Jeremiah 17:14 NKJV
Galatians 2:9
James 5:14-15 NKJV
Psalm 34:17-22 ESV
Psalm 23:1 NCV
Matthew 4:23-24 ESV
Matthew 10:1-8 ESV
Revelation 21:4 NKJV
UN Series
I am a pray-er and I turn to God because we all NEED help and healing. I turn to God because I need God. Everyday. Every minute. I turn to God because I love God.
I turn to God because I know God loves me and is not finished with me yet.
The Prophet Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah 17:14, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.”
Jeremiah turned to God for healing and help at a very difficult time in Judah’s history. Jeremiah was called at a young age to prophesy to Judah and this prayer would have been written early in his tenure as prophet. Over the course of his life he prophesied under 5 kings beginning with King Josiah who was considered to be one of the few good kings in Judah. At the time Jeremiah asked for healing, he was one of the few who trusted God and turned to God. Despite the climate in Judah, Jeremiah shows he stood ‘fast’ relying on God alone.
When Jeremiah wrote this prayer, he knew God was not yet finished with him. He also knew God wasn’t finished with his country and kinsmen Judah.
James was a common name at the time of Jesus, but the James who wrote the New Testament book of James is believed to be the half brother of Jesus (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/james-1/).
There is mention in Paul’s letter to the Galatians in 2:9 that James was considered to be one of the pillars of the church in Jerusalem. He wrote the book of James around 45-48 A.D. (https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-general-epistles/james). The book of James is a no nonsense book filled with words about faith in action.
In James 5:14-15 he tells us, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
Those two verses give us a clear outline that tells us what the church needs to do when someone is sick. The book of James is filled with wisdom that reminds us that God’s not finished with us yet.
Not many men in scripture faced more day to day trials than David prior to assuming the throne of Israel. We know from the psalms that David wrote that he was being pursued by King Saul’s armies. David was living in the wilderness being pursued by at least a decade (scholars don’t all agree on the exact timing but they do believe in was for many years). That’s a long time to be on the run in the wilderness.
In Psalm 34:17-22, David wrote:
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”
During David’s time in the wilderness, God was with him. God did bless him. David did grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. David’s need for God continued as he became King of Israel. David understood his need for forgiveness. He knew he needed redemption. My favorite psalm was written by David…Psalm 23:1 begins with, “The Lord is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.”
God knows and has everything you need.
We read about Jesus’ healing others in Matthew 4:23-24, “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.”
Jesus gave them what they needed.
We also read in Matthew 10:1-8 that Jesus, “called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”
Jesus knew what His disciples needed and He provided it for them.
In the end, when all things have been completed on earth, God will complete His children by giving all of us what we need.
We learn in Revelation 21:4, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
I’ve learned that by sitting in silence with God and being renewed I am faced with my desperate need to sit with God and receive God’s complete peace. All things are complete with God, and I receive God’s peace.
My Spiritual Director taught me, and now I help others to re-train how they’ve been taught to think about God. You see, it’s not about what you can and need to DO for God. It’s not.
It’s about what God HAS for you.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Open your Hands
Ask God what He HAS for you today. God knows what you need and will provide it.
In God, Deborah
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