The Hem of His Garment

The hem of His garment...the slightest touch of faith has the power to heal and restore all that is broken in us.  But how do we
approach Him?  We see Him working on behalf of others.  Their
needs seem greater than our own; should we even bother Him?
Do we come to Him with a hand stretched out in faith, trembling,
anticipating that His grace toward us will be all we need?  Or do
we hesitate and look for some guarantee that we will receive what
we want, never venturing or risking anything, carefully measuring, weighing, and counting to be sure it doesn't cost us to trust Him?

Let us be willing to receive what He knows we need with gratitude, thereby releasing the power and fragrance of Christ in our circumstance.  Healing, deliverance, or restoration can look very different in different situations.  Will we trust Christ to give to us, to be to us, exactly what we need the most?

From our perspective the physical healing seems to be the miracle, but in reading the Gospels we find that Jesus would very often forgive the sins of the sick person first and then heal to demonstrate that He had the authority to forgive.  In His view it would seem that the state of our soul takes priority over the state of our health.  We should ask for healing, but we must also be willing to repent of any sin the Lord would point out and receive His forgiveness and cleansing.

Even with my aches and pains (which are minor compared with many); I stand in far greater need of forgiveness and cleansing than I do of healing.  Father, are You using the physical maladies to point out the spiritual ones?  I tend to think the answer to my health lies in my physical state and would be remedied by physical healing.  I think I may have had it all wrong.

It now seems so clear that there is sin that I have excused to my own harm.  Self-indulgence and self-consciousness are simply parts of the self-life and are actually dead in Christ when I will reckon them so.  Focusing on me is a sin, a spiritual sickness that must be repented of, rooted out, and kicked to the curb.  I have no power whatsoever to do that, but the all-powerful blood of Jesus has overcome sin's legal hold on me.  He has purchased me back from the marketplace of sin, and His Spirit lives in me with the same power that resurrected Jesus from the dead.  The transaction has been completed; I must learn to live according to this truth.  I am fully His and need never again bow my knee to the master(s) I used to serve.

Free me, Holy Spirit, from the attachments and habits that were born in slavery that I may serve You in true freedom.  Open my eyes to see that You have accomplished all things and will keep perfecting me as I learn more and more how to yield to You in every area.

Will physical healing follow?  That I leave in Your hands.  I will continue to ask, knowing You will answer with the very best for me and for Your glory.  My desire is to serve You fully and abide in You, demonstrating Your love, bearing fruit, and praying effectively in Your name and for Your will.

I believe that my needs are important to You as I reach now for the hem of Your garment, fully assured that what You have for me will meet the need of my moment and the needs of my life.  I reach...and You are there.

Luke 9:40-48; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16; Matthew 9:1-8; James 5:14-16; Romans 6

Ephesians 1:18-21; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 2:4-10; Galatians 5:1; John 15

Keep Asking

Harvest is basically over here. We're still getting some corn in day by day, but not so fast and furious. Being gone on Friday put me behind and hoping to get caught up by tomorrow. Today Harlan played Decorah at the dome in football semifinals and got beat 35-14. That also meant there weren't many people at work today, so it was a little crazy.

Thought for the day

So how do we navigate the line between accepting whatever comes as God's will from God's hand and trusting God for healing? I asked Doc and Nancy this question yesterday and they gave wonderful insight with an emphasis on reality. People tend to want instant healing, and it is usually a process. They suggested I keep on asking and asking until I get an answer one way or another about my back. Doc said, "Make God tell you no." In the meantime, get closer, listen harder, trust more.

Getting Better

Thankfully, Jon is much better. Thanks to all of you who prayed for him. He did stay home today...still pretty wiped out, but he was able to be up and around and eat and drink, so he will go back to work tomorrow if he continues to feel good.

Harvest officially started at work today. Many farmers have been combining beans, but we don't handle beans. Our first new corn started arriving today so now things really change for me. The weather continues to be beautiful, but I'm finding I don't have enough time to get out there for walks or just get the things done I need to do before it gets cold. Never quite enough time....

Tried a new recipe for supper tonight "Bruschetta Chicken Bake" from kraftfoods.com I liked it, but I don't think it was a hit for Jon. Oh oh...there are leftovers for tomorrow night...sorry...
I'm too cheap to not finish it :)

Thought for the day

I thought today would be particularly irritating, but I tried to stay focused on what God has for me in the midst of all that and, while nothing changed in the circumstances, I was far less annoyed than I expected. If you understood the struggle I've had you would know that had to be a "God thing". So tonight I'm just grateful that He proved Himself true in my circumstance. That's the God that I can count on. That's the God I need...every day.

Keep Praying

This is Tre and Tru in front of a truck in the car show at Applefest on Saturday.

We had a very nice weekend. After going to Applefest with Tabbi and boys on Saturday I brought Tre and Tru to our house and they stayed overnight. There was lots of playing outside and they got motorcycle rides in the evening. We all went to church this morning and Tabbi came to get them later in the morning leaving around 12:30? The weather has been warm and sunny, nights down in the upper 50's. It's been a beautiful beginning to fall and I hope we get to enjoy it for a long time.

It's hard to wait for the things that we want and really hard to wait for the things we need---like house sales and healing bodies. Please keep Greg and Megan in your prayers. The house really needs to sell so they can at least get into their own apartment. It's really tough not to have any of your own space and it's been two months already with no definite end date in sight. There is no really way to change it, and we keep talking about how it will be better soon, but some days that's not much help.

In the meantime, we'll all keep doing whatever we can to encourage and support them. One of the good things about being close to these situations is it gives you a more sympathetic heart for other people and their situations. Lots of people are facing troubles; let's pay attention and pitch in where we can.

Thought for the day

Thank You, Lord, for the many ways that You bless us and take care of us. We have so much; even in the difficult situations we have more than most of the world does, and we too often forget to even thank You. So thank You, thank You, thank You. Help me to remember how much I have and share it all with those you put into my life. Help me to trust that the people in my path are put there by you and treat them with the respect and consideration they deserve.