(Further reflections on "Healing"--Sunday 5-June-2022
People often said, "If you cannot buy something with money, buy it with a lot of money." This might be wickedly true in reality of our fallen world.
Reflecting on last week's Scriptures on Proverbs 3:1-8, arguably no one in the right mind refuses longevity, peace, favor, good success, smooth life path, and refreshments for body, soul, and spirit. These cannot be purchased with money, even with a lot of money. They must be acquired through the process of hearing attentively, receiving wholeheartedly, and living out God's word faithfully. They are the outcome of God's wisdom and healing process through God's Son--Jesus and His word for fallen and broken humanity.
When (not if) one faces his/her own brokenness or unhealthiness in relationships at work or home, it is not because the Lord is unloving or ungracious and unmerciful, but it is because of His holy [incorruptible] love, amazing grace, and daily mercy that He put forth His wisdom through the "If...then..." truth, warnings, and made them clear in the freedom of choice but not freedom from consequences. There had not been anything ambiguous about God's instructions (at least in the Book of Proverbs) that we may have to guess. Here is the review/summary for us.
1/ If we do not remember and keep His word, then we will forget and not practice or live it out. And the default mode is destructiveness.
2/ If we do not hold dear to His steadfast love and faithfulness, then our life--our spirit, soul (mind, will, emotion) and body will like to forsake the best things that Lord gave to those who believe and follow Jesus. Obviously, it's not the Lord who forsook us. It is us who abandoned Him. How? By not heeding and living out His instructions and there was no fear of Him in our life.
3/ If we do not "chisel" (write/ink--a process that requires time, labor, and relationship) His word on the table of our heart, then our is driven by the default driver--the heart, which is self-deceiving by nature, being wise in its own eyes (view, definition, and measurement), and turning sick/wicked beyond repair (unless His mercy intervenes).
4/ If we lean on our own understanding or the world's definitions on life and faith, then it is clear to ourselves and others that we do not fully trust His word in every matter that pertains to life and faith. And the result is foolishness. Destruction is just a matter of time.
5/ If we do not know/learn to acknowledge the Lord in everything, then we will, at best, deny Him in some areas of our life. Partial trust is distrust as well as partial obedience is disobedience. In case you didn't know, we don't receive partial truth from the Lord but the whole truth through His word and His Son--Jesus Christ. Thus, we must but acknowledge Jesus in every aspect of our life, from workplaces or to home to online community. You see, if we can boldly declare our relationship with Jesus Christ in public, it's likely that you want to keep that relationship in secret. People might not have interest in your religiosity or Christianity as a religion, but they might be interested in hearing your "love story" of how you met Jesus and the journey of transformation. Of course, it is very hard or almost impossible for someone (who didn't have any relationship with Jesus Christ) tell others about it openly, honestly, and authentically.
6/ If we do not have the fear of the Lord in our life, then many fears have in fact occupied our sinful humanity from birth to now. We all are prone to be wise in our own eyes (which is by definition foolishness). We are inclined to succumb to the ancient lie of the Devil/Serpent that we can be as wise and powerful as the God Creator. And idolatry, immorality, and injustice are just the matter of time. In fact, they are rampant in every society today. So if you do not fear the Lord and turn away from evil (saying 'no' and walking away and not even looking back) then the brokenness of our sinful nature continues to keep people in bondage and chain them in its enticement of self-reliance, which whispers "It's your life. You are the boss. You are in control. You look stupid when seek the Lord's counsel. Just do it. You can."
Now one caveat remains, if you do not admit that you are "sick," then you do not seek the "physician." God is powerful but He has His "limit," that is, He won't force anyone to do things that is against their free will. However, He always calls and invites people to come back to Him and He made it possible and available to Christ Jesus. And His Body--the local church is His appointed vessel or place for the healing process to take place.
May the Word of the Lord bring healing to those who need and desperately seek it.
Amen.
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Pastor Lap
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