"He was whipped and we were healed!"
It's a common greeting we all use ~ "Hi. How are you?" Most of the time we don't really want to know~ and heaven forbid someone would actually tell you how they were; you might have to stop and listen to an "organ recital!" ;-{ Sometimes we even avoid people who seem to think of nothing but their illnesses. Well, I do anyway.
Lately in our world of friends and family, many are seriously ill, some with chronic , even life threatening conditions. Much concern and many prayers are being offered on their behalf. As a matter of fact, I'm seeing small groups huddled in prayer before, between, and after church services. We've attended impromptu prayer meetings, calling on God for his intervention for a dear friend's lung cancer. Recently, Jesse and I stopped by a church that was holding a day of prayer and fasting for a two year old girl with a brain tumor ~ and we'll attend another this week for someone else.
Our sweet little granddaughter, Kate, has been pretty sick off and on for a year. It was a big concern when she was tested for Cystic Fibrosis last week. We're so grateful to God that that's not the cause of her frequent respiratory infections.
Yesterday a dear friend in Iowa had open heart surgery. I prayed all day for Kim, and rejoiced when we received an email from her mother in the evening, saying she'd come through the successful surgery. And I'll pray all day today, because there was an urgent note this morning saying they had to go back in at 1:00 am to close a bleeder. Because of email and the internet, our prayers are global in their scope. Praise the Lord!
We're such physical beings, it's hard to think outside that box, isn't it? Somehow it seems to us that if we're not physically sick, everything else will be OK, too.
You know, I don't think that's what Isaiah was referring to when he said "...it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. ...he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!" (Isa 53:4-5 NLT) (That part of verse five has 'haunted' me since I read it Monday. )
Healed from what? Weaknesses, sorrows, sins, inner turmoil replaced by his strength, joy, purity, and peace! Isaiah didn't mention being healed from cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, heart problems, or any of the conditions we fear. Jesus, through his physical suffering offers us the spiritual wholeness he wants us to have.
"Lord, I want to be healed from the weakness, sorrow, sin, and inner turmoil of this life. ! Give me your strength, joy, purity, and peace! Make me whole. Amen"
Lately in our world of friends and family, many are seriously ill, some with chronic , even life threatening conditions. Much concern and many prayers are being offered on their behalf. As a matter of fact, I'm seeing small groups huddled in prayer before, between, and after church services. We've attended impromptu prayer meetings, calling on God for his intervention for a dear friend's lung cancer. Recently, Jesse and I stopped by a church that was holding a day of prayer and fasting for a two year old girl with a brain tumor ~ and we'll attend another this week for someone else.
Our sweet little granddaughter, Kate, has been pretty sick off and on for a year. It was a big concern when she was tested for Cystic Fibrosis last week. We're so grateful to God that that's not the cause of her frequent respiratory infections.
Yesterday a dear friend in Iowa had open heart surgery. I prayed all day for Kim, and rejoiced when we received an email from her mother in the evening, saying she'd come through the successful surgery. And I'll pray all day today, because there was an urgent note this morning saying they had to go back in at 1:00 am to close a bleeder. Because of email and the internet, our prayers are global in their scope. Praise the Lord!
We're such physical beings, it's hard to think outside that box, isn't it? Somehow it seems to us that if we're not physically sick, everything else will be OK, too.
You know, I don't think that's what Isaiah was referring to when he said "...it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. ...he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!" (Isa 53:4-5 NLT) (That part of verse five has 'haunted' me since I read it Monday. )
Healed from what? Weaknesses, sorrows, sins, inner turmoil replaced by his strength, joy, purity, and peace! Isaiah didn't mention being healed from cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, heart problems, or any of the conditions we fear. Jesus, through his physical suffering offers us the spiritual wholeness he wants us to have.
"Lord, I want to be healed from the weakness, sorrow, sin, and inner turmoil of this life. ! Give me your strength, joy, purity, and peace! Make me whole. Amen"
posted by Gladys Deloe @ 5:31 AM
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