Healed

Have you sacrificed yourself for someone else? Have you given up doing something you prefer to do something someone else wants to do? Have you had someone sacrifice themselves for you? Have you taken notice of their sacrifice? Have you acknowledged God’s sacrifice?

If you are a good parent, you have sacrificed for your children. We sacrifice for them quite often and in many different ways. Some parents forgo eating so their children can eat. Some do not buy new clothes for themselves for years to buy new clothes for their children.

Parental sacrifice is expected, even if the new parents have not realized it yet. By the time our children are a few years old, it becomes the normal thing to do. It becomes such a large part of our lives that we are unsure what to do when they grow up and move out of the house. But often we continue sacrificing for them. Our sacrifice has simply taken on a different form.

God made a major sacrifice for us. The Son, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven in the form of a human and sacrificed His life so that we may have eternal life. When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we accept His sacrifice. We are made righteous by His sacrifice. We are healed of our sickness—the sickness of sin. We often say we are forgiven, which is true. Perhaps the better way to think of it is to think of sin as the worst possible, most deadly cancer, and we have been cured. Maybe, just maybe, then we would appreciate what we have been rescued from.

I pray we all know what it means to sacrifice. I pray we know that Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. I pray each one of us understands that by Jesus’s sacrifice we are healed of our worst disease. Know sacrifice. Know Jesus sacrificed Himself for you. Understand you have been healed by Jesus’s sacrifice.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Bond of Christ

Have you ever been ostracized? Was it because of your faith? Have you been physically beaten because you were a follower of Jesus Christ? Do you know anyone who has? Would you consider it commendable if you suffered because of your faith?

Being ostracized, beaten, or suffering in any other way is not something we seek out. We prefer for things to go along smoothly. Most of us don’t like confrontation of any kind. We don’t want to be the one left out when others gather. We desire to feel like we belong.

Our human nature to seek belonging can get us into trouble. We can go along with people or situations that are not healthy for us or completely wrong for sole reason of wanting to feel like we belong. Unfortunately, doing so can get us into trouble. Rather than making things better, it can make things worse.

On the other hand, if we are mistreated because we are Christians, we are to consider it commendable. Not that we enjoy it. Quite the contrary. Our suffering is difficult. We must rely on our knowing that we belong to Christ. We must understand that our bond to Him is stronger than any other bond we could have.

Our bond to Christ can be strengthened by being an active member of a church. Though attending Sunday worship services can help, we are strengthened even more when we participate in Sunday School, Bible studies, and other church organized activities. We build relationships with other Christians, and they become people we can count on when things are difficult.

I pray we all know we belong to Christ. I pray we understand our bond to Christ is the strongest bond possible. I pray each one of us will be an active member in the church and build relationships with other Christians. You belong to Christ. Your bond with Christ is unbreakable. Be an active member of a church. Build relationships.

1 Peter 2:20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do good and suffer for it, this is a commendable thing before God.

Jesus In Prophecy

Do you get confused when you read prophecy? Have you wondered how some people can read it and make perfect sense of it? Have you taken time to study it? Have you studied the history and context surrounding the prophecy? Or have you read a few verses without it?

Reading and understanding prophecy requires work. We need to know more than the few verses of prophecy. We need to know the history prior to the prophecy. We need to know the context in which the prophecy was written. Finally, we need to put the pieces together.

Ezekiel was of the priestly line. He was one of those taken into exile to Babylon nearly six-hundred years before Jesus. The temple had been destroyed. The Israelites had been conquered. They were crying out for deliverance. Ezekiel’s call to prophecy came at the time he would have begun to serve as a priest in the temple.

With this history in mind, when Ezekiel prophecies that David would feed and shepherd God’s people, he was not speaking of King David. He was speaking of someone in the line of David. When he spoke of David being a prince among them, he is speaking of a son, for the son of a king is a prince.

How do we interpret this prophecy? Ezekiel is prophesying about Jesus coming. Jesus is of the line of David from a human perspective. We interpret being the prince as Jesus being the Son of God. And we know now that Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd. He is our provider and protector. He cares for us and loves us.

I pray we all seek to know the history and context of prophecy. I pray we take time to study Scripture. I pray each one of us knows that Jesus is our Good Shepherd who loves and cares for us. Know history. Know context. Study Scripture. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Jesus cares for you. Jesus loves you.

Ezekiel 34:23-24 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them; he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.

Know the Lord

Have you ever thought about where you come from? Have you thought about why you came to be? Have you considered who you belong to? Or do you think you belong to no one? Do you know who God is? Do you claim him as your Lord? Do you know that you are his?

