Matthew 9:11-12 (NKJV)
“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night or in the morning feeling ill, so you stagger to the medicine cabinet to find something to take? How about going to your annual physical and after all the tests the doctor asks which medication you want? Maybe you’re having a really bad month and all you keep thinking about is something to take the edge off?
Our lives can be filled with everything from minor aches and pains to major surgeries and severe illnesses. Sometimes we may know the cause for the conditions, but this is not always the case. We may get sudden symptoms, but what about those years of neglect that sneak up on us. Either way we must choose how we are going to react.
We can easily make ourselves anxious or depressed sending us even further down a path we did not want to travel in the first place. However, in our modern society we have access to any number of treatments that we can do ourselves or given to us by a doctor. Just knowing what we could take or getting that prescription can only be half the battle.
Again, we may know why certain things happen to us, but what about preventing anything else. Like not forgetting our skill level before we get carried away or just not thinking through the activity we are getting set to do. I usually can survive the activity, but don’t know about later or the next day.
There are also larger issues we can face that we may not want to admit that we can change or could have prevented. Many of us go to the doctor for our routine physicals or screenings, but there are still too many who go only when they feel there is a problem. Sometimes not knowing is better than having a confirming diagnosis.
I recently had my yearly physical complete with screening testing. Now I have struggled to maintain a healthy weight and eating habits for most of my life, but too often I chose to ignore what I should be doing. So, as you can probably tell, my years of walking the edge caught up to me a little more than I wanted them to.
As I sat in the office listening to the doctor explain what nifty medications are available to handle certain issues my mind jumped to the endless medication ads with their long list of negative reactions. I instead chose to discuss what I could do to improve my test results without medication.
Before answering, my doctor responded with, “Most people just take the pill.” This got me thinking about all those ads on social media and interrupt our viewing pleasure to see the truth in her statement. There does seem to be a pill for everything. From physical to emotional symptoms, from over the counter to prescription, and everywhere in between.
I could also picture hearing, “I’m sorry but it’s too late. We have no more pills to help.” Many times, we know what to do but we get lazy or just don’t want certain perceived pleasures to end. Rather than looking at the alternatives, we continue down a path that can lead to our own demise. The really sad part is that we may not even realize it.
One place we can look at is what we do to honor God. If anything we are doing would not be acceptable to Him there should be no reason to continue it. I know that this may sound very blunt to more than just a few, but it is one of those truths that is tough to hear.
I am not saying to forego medical treatment or dismiss a doctor’s advice, rather we need to include God in any treatment plan. We could spend hours talking about all the scriptures where Jesus healed the faithful who came to Him and we can dig out the verses where the disciples used the Spirit’s power to heal, but these are just the examples of God’s healing powers.
We can easily follow the simple prayer of deliverance in Jeremiah 17:14, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.” It’s just that simple. The hard part is following through with what we need to do, because we may not want to do what the Lord tells us to do.
Get off the couch, put down that snack, don’t participate in that activity, or make better choices as to what you eat. I have noticed that many diet pills include the disclosure that the results are typical for those who follow the diet and exercise plan. This leads me to believe that if I follow a diet and exercise plan, I would not need their product.
Following any temptation can lead to places we don’t want to be. We already have the guide to a healthier lifestyle in God’s Word, and we may not even encounter or can fix many issues without need of a pill. Isaiah 53:5 foreshadows Christ as the remedy for our broken bodies and soul, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
We may even encounter those who want to add to the message that Jesus brought, but the truth is that there is no pill for salvation. Which means that the Lord’s love and forgiveness is ours for free if we want it and does not need a thousand good acts from an insincere heart. In James 5:16 we find another example, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Remember, it is difficult to serve the Lord and follow His path if we let ourselves succumb to any number of preventable physical and emotional ailments. Christ is the Healer who will bring us the strength and healing that we seek. So, stop hesitating and look what we need to change to honor the Lord. Also enjoy, “Find Salvation Within.
Waking up in the middle of the night feeling a little ill,
I struggle to the cabinet to find some sort of little pill.
Even when I go to the doctor for my routine yearly visit,
I get offered medications with instructions that are explicit.
When the day is unbearable I can look for that quick fix,
With so many options there is no telling what I will mix.
With all these endless choices and the remedies aplenty,
Lord, no matter what l try I am still left feeling so empty.
My child, the maladies we may face all throughout our lives,
Often take us by surprise when one of them arrives.
If you take the time to look much closer at the diagnosis,
You may find a pattern of behavior that is quite atrocious.
The path that you are walking may be fueling your transgression,
Many times no healing can be found without your confession.
Fore there is no magic medication or elixir that wipes away sin,
Only through my love and mercy can you find salvation within.
Simple Faith Christian
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Simple Faith Christian 