Monthly Archives: August 2012
Powerful Healing: Estoy Aqui. I am here.
Psalm 16:8 I am always aware of the Lord’s presence; he is near, and nothing can shake me GNT
Near To Me:
Visiting with a friend over the scripture, they noted how they seek to always be aware of God’s involvement. Scripture asks us to rejoice always and always be in prayer. Yet, this mindfulness of God’s action is not as easy as we would like. It is good to visit with others pursuing the same nearness and share our concerns and successes.
When Are You Here?
Now, it is one thought to say God is always near. It is much more my experience that life does not resemble His presence as much as I would like. In His presence there is fullness of joy. Many times I am not full of joy. In His presence is healing forevermore. Some days the pricks and pains of muscle and sinew and malfunctioning body do not feel healed. In His presence is a peace beyond understanding. Some moments, frantic pressures rob peace of even a stair step on which to stand to get to me.
So, when is He here and affecting me and when is He here and not affecting my condition? Yes, He is always present. That is part of our understanding of God. He never leaves or forsakes His children. Once residence is established in us, it is continual in us. And we do not always functionally and experientially realize the power of that presence of the Father.
When Are You There?
At the fast food restaurant, the question comes with every order, “Here or to go?”. Para aqui is my standard answer. For here. I like to sit and eat and not run in the car. In fact, why would I go in the restaurant to the order counter if I wanted to go? Why not just ask me with a presumptive, “You would like that for here?” If I want it to go, I then have the option to say, “No, I’d like it to go.”
When we approach God are we doing the same? God, can I have this in my life and get with You this moment or should I expect a “to go” plate and enjoy the results at some later time. Why not go to Him with the presumptive option? God, of course I’d love to enjoy You and Your presence and all the results of peace and healing and stability and strength that go with that during our time together right now.
When Are You Ready?
Of course the question is about readiness. Are we ready for God to be here?
Whew, that is a question that makes you stop and wonder. Have I reduced distraction to allow Him to speak? Have I ordered my life in a manner in which He would be pleased? Is the word of life guiding my thoughts?
Think about this one question instead of all of those. Does He want to sit down with me or does He want to take my request to go and get back with me on the road or later? Somehow, I think He always likes the sit down and converse option. “For here, for now”, is the answer I believe He speaks. We are the ones in a rush to run on the go.
For Here and For Now
He is always near for healing and hope and sanity. He is always near for peace of mind and restoration of body. Take Him at His word. Hold on to His hand for a moment and tell yourself to stop and recognize His presence.
He is near for healing.
He is near for peace.
He is near for strength.
He is near, now and here.
Pray:
Father, I’d like my time to be with you now and here.
Fill me with Your presence.
Heal me.
Peace me.
Joy me.
Estoy aqui. I am here.
Powerful Healing: In The Dark
Psalm 16:7 I praise you, Lord, for being my guide.
Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind. CEV
Psalm 16:7 I praise the Lord, because he guides me,
and in the night my conscience warns me. GNT
In the night:
Waking from a fretful rest, this excerpt from the Psalm of healing, breaks through with truth. Over and over my dreams spoke of being robbed of precious items in life. As I woke and pondered the meaning, it impressed me how often that has happened.
Over life and time all of us build. We build families. We build homes. We build playhouses in the woods. We build businesses. We build outreaches. We build. It is our nature and commission of God. When what we build is taken from us due to greed or natural destruction or lack of attention or any other corruption or theft, we grieve the loss. A good man or woman goes on and builds again. A wounded soul pulls into them and wonders why they never prosper.
Lesson of Conscience
This is a lesson from the conscience speaking in the night hours. The conscience is a good source of healing. God speaks into the depths of our heart and minds goodness for our souls. Many times, it is in rest that we take down our defenses and let Him speak the loudest.
