God’s Healing Power

Have you been sick for several days? Did you wish the illness would simply go away? Have you known someone who dealt with a disease for years? Did you wish they would be healed of the disease? Can you imagine what it would have been like to be healed immediately?

Illnesses and diseases are common. We expect to contract a cold, flu, or even covid at some point during the year. We don’t like it, but we know it is very likely it will happen. We doctor ourselves with medications to manage the symptoms until they run their course.

We all know someone who has dealt with a serious disease. It may be cancer, lupus, fibromyalgia, or ALS. Those who have lupus or fibromyalgia wrestle with the effects for a lifetime. Some days, they are nearly incapacitated with pain. Those who battle cancer have the possibility of being cured, but many are not. ALS is an unforgiving disease that has only one outcome.

A woman who had dealt with a bleeding disease for twelve years grasped at the last straw of hope when she approached Jesus. She had heard He had healed many others, even casting out demons. She was convinced that He could heal her. So much so that she just sought to touch his clothes. The slightest touch would bring about healing.

Jesus knew immediately she had touched His clothes and had been healed. He felt power leave Him. He looked around to find who had touched Him. There was a large crowd who were all bumping into Him, yet it was this woman who had drawn power from Him to be healed. Jesus tells us it was her faith that healed her. It was her faith that drew upon His power to be healed.

Our faith can bring about healing. That doesn’t mean there will always be a healing. Yet, there are healings because of someone’s faith. That faith comes from deep within and is often a desperate desire to be healed. But make no mistake about it. It only occurs within God’s will. When God has a plan for the person who is ill, when they are to be a witness to his power, the healing happens.

I pray we all seek to fulfill God’s will. I pray we reach out to God and the hope he offers. I pray each one of us deepen our faith in Jesus and His healing power to heal us of our illnesses. Trust God. Seek his will. Deepen your faith. Seek healing from God. Know he has a plan for you.

Mark 5:27-28 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.”

Disciple of Jesus

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be one Jesus’ disciples? How do you think you would handle the large crowds? What about the boat rides across the Sea of Galilee? Do you think you might have understood the points He was trying to get across?

Being one of Jesus’ disciples while He was crisscrossing the Sea of Galilee and walking across the region of Galilee would have been a challenge for most of us. Not only would it have been physically demanding, but it would also have been mentally challenging.

Ever wonder why Jesus came when He did? Timing. God’s timing. But think about it. The disparity of wealth was at or near its peak. About five percent of the people were wealthy and had the power to control the population. Ninety-five percent of the people were peons, serfs, or slaves. In other words, they lived hand to mouth, meal-to-meal.

Wherever Jesus went there were crowds. The crowds were so large they could not gather in the towns. There was no place that could hold all of them. We look back today and see Him feeding the four-thousand or five-thousand and think that isn’t an extremely large crowd. Yet, for that time, it was very large. It would have been rare to see that many people in one place outside of the colosseum in Rome.

This would be similar to twenty or thirty thousand gathering on a hillside today to hear someone speak, by comparison. Jesus was more popular for the three years He walked this earth than any other person. To be His disciple required faith, versatility, and a willingness to be on the go. Perhaps we would be more effective in bringing people to Jesus if we were like that.

I pray we all consider what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. I pray we have a willingness to be versatile and flexible. I pray each of us will step out in faith to bring people to Jesus. Learn from Jesus’ early disciples. Be versatile. Be flexible. Be willing. Growth your faith in Jesus.

Mark 5:21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea.

Speak Frankly

Have you opened your heart to someone else? Have you opened it to a group of people? Have you shown them that you care for them, only to have them take advantage of you or cast you aside? Do you desire to have them open their hearts to you?

Opening your heart to someone else can be difficult to do. It is even more difficult to open your heart to a group of people. We want to ensure it is a safe place before we do so. If we do and people take advantage of us, it makes it more difficult to open our hearts again.

