

Words

Good morning! I hope this post finds you well and rested after the weekend.

Today, we will be referencing Matthew 7:13-23 during our time together. I know it is kind of a longer chunk of scripture, but bear with me. Read it all the way through before moving forward so you have the Word in your mind as we bounce around.

This can be unpacked in a few different ways. That is one thing that I love about the Word of God. I believe this scripture does not only express that what is internal becomes external, but also what intention behind the external things can do for the internal self.

Jesus referenced good and bad trees here to illustrate his point (V 17-20). Good (living) trees provide oxygen and clean air. Meaning, they provide life. Bad (dead) trees do not. Dead trees actually consume oxygen, or consume life, instead of giving it.

Speak life friends. When you speak over yourself, your life will be tempered with Christ’s love and grace, or not. We get to choose. Our choice is what separates us from the rest of creation; it is the feature that makes us in His image. We were created and gifted will. There is so much more power in that gift than we realize on a day to day basis. God reigns as King, but He has blessed us with power in our tongue to speak life or death. We can build and destroy with words. Do you see the power there? (See Proverbs 12:18, and 18:21).

You can do all of the “Christian” things you can imagine, but if you are not speaking life into yourself and the fallen world around you, you cannot know the peace Jesus provides. The life you speak is what will come to fruition.

Now jumping back up to verses 7:13 and 14, it is not always easy to speak life. We don’t always feel it. Some of us have a hard time for reasons outside of our control.

I want to speak to a specific group of readers here that may share a persistent illness called depression with me. When you read the second sentence of the paragraph above, I am sure you laughed to yourself in agreement and thought something like, “Chick, you have no idea.” I am airing my business out here today to tell you, I do. I understand; I may not know exactly what you are feeling, but I know what it is for the positive life giving thought part of your brain to literally just not work right. Not because of a decision you made, but because of a physical disability that can reek havoc on your mental health. I pray right now divine healing over your mind. I believe God is capable. God has been mending me daily for a long time. I do not know why divine, one time, Jesus-healed-the-leper healing is not the way He chose to do it. It may be so I can speak into you today. Friend, even in the pit, speak life. You do not feel it, I know. Speak it. Speak it through the tears and the frustrated tantrums. Speak life through the pain. Speak life in the numbness. If you can say nothing else, look in the mirror every morning and say, “Clothed with strength, crowned with dignity. Loved by Christ.” Speak it and I promise you, you’ll begin to believe it. I profess it because I have to live it out every day to stay sane. There is strength and power in your tongue and you, even when broken and bruised, are a warrior.

God did not create us to live in turmoil. That was introduced with sin. Remember Eden? God created us to walk and talk with Him. Adam and Eve, pre-fall, lived in complete peace; not even knowing what shame, hate or lust were. That was God’s original design. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, we can have that same peaceful communion now. Yes, we live in a world where those things exist, but speaking life over yourself and into your world allows the Spirit of God to thrive because He is life.

John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

This morning I speak victory, healing, prosperity and peace over you. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

*If you are a reader dealing with depression and need someone to talk to, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to talk through some of the tough stuff with you and help you attain the extra help that you may need to overcome. You can reach me at kristen_gillette@hotmail.com. I love you, friend, and so does Jesus. Healing is possible.

Touch

Good morning and Happy Friday! I am thrilled this day is finally here. I have a weekend with a few of my long time girlfriends ahead and this week dragged on as I waited in anticipation. I couldn’t kick off the weekend though without sharing this short passage with you; Monday just would not have come soon enough.

Start by reading Matthew 8:1-4.

This is a story I have heard referenced my entire life. It is a testament to the healing power of Jesus. However, when I read it this time, the Holy Spirit revealed something else to me.

Let me set the scene: Jesus had just been on the mountainside teaching his disciples and crowds of curious people. As he came down, a man with leprosy approached him and asked for healing. Jesus touched the man and he was healed.

The first thing I would like to call attention to is the way this sick man approached Jesus. Verse 2 says, “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean.” This man knew the power of Jesus before he even asked for healing. He approached him in expectation. He acknowledged His authority by kneeling before Him, then made his humble request. I would love to unpack this interaction with you, but that is not the focus of this post. So, stay tuned because we may study this story again.

The focal point of this post is the way Jesus loved this man in the specific way he needed. In the time frame we commonly refer to as the “Bible days”, leprosy was an epidemic. The people believed the disease spread by contact, so infected population was avoided and even sometimes colonized away from the general public. If the man was visibly infected, he had probably had the disease for quite some time. Meaning, this man had most likely not been touched in a while.

Human physical contact is such an interesting gift from the Lord. Physical touch from others can be comforting and encouraging. Reflect on a hug from a parent, or holding hands with a significant other. A pat on the back from a coach or boss can make you feel on top of the world. We can feel loved with physical touch, or validated. A simple gesture can be so powerful.

Jesus had the power to heal this man without touching him. The Bible tells us that in the next few verses (5-13) about the Centurion’s servant. However, Jesus did not just want to heal this man’s flesh, he wanted to heal his heart. Jesus obliged this man’s request by healing his body completely. He honored his expectation by healing his heart. The physical touch from our Savior probably meant more to this man than his physical relief of pain.

Oh, how I love our Jesus. He is so good. He loves us in the specific way we need; in a way that only He can. Think about that today and just rest in his love.

Have a good weekend, friend.

Healing

Good morning beautiful; I hope this post finds you well rested and coffee in hand!

Start off by reading Matthew 8:28-34.

This is the passage that Jesus encounters the two demon possessed men. He casts out the demons and they run to the pigs, where they throw themselves into the lake and die. Sounds like a problem solved, right?

The peculiar thing about this passage is the crowd’s reaction to this miraculous deliverance. Verse 34 says, “Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.” Wait, what? After the healing..they wanted him to leave? These two men were violent in their possession. The passage described in verse 28, “They were so violent that no one could pass that way.” This means these men directly affected the people of this region. The same people who’s response to healing was to kindly plead with the Healer to get out?

As silly as this initially sounded to me, the Holy Spirit started to reveal my hypocrisy. I began to see a parallel to how I am with some of the sins and afflictions in my life and the townspeople’s response. Sometimes, we (yeah, I am bringing you in this because I hope I am not the only one) prefer to avoid the sins and afflictions all together because of their violent nature. However, when Jesus shines light in them to eradicate them from our lives, we react similarly to these people. We prefer to ignore or shield the “thing” instead of acknowledge the need for healing and deliverance. It can be shame, fear, selfishness or ignorance that drives the resistance.

I can think of a few times I reacted like the townspeople. I was limiting the power of God. Did I believe I would have fulfillment once the thorn was removed from my flesh? Did I believe the pruning would be too painful? Did I love the “thing” first? Thank you Jesus for grace.

“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14.

Jesus promises rest, peace and wholeness. See Matthew 11:28, John 16:33, Romans 5:1 and John 10:10 for a reminder. But, he also said he came for the sick (unrighteous). Some sickness is so painful to get through. However, the healing is worth it. The wholeness is possible. The health is attainable. The grace is sufficient.

Lord, forgive me for shielding away the wounds that needed your attention most. Forgive me for limiting your limitless power. Heal and cleanse all darkness in me. You have done it before, you will do it again. You are faithful. I accept this healing. I love you and praise you for who you are! Amen.