For this moment, God is instructing me to insure that I enjoy along the path of what I build and not worry too much about the end. At the same time, He is instructing me to build paths of ownership that allow the prosperity to roll over on my family. There is healing in those instructions. There is relief from confusion over past living and loss. There is hope for the future and there is new strength for today. What was disturbing as I slept was washed in wisdom and a future hope and understanding.
Darkest Night
The Perseid meteor belt lights up our skies at the lake tonight. Watching brilliant meteors hit the atmosphere and burn with broad and long tails is soothing. Not many get to see such life in the night. Most were asleep. Many live around so much bright light of the city that they will never see the show of God’s handiwork in such loveliness. It is there. We just don’t see it. It took me 56 years to stop and watch and my memory will never be the same. There is beauty painted in my mental storage.
A legislator from Louisiana sent me this note. “I believe that God is always there. It is me that sometimes is not.” When He is most brilliant, our busyness and distraction keeps us from seeing Him. When we are in the darkest parts of life, we most often will stop and see His hand. Why do we wait?
Healing?
Want to be healed? Put yourself in quietness and solitude. Listen to your sleeping moments. God is speaking loudly with healthy instruction. You will gain wisdoms to share with your soul and with others.
It is these lessons taught into our conscience and soul that come out when needed in daily living. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak in confident faith and expectant expression of the goodness of God. Healing comes from the deep. It exudes by the touch and hand of the Holy Spirit from vast storehouses into which we plunge our thoughts and pains during the quiet and the dark.
Shortly our lessons will turn to engage power healing. Please understand the path to power is paved with patience and persistence and perception. Rushing into power is damaging in the long run and will cause a more fretful life than the one you already have.
Pray:
Father, talk to me. Talk to my soul. Talk to my conscience.
Allow Your words of life and loveliness to imbed deep into my sleeping and waking thoughts.
All Your insights application to my life.
Help me to see You speak in the dark.
Help me to see You always speak.
It is the dark that allows me to discern the subtleties of Your wisdom and counsel and might.
Holy Spirit, guide me. Speak to me in quietness and solitude as I respect Your gentleness and lovingkindness. Then empower me as a lion to go forth in victory expanding the kingdom of God within my soul and without the expanse of my called influence in this life.
Powerful Healing: Living Large in Boundaries
Psalm 16: 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. KJV
You make my life pleasant, and my future is bright. CEV
The boundary lineshave fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. NIV 1984
Boundaries
Along with every gift comes a set of conditions and expectations. Giving a BB gun to a nine year old comes with conditions that it is only used with Dad. Giving a wedding ring to a spouse comes with promises to love, honor, and cherish. There are boundaries. There are definitions of the blessing and how to enjoy and conditions to limit and protect and fulfill purpose.
Every job comes with a set of conditions and expectations. Overlooking a contract arrangement it impressed me I might have to take extra time to really understand how to make this new relationship work. Conditions and clauses limit and liberate my abilities with the group.
Every call of God comes with promises and extensions. The call to do something helps define our path and helps us to understand obedience in the path will result in extended boundaries. Resistance to path will result in confusion and possibly greater limitation in order to get us back to the path.
Limiting Boundaries.
Some boundaries are limits. Gravity is a limiting boundary. Jump off a 20 story building and the limiting boundaries of strength of your physical body coupled with the limiting boundaries of gravity will pound your body into death. Expect it. Those limits allow us to define actions in a safe and full living manner.
Liberating Boundaries
Some boundaries are liberation. A grant for an education is meant to expand our knowledge and ability to do more in life. It is a boundary, but it has an intention to liberate. It may be restricted to a certain university and course of study, but there are liberties all along the path. The same would work with an employment contract. The employer may give us latitude to work and make commissions within a certain product and service. The boundary can be liberating.
Healthy Boundaries
God given boundaries always lead to life and health. Understanding, acknowledging, and living inside them bring us greatness in life, health in our bodies, blessing in our minds, and peace to our souls. Defining the boundaries of envy, jealousy, strife, and contempt keeps us peaceful with our fellow humans and enjoying our lives. Defining the boundaries of the power of God focused toward us, righteousness in Christ, full salvation, and the fruit of the Spirit brings incredible liberation and blessing to every step we take.