As difficult as it is to open our hearts to show the love of God to others may be, it is what we are called to do. One part of opening our hearts is speaking frankly about God’s love, letting them know that God loves them and desires them to love him. Not everyone wants to hear that message nor does everyone believe it. Yet, we are to speak it anyway.

When we tell others and are rebuffed, it can sting. Yet, God can work in their hearts long after we have planted the seed. The fruit of our labor may not be realized until years later. Therefore, we may never know how the seed we planted may grow.

Paul knew he had planted seeds. He pleaded with the Corinthians to open their hearts, not simply to his message, but to the message he spoke on Gods behalf. We may also plead with people to hear the message. They may be standoffish, just as they were with Paul. All we can do is plant the seed and let God provide the growth.

I pray we all open our hearts to others to reveal the love of God. I pray we speak the truth to them about God’s love. I pray each one of show others we care about them and so does God. Show the love of God to others. Speak God’s truth to others. Plant the seeds. Leave the growth to God.

2 Corinthians 6:11-13 We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.

Use God’s Grace

What comes to mind when you hear the word grace? Do you think of a grace period on a loan? Has a teacher given you a grace period for turning in an assignment? Have you thought about the grace of God? What does God’s grace mean to you?

We all have experienced grace in one form or another. We likely have shown grace to someone else, perhaps without knowing it. Often a loan includes a grace period, allowing a payment to be late without penalty. Grace can even be synonymous with being pardoned.

Pardon. That’s a good synonym for God’s grace. Because of Jesus going to the cross to be the payment for our sins, we are pardoned, though we like to use the word forgiven. The same meaning comes from all three of those words when it comes to our sin. Yet God’s grace is bigger than just forgiveness, though forgiveness is included.

We like to say that God’s grace is “unmerited favor.” That is true. But what does that mean to us in our everyday lives? It is God blessing us with the breath of life. We experience grace in God giving us skills, talents, physical health, and a sharp mind. God may shed his grace on us without us knowing it. It may come in the form of a speed bump, slowing us down so that we are not in the wrong place at the wrong time, even if it is frustrating to us in the moment.

Paul tells the Corinthians not to accept God’s grace in vain. What does he mean? He means that we should not accept God’s grace and do nothing with it. We are to bear fruit for God with the grace he has shown us. We are to accept his grace with an expectation that we are to be a better representative of him. God deserves it. We will be better for it.

I pray we all seek a better understanding of God’s grace. I pray we know God sheds his grace on us each day. I pray each one of us will not take God’s grace for granted but be a better representative of his. Understand God’s grace. Accept his grace. Use it to be a better person.

2 Corinthians 6:1 As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.

Be In Awe of Jesus

What are you afraid of? Do you have reoccurring fears? Do they haunt you regularly? Are you looking for relief from your fears? What would you give to be relieved of your fears? Are you willing to release them? Are you willing to turn them over to the One who can relive you of them?

We all have fears of some kind. We may have fears of wild animals, deep sea creatures, water, heights, or of failing. Those fears are very real for us. They frighten us whenever we encounter them or perhaps even think we will encounter them. Yet, they can be removed.

The disciples were in a boat on the sea with a storm blowing and waves crashing over the boat. They could not bail the water out of the boat fast enough. They were sure the boat was going to be swamped, capsized, and they were going to drown. Meanwhile, Jesus was laying in the back of the boat asleep. What? How can anyone sleep with a storm raging all about them?

Jesus had been teaching, healing, and casting out demons for a large crowd. He had done this over several days in different places. He was exhausted from all He had been doing. This was His human side. It reminds me of the longest day I ever worked—fifty-four straight hours. I slept for twelve hours when I finally got home.

But Jesus would soon show His divine side. The disciples woke Him up out their fear of dying. He quickly stopped the wind and calmed the sea. He asked them why they were afraid and if they still had no faith. They were astonished. They were in awe. Jesus had commanded the elements. He had done the impossible.

