Joyful Medicine

On February 24, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 17:22

A joyful heart is good medicine.

I was watching a movie over the weekend and noticing that the lead actor had a propensity towards smiling. It put me in remembrance of another movie I watched where the male lead seemed to struggle to smile. Just watching the movie, I didn’t like that guy. It turns out that a joyful heart is good medicine to those around you as well as doing amazing things for your health.

You have heard that smiling and laughter, especially belly laughter aids health. As I have grown and watched people, I have learned a bit about our emotional content and our health. Because of what I have learned, I try to remain at peace. It isn’t always easy to do, is it? Do you know this verse, Romans 12: 8, “As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone.” That is not just spiritual advice, it is health advice.

Do you know someone who always seems to be embroiled in some kind of mess? Or someone who seems angry all the time? Maybe you know someone who is gruff. They are doing themselves harm. God gave Paul this message about remaining at peace. At the time Paul received this “Word” from the Lord, he may not even have known the full purpose of it, but this I have learned. Being upset or angry is damaging to your body systems. I believe a person can do serious damage to their heart with these destructive emotions. We know that negative emotions inhibit digestion preventing the body from even nourishing itself.

We’ve all been through a couple of tough years. People have carried more stress, worry and anger than is healthy. Meanwhile, gyms were not always available to work off those toxic emotions. Now is a good time to do some healing. You need to work through your emotions with the Father. Talk with Him about the things that have upset you. Release those emotions to Him and ask Him to restore your joy. Meditate on Jesus. Imagine seeing Jesus face to face. How would you feel if you looked into his eyes? Push away all the bad emotions because, believe me, they are killing us. Let God’s love pour over you like warm honey. Find your seed of happiness and water it. And, can I say, turn off the stressful movies for a couple of weeks and find some that make you laugh out loud? It is healing and brother, we all need some healing. Let joy and laughter be your medicine. Take at least twice a day.

Back to Top

Life and Health

On February 23, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 4:20-22

20 My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their whole body.

By now, probably most of us are convinced that God’s Words have healing power in them. I hope so. This tells us that God’s words are life to our bodies. Now, what is hard to understand about that? The challenge is in the preceding verses and even the preceding phrase.

First, we must find God’s Words. Okay, how hard is that? We know the Bible contains a whole lot of stuff God said. Additionally, this devotional sends you a “word” from God every day. What?! That is the power of this devotional. You don’t have to be in love with what I write because you are getting a dose of what Yahweh said every single day. I just love that.

The second piece of this life in the words is that we must not let them depart from our sight. So, find God’s words and hang on to them. Put them as your screensaver on your computer. Write out a 3 X 5 card with each one of these healing verses. Man, that would make a great deck of cards! Just sayin’ . . ..

Keeping these words of God in our sight is how we keep them in the midst of our hearts. You really must rehearse them. That is most easily done by having them where you can read them often. What if you made a list of all of the verses from this series and read one each day? Hmmm, there’s an idea.

Lastly, pay attention! You know what, that is easier said than done. One really has to be intentional about this. Pay attention to God’s words by keeping them before you. It is so easy to read a verse and then move on. God is saying something specific here. He wants us to manage our lives according to His words and we cannot do that if we are not continuously paying attention to them.

So, here we go . . . dust off that Bible because that is how you find God’s words to begin with. Second, maybe do something with all these verses you are receiving. Many of them work for more than healing. All the Lord’s words bring life to every facet of life. Hey, if you are still working on that New Year’s resolution to lose weight, I’ve got your answer right here. His Word is the answer. Speak these verses over your weight loss and believe God. Find His word for your situation and then pay attention to it by keeping it in front of your eyes and in the midst of your heart. They are life and health.

Back to Top

Live or Die

On February 22, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 118:17

I shall not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord.

Stop, pause, breathe and really take this verse in. I want us to get a deep revelation of this one. I feel this is dear to the Lord’s heart. I believe He is saying to us today to really let this verse sink in.

Have we not seen several quotes from God that He will give us a long and full life? And didn’t Jesus say that he came to earth to give us abundant life? If we believe those scriptures, it ought to be easy to buy into this one. Here is the thing, all of the verses that I will be sharing with you have God’s healing power imbedded in them. For that matter, every verse in the Bible brings life since the Word is Jesus. This verse, though, truly has the power of life and death in it. You will see others that we could say the same thing about but this one is incredibly powerful.