Recognize
The smart and healthy and balance Christian sees the right boundaries of call and position in life and uses them to good for themselves and others. Boundaries can be stretched when obedience is engaged. Boundaries can be tightened with disobedience is the norm. It is our choice to study, recognize, acknowledge and activate the boundaries.
Short Story
A friend challenged me on some of my activities. His best knowledge of me was my gift of organization and administration. Since I am more active today in birthing and building and developing new works and businesses, he is confused. How can I be going outside my boundaries and hope to succeed? The answer is simple. My boundaries have been stretched through obedience and fulfillment of call. What fell to my lot before is much bigger today through study, acknowledgement, acceptance, and obedience.
Had I simply stayed safely in the middle portion of my boundaries and never explored them fully to the outside edge, I probably would have no understanding of the build components God had in my future. My friend would be right to tell me to stay in my older boundaries. But the boundaries have been expanded and there is much more life and abundance to be enjoyed. The boundaries of my future need not be the boundaries of my present experience.
Where Are You?
Struggling with health issues? Struggling with emotional distress? Struggling with bad relationships? Sometimes our best strategy for healing is to acknowledge our present boundaries and begin growing them into future boundaries through prayer, action, and engagement. The boundary I have today provides a safe place in which to grow and expand and become healthier.
Prayer: Father, it really can be hard to understand life. You want us full of health and life and living. You want us complete in Christ. Yet, we must grow in grace and power. We must acknowledge the present and grow into the future. We must seek You first and Your kingdom to understand how we are protected and given room to grow. Grow us safely, in good season, and with ever increasing faith and results. What a Good God You are.
Powerful Healing: Pray Over Your Good Day.
Psalm 16:5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup. You make my lot secure and provide confidence for me in my position and current standing.
Every day there are turnings in directions we do not want.
Every day there are tests to put us off course.
Every day belongs to God.
Every day belongs to health.
Every day belongs to healing.
The concept of lot is simple. Each of us has a certain portion of life assigned to us this day. We have possessions, friendships, family, positions, talents, abilities, thoughts, and passions. They are our lot. They are a good lot.
Say that over your lot. “This is a good lot. God has given me a good portion in life.”
Of course there are portions of your life that might be unhealthy and disturbing. There are relationships that are destructive and play down health and vitality. But do they belong to you or are they intruders? What about your lot that belongs to you? It is good. You may not be doing well keeping it up and allowing God to instill grace in every aspect, but it is good. It is for your good.
Now take a little inventory.
What parts of your portion or lot in life are doing well? Your attitude? Your thoughts? Some of those relationships? Some of those possessions? My truck has a dinged bumper. The truck is good. It is a pleasant portion. Right now it has a ding. The ding does not take away from the goodness of the truck. Maybe it impedes some of the utility. Maybe it does not look as grand from that view. Yet, as a whole the truck is good and it is a blessing. It needs some repair and repair it will receive. Then it will be whole and fully useful. Today it is a good truck. It is a blessing of God.
What parts of your portion or lot in life are not doing well? My weight is not where I want it. It really is doing well. I am right where the doctors would be happy. But, I want better. I want stronger. I want the best healthy ratio of body tissues and fluids. My lot is good. A year ago, it was not good. The portions of fat were out of line with what would be good for health. So I changed it. My eating changed. My exercise changed. My body changed. My mental attitude changed.
What is an area of concern? I understand I have been given talents and abilities that are not my own. What we have is to be shared and held in common for others to received. This weekend, my son and his friends shared time at our lake cabin. It brought joy to my heart to see others encouraged and strengthened enjoying our portions. Tonight, I will teach a bible study with a group of unchurched folk. What I have is meant for them. If you are not giving away your portion to others, you are unhealthy. Selfishness is a bad situation and an horrid lot in life. Don’t live there.