We all have different backgrounds. We may look like either of our parents. Our personality may be similar to either of them. We may have talents that favor one parent or the other. But in the end, we all come from God. He is the Creator of all things, which includes each of us.

The Psalmist tells us God made us and we belong to him. Just like a good shepherd who cares for his sheep, God cares for us. He provides for us, protects us, and loves us more than we can fathom. Our response to God’s unending love is to proclaim him as Lord and to praise his name. We should love him as he loves us, even though we can never love as much as he does.

Knowing that God is our Lord and proclaiming his as such is the beginning of our surrendering to him. It also acknowledges him as Creator and our relationship to him. Our surrender indicates that we trust him. God acknowledges our surrender to and praise of him by blessing us in ways we cannot imagine.

I pray we all know that God is our Creator. I pray we know that God loves and cares for us. I pray each one of us will surrender to God and praise him for who he is and his many blessings. God is your Creator. God loves you. God cares for you. Surrender to God. Praise God. Thank God for his blessings.

Psalm 100:3

Know that the Lord is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

God Seeking His Sheep

Have you ever been lost and wish someone would come find you? Have you wished someone would help you find your way home? Have you been lost spiritually? Are you lost now? Do you know there is someone looking for you? Do you know that God is looking for you?

Many people in this world are lost. Perhaps you are one of them or have been one of them. They may not know they are lost. They may be going about their lives without realizing they are running down a path to destruction. They may be running in a fog of disillusion.

The prophet Ezekiel states that God will seek out his sheep. Though Ezekiel is referencing God bringing the Israelites back from their Babylon captivity, the premise holds true today. God continues to seek out his sheep. He continues to bring them out of slavery of all forms, most notably their slavery to sin. God is in constant pursuit.

God also sorts the sheep. Those who are arrogant, taking advantage of others, and ruling over them harshly will be removed from their positions. Those who are weak and ill will be strengthened and healed. God will bring his sheep back into his caring arms. He will provide for them. He will demonstrate his love for them. His grace and mercy will cover them. God fulfills his promises, both in the past and in the future.

I pray we all know that God continues to seek his sheep. I pray we trust that God will strengthen and heal. I pray each one of us will turn to God and trust in his promises. God is seeking his sheep. God will strengthen you. God will heal you. Turn to God. Trust in God’s promises.

Ezekiel 34:11-12 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep and will sort them out. As shepherds sort out their flocks when they are among scattered sheep, so I will sort out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.

Burning Hearts

How often does your heart burn? How often do you feel an amazing sensation in your chest? When does that feeling come? Have you noticed it, considered it, and spent time understanding it? Is it just emotion or is it something far deeper than that?

There are many things in our lives that can bring momentary happiness. We may feel a very deep emotional sensation when we first fall in love. Unfortunately, none of those last. It doesn’t mean we fall out of love, it simply changes into something beyond emotion and becomes a commitment.

But these feelings are not what the two disciples felt on the road as Jesus revealed the Scriptures to them. They felt the effects of God’s hands softening their hearts. They gained an understanding they could not otherwise have gained. Their hearts/minds were being molded by what Jesus said. It was a life altering experience.

We, too, can have a similar life altering experience. It is not about it being available to us but whether we are open to it. The two disciples were distraught, depressed, and generally downtrodden. They were open to hear anything that would encourage them. It is often when we are in that state of mind that we open to hear God speak to us.

How does God speak to us? We don’t typically hear a booming voice. Instead, God whispers to our souls. He speaks to us through Bible study, preaching, and experience. We are to be ready to hear him at any time. It is called keeping the line of communication open.

I pray we all desire to have our hearts strangely warmed. I pray we seek to hear God speak to us. I pray each one of us will keep the line of communication open between God and us so that we may hear him speak. Desire your heart to be strangely warmed. Hear God speak. Keep communication open to God.

Luke 24:32: They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

Entire Bible

Have you heard people divide the Bible into two parts? Have you heard it said the Old Testament is about an angry God? Have you largely ignored the Old Testament? Have you only studied the New Testament? Have you considered the entire Bible is about Jesus?

I have heard many people state they don’t read the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is about an angry God. I have taught Bible studies on Old Testament books and heard people stated they had never read them. We are to read and understand the entire Bible.

Jesus tells the two disciples who were walking to Emmaus that Moses and the prophets wrote about Him. He explained to them what those writings meant as He walked with them for a few miles. It would have been a very enlightening discussion. I’m sure there were many questions and many “ah-ha” moments. Can you imagine? The One who inspired the writings is explaining them to you!

Reading the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible, can be very enlightening to us as well. As we read and understand those Scriptures, it enriches our understanding of the New Testament and God himself. Not only does it include prophecies that point to Jesus, but it includes examples of God’s grace and blessings. It demonstrates how God not only worked through the people of Israel, but through people of other nations.