Suppose you have received a frightening diagnosis from the doctor? What do you do? You’ve got to rehearse these verses over and over until they are so entrenched in your spirit that you believe them with every fiber of your being. I would recommend repeating this one over and over and over. Walk through the grocery store saying, “I shall not die, but live and tell the works of the Lord!” Say it while you are pumping gas, taking a walk, anytime, all the time.  This is exactly what we learned from Job 22: 28, “You will also decree a thing and it will be established.”

Now here is the new revelation. What do you do with this verse if you are perfectly healthy? You do the same thing. Perhaps you are not as fervent as someone who just received a bad report, but this is a verse of life and praise. You can brag about what God is doing for your health right now. We don’t have to get sick to praise God. He is feeding us life and health right now.

Let’s glorify our Lord and God and rely on Him to give us strong, healthy bodies. Let us thank Him for what works well and for the healing power He has flowing through our bodies right now. Anything that doesn’t feel good or isn’t working quite right should be brought before God. Get in agreement with Him for full restoration and ask Him which verse you should lean on. Today’s verse works for every occasion, but the most important verse is the one that goes off in your spirit when you read it. It isn’t always the same one. Get a firm grasp on today’s, though, because God is showing you that He is the giver of life. And emulate this verse. Declare boldly that you shall live and not die. You are healed and blessed!  Glorify the Lord!

Back to Top

Healing Word

On February 21, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 107:20

He sent His word and healed them.

We have reached my very favorite healing verse. I love this one. Just a quick caveat though. It is not the one I use for myself in all circumstances. Often God leads me to a different verse for my situation, which is why it is vitally important to inquire of Him rather than leaning on our own understanding.

Back in the Old Testament, they would not have had the revelation on this that we do. They didn’t have John 1: 1, 14, “In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” We know that Jesus is the Word, and we know him as healer so combining the Word with healing seems consistent to us once we piece it together. It is a bit mind expanding though when you consider this is an Old Testament passage.

So, that leaves me with this question, when did God send the Word? My guess is as soon as the curse entered the earth and that would have been as soon as Eve and Adam bowed their knees to Satan.

In God’s kingdom, there is no dis-ease. There is only ease. He made it to operate perfectly. When Satan got a foothold in the earth, corruption and decay entered in like a seething plague. It has been destroying the earth ever since. God had to implement a plan to save his creation, both humans and the earth. So, he sent the Word, and we know the Word has triumphed over Satan.

What does this mean for you and me? Well, it means that Bible you hold in your hands, also holds the keys to life. The more we immerse ourselves in it, meaningfully immerse, not just reading it like reading a school textbook, the more we find the Living Word, Jesus. Jesus is the Word, and the Word is life. “He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity,” (John 1: 4 GW).

So, God sent His healing Word and healed us all. Life and healing are in the Living Word. The Living Word is Jesus, as well as all the truths God sent us in the Bible. It is Jesus who brings those words to life. Getting to know one leads to knowing the other. Together they bring life and light. Take daily as directed.

Back to Top

Decree

On February 16, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Job 22:28

You will also decree a thing and it will be established.

You may wonder about the selection of this verse in a series on healing. I will go so far as to say this may be the most important verse in the whole series. If we wish to live in the Lord’s health, prosperity, abundant life, or anything else he has for us, eventually we have to accept his words and make our words come into agreement with his.

There is more power in this verse today than my words can begin to touch upon. I am even sure that I do not yet have a full revelation of it. However, I am pressing in on this point so that the Father can show me more. One of Jesus’ strongest teachings is found in Mark 11: 23. We, the church, are still trying to figure this one out. Kenneth Hagin spent a 50 year preaching, ministering life on verses 23 and 24. Let’s look at verse twenty-three, “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.” The word “granted” is in italics in the Bible indicating it was added. The text should be more like, “It shall be.”

This was the lesson Job had to learn to get himself out of the trouble he was in. As long as he was mired down in his language, blaming God for his troubles and focusing on them, he remained in the muck. Once Job renewed his mouth, he was restored. His fears and doubts brought about his calamity but his faith in the God of Israel restored him.