Security does not mean hoarding. Security means I am confident and can share and understand as much as I give, God gives more back and increases the value of what I have. By cooperating with God, protecting what we have, building on it, restoring it, and sharing it, we find absolute health and vitality in all that we have. He secures it through us and in cooperation with us.
Father, wow! You are incredible. My lot is secure in You. I have confidence in You. I am strong in You. All I have is good and getting better in You. Let me be full of unending goodness in all I am and all I have. Let me see with eyes of understanding. Let me engage with a heart to enjoy the great inheritance and portion You have provided for me.
Powerful Healing: Good Blood
Psalm 16:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who choose another god; their drink offerings of blood will I not offer or take their names upon my lips.
Last notes were about avoidance of the bad. What about engagement with the good?
There is life in the words of our mouth and the ways of our feet. Where we go, what we say, how we act, who engages our moments, and why we do what we do directs our steps. Our steps direct our results.
Over all of that who, what, why, how, and where is God’s providence. He takes all of our living and accelerates it to the positive or allows it to the negative. There is no stationary. There is no fence to ride.
When we invoke His help through focusing on His love and energy and involvement, all of our results become stronger to the direction we need. It is good blood.
When we avoid His help through focusing on our relationships with the world and the inclusion of the greed, envy, strife, and focus on bad blood, we invite that influence into our overall results. Even a good action becomes a bad outcome and we wonder why.
So what does it mean to take a name on my lips? Out of the abundance of what we store in our hearts, our words and focus come. It is not so much about what we say and what we mull over in the depths of the quiet moments. When we fill our minds with distractive influences that have no good in them, they infect our sleeping and waking dreams and actions. We lack trust of others because we view life through jaded lenses. We resist commitment because we don’t believe others will follow through,
So the commandments of Good Blood:
- Get focused on God as Creator and the Source of all blessing. Just don’t entertain any other thoughts of Him. A few acquaintances recently talked about how fearful they were of a certain manager. The manager is one of the most gracious I know. And, he believes in high accountability. These were afraid of being held accountable for the results of their performance. We can be toward God like that. We become afraid because we do not understand His grace and mercy and goodness mixed with justice and accountability. Shift. Don’t live in fear. Live in faith toward God. Come to Him in humility and acknowledgment of who He is. And remember He will always be good to you, even in correction.
- Pray and appeal to Him with expectancy. Taking God’s name in vain is less about cursing than it is about useless prayer. Don’t waste His time. When you go to Him, expect results. When you talk about Him to friends, do it with joy and passion.
- Be faithful to build value for others. When you borrow and item, take it back in better shape than you received it. When you work for an employer, give 100% when you are on the job. Put away your cell phone. Be a builder of value for those around you. When you speak to a friend, give them encouragement not pity.
- Spend time with other believers and make sure you rest. Rest builds vibrancy. There are seven days. Take one of them to rest and recoup and worship God. Make sure you find time to meet with other believers and let the togethers heal all of your souls.
- Do something to build your family and friend relationships. Go play with a friend. Do something out of the ordinary with your spouse or child or grandchild.
- Talk up. It is easy to point out problems. Talk up. Point out solutions and strengths and goodness about others.
- Be content with your family, possessions, home, apartment, car, and what you have around you. Quit looking for more. Settle in and enjoy.
- Life, life, life. Quit contemplating death and destruction and abuse. Promote marriage and babies. Promote useful living for seniors. Encourage others to find joy in life.
- Help someone who can’t help themselves in that area.
Okay, you do these things and good blood will begin to overtake you. On your worst days, you will see sunshine and life.
Father, I want that sunshine and life and good blood flowing through me. It works. You work. You are full of life. When I connect with You and Your ways, Your life flows through me to others and I can’t help be be healthier myself. Bless me, Father. Let the kingdom of Your righteousness and love stir deep in me and through me to others.
Energy For Your Life and Health 