Straight Paths Heal Wounds

Straight Paths Heal Wounds

Hebrews 12: ¹² Lift up your tired hands, then, and strengthen your trembling knees! ¹³ Keep walking on straight paths, so that the lame foot may not be disabled, but instead be healed.

 

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After experimenting with “fun” everyone else was having, I noticed my life was not getting any better. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. I sat on the on my couch and made a decision. “I need to get my life in order” I said to myself.

 

• I felt tired from trying things that were supposed to make me “happy” but found them to be temporary.
• I was trembling from fear of the future, because the “fun” was not addressing any problem I was facing.
• I knew in my heart I needed to do something different.

 

Paul, the assumed writer, begins his final words with some sage advice. “Instead of being tired and scared, why not follow GOD who provides a straight path to HIM and HIS power?” is the implied question in his statement. He knew only GOD can provide the answer.

 

My Observations:

• Only GOD can give me rest when I am weary.
• Only GOD can heal my woundedness when I am hurt.
• Only GOD can provide a straight path instead of the wandering crooked path I easily get on.

 

True success comes from GOD. I mean, HE holds the criteria for what a peaceful life looks like. Unfortunately, I try things that cause me to lose that peace. I seek the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. These things take me away from GOD. BUT GOD brings me back.

 

With gentle correction and wiping my tears away, GOD shows me how much HE cares for me and heals me of life’s wounds. HE provides a path that is straight. I gladly follow HIS way.

 

Challenge

• What is the “straight path” the writer is speaking about?
• Have you ever wandered away from what GOD wants you to do and found yourself in more trouble?
• Will you seek the answers from GOD instead of investing in what the world will have you do today?

Balanced

Balanced

Colossians 3: ¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, for that is what you should do as Christians.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

²⁰ Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents always, for that is what pleases God.

²¹ Parents, do not irritate your children, or they will become discouraged.

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Imperfect people with many life changes, needed a way to navigate ambiguity. With hurt happening all around, something needed to be said. But what could be the problem? Imbalance.

 

• Wives had complaints about husbands.
• Husbands had complaints about wives.
• Children had complaints about parents and parents complained about their children.

 

Paul addressed issues that continue to this day. Families had become imbalanced and looked for solutions. Unfortunately the solutions must not have worked so the complaints remained. He brings the ultimate solution to address imbalance.

 

My Observations

• Only GOD can bring families back into balance.
• With CHRIST as the foundation, imbalance can be cured.
• GOD wants me to look at my role through HIS eyes instead of mine.

 

Looking at CHRIST as the answer sounds easy, but can be difficult if things are out of balance. I mean, if CHRIST is used to wound people into doing a role that is expected by another person, regret, distrust and resentment can appear. The result is more imbalance. BUT GOD has this too.

 

HE has seen family after family after family try and make mistakes. HE knows the walking wounded need help and HE is willing to bring balance to a specific role. HE wants me to come into balance with HIM first so I can see my role through healed, not hurt lenses. I am grateful for my family and love the fact that GOD loves each person far more than I could ever imagine.

 

Challenge

• What words do you get stuck on from the writer?
• What words from the writer can throw things out of balance?
• Does looking at your own role hurt or bring excitement to you?
• Will you seek a balanced approach by understanding the love that CHRIST has shown can live in you today?

Broken Mirror

 Broken Mirror

1 Corinthians 12 ¹² Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. ¹³ In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.

 

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When I was moving, I threw a hand mirror in a box with books and other hard items. While unpacking I noticed it was cracked. I could still use the mirror, but it just wasn’t the same.

 

• I am part of larger group.
• I am a broken piece of a whole mirror.
• I am part of the entire body of CHRIST, but I need other broken pieces.

 

“Let us make man in OUR image” was the creation of the mirror. But when Adam sinned, the entire mirror was broken. It could no longer reflect GOD as a whole. Each piece could reflect a tiny portion, but not the whole being.

 

My Observation

• GOD wants me to know I am part of CHRIST, but only a part.
• GOD wants me to understand that I need other pieces of the mirror to reflect HIM properly.
• GOD wants me to seek the other broken pieces to put the mirror back together.

 

Knowing one part of the mirror is not more important than another part is the beginning. I mean, when I move a piece of the mirror to the eye or the ear, it reflects what is shown. BUT GOD wants an entire reflection. HE wants all the pieces put back together.

 

But what happens when they are all together? Wouldn’t there still be a crack? Yes. But somehow the HOLY SPIRIT removes the crack when we are “baptized into the one body” by HIM. HE guides us to see we all need each other to truly reflect GOD. I am glad I need other pieces.

 

Challenge

• What are your observations about the differences spoken here?
• What do you notice about the HOLY SPIRIT?
• Do you feel you are a part of something much bigger?
• Will you seek CHRIST and be added into the body today?

Healed

Luke 4: ³⁸ Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. ³⁹ So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

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“GOD I won’t do that again!” I said clutching my chest. The pain was so intense; I thought I was going to die. I figured I had been hanging out, sinning too much and maybe it was GOD’s way of punishing me. Days later, when the pain went away, The thought of hanging with my “friends” came back to mind. I mean church people were so boring to hang around.

• There were times when I did not believe in supernatural healing.
• There were times when I questioned “If GOD exists, then why are people sick?”
• There were times when I lived my life doing anything “I” wanted to do without a thought of what GOD wanted me to do.

Everyone in the house of Simon (Peter) asked JESUS to do something about Simon’s mother-in-law. They had just heard some amazing words from JESUS calling HIMSELF GOD and they believe HIM. JESUS told the fever to go away and she was instantly healed. She got up and served JESUS.

• JESUS wants to heal me when I am sick.
• JESUS wants me to remember that HE is the one who heals.
• JESUS wants me to serve HIM when I do get healed.

Why get healed just to turn around and be the same lackluster person? If I am expecting supernatural healing, then I must also expect supernatural purpose in my life. GOD keeps me alive for some reason and that reason is HIS. Whether I am sick or well, GOD has a purpose for my life.

• Are you sick?
• Do you need supernatural healing?
• Will you stop living for yourself and start living for GOD so HE will heal your SPIRIT first?

Amazing Hate

Matthew 12: ²² Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. ²³ All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

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Hatred is bewildering and amazing. I mean when I don’t like a person, there is not much “right” they can do.

• Hatred blinds me.
• Hatred makes me unable to see any good.
• Hatred takes me to s place where grace cannot live.

I may justify my words and say “I don’t hate the person” but if I am constantly thinking of their wrongs and talking about their missteps, I hate them, plain and simple. What can help me with this hatred?

• GOD says to me “Love one another” is the greatest command.
• GOD says to me “How can I show you grace if you cannot show others grace?”
• GOD says to me “Pray for your enemies for it is easy to pray for those who love you.”

Even a slight margin of hatred can breed a war. I tussle with GOD when HE tries to get me to do the right thing. GOD wants me to turn my amazing hate into amazing grace. When I do this, HE gives me rewards that I cannot imagine!

• Are you on the path to hatred?
• Is there someone in your life or on the news who you talk about constantly in a negative way?
• Can you stop your hatred and get on the road to grace?
• Will you ask GOD to heal your wounds and channel you anger towards GOD’s love?