Jesus still does the impossible. He can calm our storms. He can remove our fears from us. He can carry us through the storm, shelter us from the storm, and calm the storm we are in. But He wants us to put our faith in Him. As we do, we will see Him do amazing things in our lives as well.

I pray we all put our faith in Jesus. I pray we release our fears to Him. I pray each one of us will are astonished, in awe, and amazed at how Jesus works in our lives when we put our faith in Him. Release your fears to Jesus. Trust He will remove them. Put your faith in Him. Be in awe of Jesus.

Mark 4:40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Be Rejuvenated

Have you been involved in a movement and felt the need to leave it? Was it simply that you needed a break? Were you in need of rest? Does that happen to you in your workplace? Has it happened with a ministry you were involved in? How did you handle it?

We can be involved in a variety of movements. They may be social organizations. They may be justice related movements. They may be ministries in our church. They may be large projects in our workplaces. We can get to a point of exhaustion or burnout, needing a break.

Jesus was certainly involved in a movement. In fact, He was leading the movement. He was bringing God’s message to God’s chosen people. His first priority was to clarify and explain God’s meaning behind commandments and guidance given to the Israelites during the previous couple thousand years. Changing people’s minds, changing their viewpoints, perspectives, and understanding can be time consuming and exhausting. Jesus needed to step away from the crowd for a short period of time to get some rest.

We, too, need to step away at times to get some rest. Unfortunately, our culture has equated stepping away from those situations to taking a family vacation, which does not always result in rest. We joke that we need a vacation from the vacation, because we have packed so many activities into our vacation that we are worn out from them.

When Jesus stepped away from His ministry for a few days, He didn’t go do other activities. No, He rested. We also need to plan time to step away and rest. We need the down time to be rejuvenated. Our strength does not return to us while we are active. Our minds do not renew when we are juggling schedules. For those to happen, we need both physical rest and mental rest. The best rest we can achieve comes from spending quiet time with God.

I pray we all recognize our need for rest. I pray we purposely plan down time to rest physically and mentally. I pray each one of us spend quiet time with God to be renewed and rejuvenated. Know that you need rest. Plan down time. Spend quiet time with God. Be renewed. Be rejuvenated.

Mark 4:35-36 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.

God Can Handle It

Are you feeling oppressed? Does it seem as though the entire world is against you? Are there specific persons or organizations who are not treating you well? Is it a general feeling that the world is off kilter? Who have you turned to for help? Have you turned to anyone for help?

We may be oppressed and not realize it. There may be people who do not like us and do not want to see us succeed. There may be organizations who simply do not want to help us. We may feel like no one is on our side, that no one cares. But that is not true.

When we feel overwhelmed, oppressed, put down, or discriminated against, we can always turn to God. In fact, that is exactly what we should do. When we are in trouble, whether of our own doing or someone else’s, we need to turn to God for help. Sure, we should still reach out to people we know who can help. We should continue to do the best we can to find assistance ourselves. Yet, the most important thing we can do is reach out to God.

God can move mountains. He can calm the sea. He can stop the wind. He can stop the storm in its tracks. Spending time in prayer, asking for God’s help, and trusting him to come through is the best thing we can do. We know that God will never turn his back on us. He will never forsake us. He will never leave us hanging. He will never allow us to walk alone.

So, if you are facing troubled times, reach out to God. He will answer you. He may not answer in the way we want nor expect. But God has a plan for you that is better than you have for yourself. Trust him with whatever is troubling you. God can handle it.

I pray we all turn to God during times of trouble. I pray we seek him out when we feel overwhelmed or oppressed. I pray each one of us will trust God to handle whatever situation we find ourselves in. Turn to God. Ask God for help. Trust God. Know that God can handle it.

Psalm 9:9-10

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

a stronghold in times of trouble. 

And those who know your name put their trust in you, 

for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Work with God

Yesterday, we talked about facing our giants. Let’s continue that discussion by continuing to look at how David faced Goliath. He did not run out to battle Goliath haphazardly. He had thought it through. He remembered his battles with lions and bears while protecting his father’s flock of sheep.

