February 11, 2024
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In our last session, we continued in the freedom theme of the last few weeks, and we talked about Psalms 46:10 and how the Lord wants us to “Be still, and know that I am God…” I told you how that scripture helped free me from bondage to fear of two medical tests I faced last week. The scripture gave me a peace when the technician instructed me to “lie still” for the two tests.
I knew the favorable results from the first test when I wrote last week’s word, but I was still awaiting results of the second test. Those second test results came on Monday, and while there was some positive news about my heart function, the result was less than I had hoped for. There are some things my cardiologist wants to keep an eye on, so I need to have a retest in six months.
Before the tests, I was hoping for good results, naturally, but I prayed for accurate results and told the Lord that I would trust Him with whatever the answer was. But to be honest, I was saddened by the prospect of another surgery, and the devil immediately attacked me with feelings of despair and darkness. I shed some tears in front of my wife, Nancy, who along with my children, stepped up with great emotional support, encouragement, and scriptures. After I shared the results, my son Will called, and he initiated a spirit-led time of prayer, praise, and worship with Nancy and me. This was much needed for me, as I didn’t exactly feel like praise and worship, but Will and Nancy persevered, and their faith carried me along with them.
It reminds me of the story of the paralytic in Luke 5, whose friends lowered his stretcher through an opening in the roof where Jesus was teaching, so he could get His healing. Sometimes we need the faith of others to carry us when we are stricken.
As I persevered in faith, I remained overburdened on Monday and Tuesday. I became anxious about my health, and frankly I was not feeling very well physically. On Wednesday, however, I felt a lifting of the burden in my spirit, and physically I began to feel much better. I felt a healing in my spirit, and I believe it is now time to begin interceding for a physical healing of this thing. I am praying for a healing that will be documented in six months during the retest. My daughter Laura was able to get my name added to the prayer requests of several large ministries, and I covet your prayers in that regard as well.
And so, I feel the unction of the Holy Spirit today is Jesus’ word from Matthew 11, where He promises to give rest to the heavy-laden.
Matthew 11:
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (NASB)
The Greek word for “heavy-laden” means overburdened, not just with physical demands but also with spiritual anxiety, which is an expression that jumped out at me because that is what the devil brought on me with the news of my test result. I was overburdened with a spiritual anxiety. The Lord promises rest and a refreshing to those who come to Him weary and heavy-laden, and that is just what He gave me on Wednesday.
I want to share with you some of the events and scriptures that ministered to me this week in the hope that you will be encouraged whenever your next trial comes.
Calm Before the Storm
Psalms 46:
10 Be still, and know that I am God…” (KJV)
This word from last week constituted the calm before my storm. The Lord gave me peace going into the tests, not unlike what He did for Nancy one week before her dad passed away many years ago. He spoke into her spirit: “Nancy, I love you.” And then, when my father-in-law died, Nancy was devastated until she recalled that God had spoken to her.
In my case, recall of last week’s word was a calming influence as I dealt with news of the less than desired prospect of future surgery. His word ministered to my spirit, and He reminded me I prayed for an accurate result, and I promised to trust Him.
Hope Is the Anchor of the Soul
My son, Will, sent me a link to a sermon of Chris Hodges, who is Pastor of Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. Pastor Hodges taught about how hope anchors our soul (that is, our mind, our will, and our emotions) during the storm. The keynote scripture is Hebrews 6:19.
Hebrews 6:
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a [hope] both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,
20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (NASB)
The physical purpose of an anchor is to hold the boat steady while the water moves during a storm. During the storms of our life, our soul needs an anchor while everything and everybody else is being moved by the storm. Hebrews 6:19 promises we have an anchor of the soul, which is a hope both sure and steadfast. That hope is Jesus, the high priest. The word “steadfast” means stable, firm, immovable. If our souls are anchored to Jesus, the spiritual anxiety in our minds and emotions will be calmed by Him.
Fortunately, our God is a God of hope.
Romans 15:
13 ¶ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is exactly what happened to me on Wednesday of this week, when the Lord touched me and healed my spiritual anxiety. I was filled with joy and peace in believing, and I abounded in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember we talked about the word “abound” last week and we said it means to be present in great quantity and quality, indeed an excess amount, much more than we need. And so, Paul is praying we have way more hope than we need, an overflowing amount that will even minister to others.
I can testify today that I am filled with all joy and peace in believing and I am abounding in hope.
Isaiah 40:
31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up [with] wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
As He healed my spiritual anxiety, the Lord gave me a new physical strength. The weariness I felt on Monday and Tuesday was gone, and my exercise sessions of walking / running improved later in the week.
Faith Makes Us Well
One last point from Pastor Hodges: Jesus deals with our faith during the storm.
Matthew 8:
24 And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves; but He Himself was asleep.
25 And they came to [Him,] and awoke Him, saying, “Save [us,] Lord; we are perishing!”
26 And He *said to them, “Why are you timid, you men of little faith?” Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm.
Jesus knows our faith is important to overcoming the storm. When you think about it, the disciples’ fears, and our fears, stem from a lack of faith in Jesus to calm the storm. He calmed my storm this week when I acknowledged that His “Be Still” word from last week was my calm before the storm.
While the Lord loves us despite the weakness of our faith, He is quick to point out there is power in our faith. In Matthew 9, when the woman who had been hemorrhaging blood for twelve years thought to herself: “if I only touch His garment, I shall get well,” Jesus said this to her:
Matthew 9:
22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” And at once the woman was made well.
In other words, Jesus responded to her faith and healed her. Get that in your spirit – our faith in Him makes us well.
My Thorn in the Flesh
Let me close with an exhortation of the Apostle Paul from 2nd Corinthians 12.
2nd Corinthians 12:
7 And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me–to keep me from exalting myself!
8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Most commentators believe Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a physical ailment of some sort, a physical handicap. Paul calls it a messenger of Satan. That is lesson number one for us – these health issues come from Satan, not from God. Notice in verse 8 that Paul entreated the Lord three times for healing. The word “entreated” means to intercede and plead urgently for. Paul asked earnestly for healing of this thing.
And the Lord’s answer to those prayers? “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” This is a tremendous encouragement to those of us who have prayed for, but not yet seen, our healing. The word of the Lord to Paul promises us sufficient grace and power that is perfected in our weakness. Paul concludes that he is content with any weakness, then, because when he is weak, then he is strong in the power promised by our Lord. I receive that word, that where I am weak, I am strong because of His grace and power for healing. I am therefore content with my weakness, my thorn in the flesh.
Lessons Learned
So, the lessons for me, and I hope for you as well, are:
- Jesus heals our spiritual anxiety by giving rest, and refreshing those who come to Him,
- Our hope in Jesus will anchor our souls during any storm,
- Our faith will make us well, and
- His grace is sufficient for us as His power is perfected in our weakness.
Let us pray.
Father God, thank You for healing my spiritual anxiety this week through Jesus who gave me rest and refreshed my soul. You are the God of Hope, and Your hope anchors our souls during the storm. Thank You, Lord. Strengthen our faith, which makes us well, and help us to trust in the sufficiency of Jesus’ grace and in His power which is perfected in our weakness. Lord, we are praying, we are believing, and we are praising You for a documented healing of my heart condition, and we ask Your healing for all who read and utter this prayer. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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