"..behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God." -Luke 13:11-13
In Luke's gospel we read about a woman who had been crippled for almost two decades. I picture her as being hunchback, looking down all the time, feeling miserable and trying to get by without being noticed. Luke tells us that she was unable to "raise herself up". But then Jesus comes along, sees her suffering, calls her to Himself, speaks to her, and makes contact with her. She is then healed on the spot. The people could see that she was really healed because "she was made straight" and no longer looking like the hunchback of Notre dame, looking down all the time. Now she was erect, standing tall with her head up. She was now able to walk looking forward. Her healing wasn't the only immediate thing but her glorifying of God also happened immediately.
Listen God saw the suffering and the sin in the world and He sent His only begotten Son to come and heal us--the Word made flesh came down and dwelt among us. He healed us from the penalty of our sin and the ultimate suffering in hell, through His suffering on the cross-- by His wounds we are healed. And now though we are most definitely going to die of some sort of illness or disease if the Lord tarries, the Lord has given us the ultimate healing; peace with God and the hope of a new body free of cancer, arthritis, diabetes and the rest of them.
Listen whether you remain with your arthritis, back pain and migraines God is still worthy of praise and worship. So let's be like this woman, and walk straight lives with purpose and freedom, no longer looking down on ourselves but holding our head high in our walk with Christ. In ourselves we cannot raise ourselves up, but in the Lord we "..can do all things through Christ who strengthens.." us (Phil 4:13).
Listen God saw the suffering and the sin in the world and He sent His only begotten Son to come and heal us--the Word made flesh came down and dwelt among us. He healed us from the penalty of our sin and the ultimate suffering in hell, through His suffering on the cross-- by His wounds we are healed. And now though we are most definitely going to die of some sort of illness or disease if the Lord tarries, the Lord has given us the ultimate healing; peace with God and the hope of a new body free of cancer, arthritis, diabetes and the rest of them.
Listen whether you remain with your arthritis, back pain and migraines God is still worthy of praise and worship. So let's be like this woman, and walk straight lives with purpose and freedom, no longer looking down on ourselves but holding our head high in our walk with Christ. In ourselves we cannot raise ourselves up, but in the Lord we "..can do all things through Christ who strengthens.." us (Phil 4:13).
- DO YOU THINK GOD CAN USE YOU TO SPEAK WORDS OF HEALING TO OTHERS? TRY PRAYING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS SICK THIS WEEK BY LAYING HANDS ON THEM AND ASKING GOD TO HEAL THEM.
- "The most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen." -G.K. Chesterton