For 12 years this woman was considered unclean. She was shunned by others and barred from going into the Temple. Sadly, she had spent all her money on treatments that had not worked, and instead of getting better she was now so weak it took all she could do to fight the crowds to get close to Jesus. But in an act of sheer desperation, with total, absolute belief that she could be delivered from this disease, she reached out and touched His cloak. Simultaneously, Jesus felt power leave Him as she was healed. That same Dynamis power is still there today… dry your tears on the hem of His garment and be made whole.
Tag: christianity
Proverbs 14:30 ” A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
Even when the world around us is chaotic, we can still be content and at peace within. But it’s when jealousy creeps in that suddenly we’re unhappy and discontented with everything and everyone. Envy can decay away the most stable of relationships, it can cause irreparable damage to people’s reputations and lives. Rotted bones can no longer support body weight…they are brittle, break easily, and can become a life threatening condition for the person…Envy not only affects others, but ourselves.
Galatians 6:6 ” Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.”
Has someone influenced your walk with the Lord by being a mentor? Has someone come along side during a rough period and spoke truth and light into those dark times? Has your Pastor ever given a sermon you know was written especially for you? Has a Bible teacher ever made that confusing passage suddenly very clear? I dare say you could probably answer “Yes” to most of these questions…so I ask you then…have you ever thanked them? Don’t take for granted the bounty of wisdom and knowledge you’ve received over the years from others. Today, make a phone call, send a text, or tell them personally…Thank you for showing me Jesus, and speaking the Word into my life.
Ecclesiastes 11:3 ” If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth.”
Don’t fear the gathering storm clouds. For out of the storm comes the rain that cleanses the air and waters the fields. So as in your life, don’t fear the storms that come your way. Refuse to focus on the clouds…but rather on the good that can come from them.
Isaiah 52:12 “…for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”
The Hebrew meaning for the words “rear guard” have a completely different connotation than what we would think. In my mind, a rear guard watches and protects the back part of the army. But the Hebrew word for rear guard also means to bring in or gather. So in this scripture the Lord will not only go before us forging the way, but He will be behind us too, gathering up the weary and those lagging… so none will be left behind.
Song of Songs 8:6 ” Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.”
When we married 26 years ago today, we had a most unusual wedding. It was the second marriage for both of us, so the wedding was going to be small and simple. The church we were part of had no building, we met on the campus of the University of Idaho. I had mentioned my lack of a venue to my Administrator of the Nursing Home where I was a Dept. Head, and suddenly the plans were launched for the wedding to take place there. I included many of the residents in the planning and preparation, and that evening a great number attended the service. So unique was the celebration, that a reporter from the local newspaper was there…so you can imagine our surprise when a picture and story was on the front page of the paper the next morning stating…”Nursing Home gives away Bride.”
Proverbs 13:13 “He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.”
Growing up, every Saturday morning there would be a list of chores waiting for each one of us. The rule was as soon as your list was completed to Mom’s satisfaction, you were free to do what you wanted. Now, I was an early riser, and could get most of my chore list done by the time my little sister was getting up, but we were both completely done by the time our middle sister rolled out of bed around Noon. Needless to say there was plenty of complaining on her part as we were off to do something fun while her chore list loomed large in front of her. Whine as she did, there was no getting out of the chore list, and sometimes it would take her all day to finish it.
Discipline is to not reject the Lord’s instruction, but to rather face it full force, with everything you have, until completed.
I Corinthians 15:33 ” Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”
As my Grandmother use to say…”You hang around the pig pen long enough and you’ll come out smelling like one!” You keep company with questionable people, and even if you don’t partake in ________ (you fill in the blank), others will find you guilty by association. Don’t be deceived and lead astray by the arrogant notion that you are too discerning, or too intelligent, or too spiritual to not be ensnared and lured in by sin. Sadly, your good character can be tarnished by the company you keep.
II Chronicles 20:22 ” As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.”
The Lord inhabits the praises of His people… praise takes our eyes off the circumstances and allows God to work. Jehoshaphat could have allowed fear and doubt to come in and place soldiers up front rather than the singers. But as the singers went ahead of the army saying – “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.” The Lord began to move…He caused the enemy armies to turn on themselves and destroy each other. The most effective tool the Lord uses to break down such Strongholds is from the inside out. As the song by Ramey Whalen says…Our praises rise like a weapon in His hand.
I Kings 17:14 ” For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’ “
Elijah had prophesied a drought which the region was now in the grips of when he came upon this widow gathering sticks. He not only audaciously asked for a drink of water but he asked for bread. The widow replied that all she had left was a handful of flour and a little oil to make a meal for her and her son…that we may eat it and die. So what Elijah asked her to do next was completely beyond comprehension for the poor woman. “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make bread for me.” This is where the widow had to look way beyond her circumstances and believe Elijah that there would not only be bread enough for her and her son today, but for many days to come. Has the Lord been asking you to do something that is frankly beyond what you can imagine? Do you have the courage like this widow to believe, but not only to believe, but to actually do it?
Safetypinlove 