As we read and understand how God has worked throughout history, we can better see how God is working in our world today. Though we are to hold onto God’s promises, that is not all we should do. We should also recognize God’s blessings and be part of his work today. God is not done with this world yet and he is calling us to both understand him and work with him.

I pray we all read the entire Bible. I pray we take time to study the prophecies of the Old Testament. I pray each one of us will commit to better understanding God and working with him. Read the entire Bible. Study the prophecies. Understand God. Commit to working with God.

Luke 24:27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

Love Deeply

What does it mean to you to have a change of heart? How does that change take place? Do you believe it to be your own work, one that you discipline yourself to complete? Have you been able to purify your heart? What is you are going about in the wrong way?

We often hear the phrase “he/she has had a change of heart.” We assume that means they have made a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn. They once thought one way and now think a completely different way. The object of their thought can include anything.

We see in today’s passage that our souls have been made pure by our obedience to the gospel. Because we have believed in Jesus Christ, accepted Him as Lord and Savior, and chosen to follow Him, we have been purified by Him. In accordance with that purification, we are to love one another deeply. That means we are to allow the love of God to fill us and to share that love with one another.

We cannot do this on our own. That is why Peter tells us it is by our obedience to the gospel that we have been made pure, which through Jesus Christ. It is Him working in our lives. It is His blood that has made us pure. Rather than trying to do this on our own, which will only last momentarily, we must allow Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, to fill us with His love. It is by being open to God working through us that we can truly share his love. In other words, we must surrender to God through his Son, Jesus Christ, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.

I pray we all desire to have a change of heart. I pray we accept that we have been purified by Jesus Christ. I pray each one of us will surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. Desire a change of heart. Know you are purified by Jesus’ blood. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.

1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart.

Pursue Heavenly Things

What is your heritage? What is your ancestry? What have you inherited from your parents and grandparents? Is it all good, or is there bad mixed in? Have you changed for the good? Have you had a better life than your ancestors? Do you desire for your children to have a better life?

It seems like everyone I talk with has some shady characters in their family history. For some, it may be aunts and uncles. For others, it is their parents or grandparents. Some of us have had to escape the reputations of parents. If we have, we often desire our children to be better than we are.

The truth of the matter is, we all have been rescued. Whether it was a family member in the past who had a bad reputation or we had done horrible or destructive things in our own past, we were pulled out of the gutter. Our natural desire for vengeance, selfishness, and other destructive behavior requires us to be rescued.

Our rescue came when Jesus went to the cross. Because He willingly took on our sin, we are forgiven. As we realize and appreciate Him paying our ransom, we are to pursue Him. We do so by following His teaching and example. We pursue the imperishable rather than the perishable. We pursue heavenly things rather than earthly things. We put our confidence in God.

I pray we all know that we have been rescued. I pray we thank Jesus for going to the cross for us. I pray each one of us will pursue the imperishable heavenly things rather than the perishable earthly things. You have been rescued. Thank Jesus. Pursue heavenly things.

1 Peter 1:18-19 You know that you were ransomed from the futile conduct inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

Overcome Fear

How do you deal with your fears? Are you willing to admit the many fears you have? Or do you conceal them, tuck them away deep inside, and do your best to hide them? Have you wrestled with your fears? Have you acknowledged them? Do you know you can be delivered from them?

We all have fears. Some of us hide them better than others. Some of us allow our fears to overwhelm us more than others. Some of us have wrestled with them and have overcome them with sheer will. Others continue to be subsumed with them.

Here is a key point we all need to learn; we do not have to be overwhelmed by our fears. There is One who will deliver us from them. Whether we are good at hiding our fears or we put them on full display, we can be relieved of our fears by God. For fear is a mechanism used by Satan and God has overcome evil.

To be delivered from our fears, we must first be confident in God. We must trust that God is in full control. Not just control of cosmic things but control of the minutest detail, including the very number of hairs on our heads. When we come to wholeheartedly believe this truth, fear can no longer control us. For we turn that fear over to God and trust him to handle it.

Let’s not kid ourselves, it won’t happen overnight. We will need to continually remind ourselves that God is in control. We will need to work at putting our full trust in him. Each day will require us to take one more step in that trust. Each day we do will be a day of positive direction toward being delivered from our fears.

I pray we all know that God is in control. I pray we trust that God has overcome evil. I pray each one of us puts our trust and faith in God and turns our fears over to him so we can overcome fear. God is in control. God has overcome evil. Put your trust in God. Overcome your fear.

Psalm 34:4

I sought the Lord, and he answered me 

and delivered me from all my fears.