Leviticus 11-13 Healthy is as Healthy Does

Today we have doctors that diagnose disease and we have medicines to alleviate suffering but in the time in the desert, the Israelites did not have doctors or medicines. God instituted several precautions for His people so they would remain healthy. Today we follow many of these same instructions. Physical observations offer much as to what the body is facing. 

So today if you find yourself suffering, you might want to observe and follow some of these instructions because we are only healthy as healthy does. Paul refers to this in a similar way when he says our bodies are the temple of the Lord. We are to honor and revere these wise instructions so that we can honor the Lord. 

9.30.24. Comfort

2 Cor 1 God of all comfort

If anyone has suffered greatly it is Paul. He has walked the road of suffering so he might bring the gospel to others. He knows the Corinthians personally and he is aware of how they have come to know Christ. He also knows their strengths and weaknesses. Where is our heart? Do we know others so well that we can speak with honesty to them about their weaknesses and their strengths? The other side of this coin is to ask ourselves if we have such close communion with others that we can share our own needs with them as Paul has done in this letter? What characteristic of God can we share with others who are suffering? 

Paul now speaks to these precious friends in Corinth to remind them of God’s comfort when they face suffering. In another letter we read: be strong and courageous  and that is what Paul is telling these Corinthians about how he has faced suffering. “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” Why does God reveal that character quality to us? Paul answers that by saying it is so we can in turn comfort others as they face sufferings. 

Who today needs this message? 

The Why Me Prayer

God trusts me

Job 6 -8/Ps 8 When we are in the mode of suffering, we often begin our prayer with “why me?” We complain, and we mourn instead of looking for that eternal purpose. There is a chorus that begins, “open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you.” Job was asking God to open his eyes to have God’s perspective. Both Job and the psalmist were perplexed and asked, “What is man that You magnify him, And that You are concerned about him, that you exalt him?” [Job 7:17; Ps 8:4]

Job has no idea what is happening, and we often don’t either. But we are learning that behind the scene in heaven, God is in the business of proving to Satan, and now to us, that God is truth and Satan is a liar and a murderer. [Jn 8:44] God knows who are His, and He trusts us with suffering to prove that we are one of the exalted, chosen ones from eternity past. [1 Pet 2:9]

How am I facing the perplexities of life today? Do I complain or thank Him that He has more trust in my faith than I do?

A Prayer in Hard Times

Ps 79 prayer2a-

Psalm 79  Today we see this Asaph as a poet. He was, as we say, versatile. Could this be the same Asaph as in earlier psalms? Scholars differ but most say that these traits belong to a man who lived at the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign of terror; in other words a man in name only.  His heart is poured out in poetry as he recalls the recent events. The Babylonians have truly desecrated the Temple and the city and God has allowed it. As he pens these words he cries out to God “How long Oh Lord? Will you be angry forever?” He also seeks God’s vengeance upon the enemies of God. There are nations today facing similar hard times. Are we like Asaph crying out to God to end these travesties which fall upon believers and unbelievers alike? Are we asking the same questions Asaph asked?

As Asaph lives through this time he is reminded that this is but a moment in time and that God will end all suffering and He will bring to an end the travesties of life. And when all is said and done, the sheep of God’s pasture will not be vengeful but give thanks to God and all generations will praise Him.

Truly, Lord, we do not understand all that takes place and our hearts yearn for peace. Help us to keep looking to you for our salvation and we will give you praise.

Polish the Gift!

ImageWhen we recently moved and unpacked all of our remaining trinkets, some of which are priceless antiques, it was amazing to note that even after hours of carefully packing and having sat for over 4 yrs in the covering of those supposedly tarnish free papers, many of the silver pieces had indeed tarnished. With a cloth the work began and with intense rubbing slowly the tarnish was removed. Paul says, in Romans 5 that like the tarnish on our silver, our suffering is the tarnish we carry with us as we face the struggles in our walk on this earth. Daily God uses His rubbing tool to polish away our tarnish so that we may reflect Him and His love to the world.

In chapter 6 of Romans, Paul is reminding believers that believers have a precious gift of eternal life but it is not always so wonderfully visible due to our tarnish a.k.a. sin.  The Holy Spirit must polish us to remove our tarnish and sometimes He uses suffering. The question before us is: Are we allowing Him to rub away our flaws? We can aid in this by immersing ourselves in the Word daily.

Our gift of eternal life has taken us from death to life through the baptism of regeneration and now  our old self is buried with Christ. Paul will reiterate this same thought in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” So Paul then asks, why then would you want to exploit God’s grace by resurrecting the old man, the old life,  the tarnished man? He who has died to sin should reflect that marvelous sheen that comes with polishing just like your earthly silver.

So then, as eternally secure believers, dead to sin what must we do? We must make 4 choices:

  1. Not let sin reign 1Co 9:27 Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.
  2. Offer ourselves as a gift to God Col 3:12 “clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,”
  3. See from whence we came—the mirror has no claim on your past life now.
  4. Polish your gift of eternal life. How? By immersing yourself into the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit polish your tarnish away.

Today, take a look in the mirror, you have been bought with a price far beyond what anyone could fathom to purchase. It was paid by our Beloved Jesus. Treasure it and polish your gift until the world can see your reflection. The world is watching, looking, what do they see when they see you? Are you tarnished or perfectly polished? Is this your prayer? Holy Spirit polish me until I reflect the Savior to the world!

 

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