David used his experiences of previous battles. He had learned lessons from those previous battles. He applied those lessons by formulating a plan to go against Goliath. Though King Saul had given David his armor and sword, they did not fit, and they hindered David from being able to move fluidly. David discarded them.

Young David knew he needed to be nimble. He needed to be able to move quickly. So, he threw off what would hinder him from doing so. David had used his sling to take on the lion and the bear. His sling was not like we know today but was a long leather cord with a pocket in the middle. David would twirl the sling around a few times to build momentum, then release one side of the leather cord to allow the pocket to open and the stone to be slung toward Goliath.

The most important thing David did was put his faith in God. He knew his experience. He had thought through it. But he still relied on God to guide him and give him the victory. We can take this same approach to defeat our giants. We can learn lessons from previous encounters, whether successful or unsuccessful. We can apply those lessons for the current battle while trusting God to guide us. This is how we work hand-in-hand with God to defeat our giants.

I pray we all learn lessons from our previous battles with giants. I pray we trust God to guide us every day. I pray each one of us overcome our giants by working hand-in-hand with God. Learn lessons from your experiences. Trust God is always with you. Work with God. Defeat your giants.

1 Samuel 17:45 But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

Overcome Your Giants

Have you ever seen a giant up close? Do you experience giants in your life? Do they seem to be overwhelming? Is there a giant taunting you now? Are you battling a giant now? Have you battled giants in the past? How have your battles turned out?

We all face giants at times during our lives. They often involve other people. Sometimes those other people are merely spectators. At other times they are the giants we are facing. Often our giants are giants because of the situation we find ourselves in.

Goliath was a massive man. He stood roughly nine feet tall. This at a time when the average height of a man was less than five feet. So, Goliath appeared to be even taller to them than he would to us today. He was extremely strong when compared to the average man of the time. That made him a man to be feared. It is no wonder the Israelite army was trembling in his presence.

Our giants may not be a person that stands nine feet tall. Yet, they are no less giants. They are a huge obstacle that stands in our way. We have a choice to make. We run away or decide to overcome them. If we decide to overcome, we need to be like David. We need to trust in God to help us overcome them. We cannot do it on our own. But God can ensure we are successful at overcoming the giants we face.

I pray we all face the giants we encounter in life. I pray we trust God to be with us as we face our giants. I pray each one of us ask God to be with us so we can overcome the giants in our life. Trust God. Ask him to be with you. Know that he is. Overcome your giants with God’s help.

1 Samuel 17:4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Power of Blessing

What does a blessing mean to you? Is being blessed by someone a big deal to you? Do you bless others? Do you believe blessing someone can be powerful? Do you know blessing someone is a form of prayer?

We do not practice blessing others much anymore. There was a time when blessing someone was quite significant. We see a variety of situations in the Bible in which one person blesses another. The belief was that by blessing someone you not only gave them your blessing but called down God’s blessing on them as well.

There are examples of fathers blessing their eldest or favored son, such as Isaac blessing Jacob. There is a call to bless those who are sick by praying over them and anointing them with oil (James 5:14). A blessing typically included laying hands on the person to bless.

We may have seen someone being blessed by the laying on of hands and being prayed over in church. It certainly happens when someone is ordained or commissioned as a missionary. Again, the belief is that we call God’s blessing onto the person. It is a type of prayer since we cannot command God but ask God to pour out his blessing on the person. Perhaps we should bless people more often.

I pray we all believe that blessings are powerful. I pray we lay hands on people and call God to bless them. I pray each one of us will look for ways to bless our brothers and sisters in Christ, calling on God to show his amazing power to save all of us. Bless someone today. Ask God to bless someone. Ask God to save someone. Know that God can save.

Psalm 20:1-2

The LORD answer you in the day of trouble! 

The name of the God of Jacob protect you! 

May he send you help from the sanctuary, 

and give you support from Zion.