In Mark 11 Jesus’ disciples were astonished when they walked by a fig bush that Jesus had cursed the previous day. The fig tree had withered from the roots up. Jesus was astonished that they were surprised. That is when he explained to them that whatever they say, believing, will happen. When faith comes out of our mouths, things have to happen. Jesus was not surprised the fig tree had died. What other outcome was possible? Speaking faith fueled words is how God created everything. God said let there be . . . and it was. He didn’t take out a magic wand and swing it around. He spoke, expecting the elements to obey him. And He is in you. The power that is alive in you creates through spoken language.

What you say, has an enormous impact on your life, including your health. Do you say you are going to get the flu because you get it every year? Guess why you get it every year.

Now don’t get crazy. I am not telling you to go get in someone’s face who has Covid. That is stupidity, not faith. Faith is in walking in God’s wisdom. Get a word from God and stand on it. Job knew the Word of God but got derailed and began speaking the wrong words. We have the Word of God too. All we have to do is to take this list of verses and speak their truths. You don’t have to make up confessions. Just speak the Word.

If you believe for sickness or injury and continually confess it, you are going to live in sickness. If you believe these verses on healing and speak them, then you will establish health. Do not accept a doctor’s prognosis alone. Get God’s advice too. I do not deny that God anointed doctors, but we need to include our healer also. Do not accept that once you reach a certain age you must accept aches, pains and sickness. Reject that junk. It is heathen garbage. You are the blessed of Abraham, Jesus’ own inheritance. Stand on your promises and speak words of belief in those promises. What you say, will be established. Decree something good.

Back to Top

Healthy Blessing

On February 9, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 28: 2,3, 5, 14 – 17, 61

2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the Lord your God.
3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
14 And do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
15 But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to be careful to follow all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 Cursed will you be in the city, and cursed will you be in the country.
17 Cursed will be your basket and your kneading bowl.
61 Also every sickness and every plague which, not written in the book of this law, the Lord will bring on you until you are destroyed.

Chapter 28 of Deuteronomy is where you find the blessing. It also shows what the curse holds. You would be well served to at least read verses 1 – 14 for yourself so that you understand what the blessing means in your life. I have chosen a few select verses to talk about sickness and health.

We already saw in yesterday’s verse that there were diseases in Egypt but that those are not for us. Today we will see that the blessing protects us from the diseases that are in the curse.

First, there is a condition which must be fulfilled, namely that we listen to the commandments of the Lord and obey them. When we do, our lives are ruled by the blessing. However, if we do not obey the words of the Lord, we subject ourselves to the curse. Obedience means we are blessed in the city and blessed in the country. Disobedience means the curse will impact us in the city and in the country, everywhere, in other words. Following God’s instructions brings blessing to our basket and kneading bowl while obstinance curses our food supply.

It is obvious that when we obey God and follow His guidance, we receive the exact opposite benefit of the impact of the curse. Do you agree? This is important when we get to verse 61 because it tells us the result rebellion has on health. The cost of rebellion is all the sickness and disease of Egypt. Therefore, I conclude the prize of obedience is avoidance of Egypt’s curse.

There is sickness in Egypt (the world) because the world does not listen to the counsel of the Lord. If we act like the world and follow the advice of the world, then we are going to reap the results of the world. We need to inquire of the Lord and listen to His wisdom. Then, importantly, we must do as He says. Sometimes what the Lord tells you to do will not make sense to you. Sometimes it may not even sound like faith. None the less, His wisdom will always lead to good results.

Here is one small example that you can relate to. We know that exercising is good for our health. Let’s suppose you have a goal to exercise every weekday and rest on the weekends. What if you get to Friday and there is a nagging thought about not working out? Perhaps your body feels tired. If you have faith, shouldn’t you be able to press on and meet your goals? Or maybe, that voice is God telling you that your body is ready for a rest day now. If you press on maybe you injure yourself. We need to be able to listen to Father’s daily guidance in our work, diet, exercise and even rest. You know, maybe He wants to make some changes in your schedule for better results. We’ve got to listen to Him and OBEY if we are going to live in the blessing. And, that is the Word of the Day for today – obey. So far that gives us an equation of inquire, listen and obey. Maybe it is, instead, a recipe, a recipe for the blessing.

Here is the point, God is your healer. That is what we shouldn’t lose sight of. He can, and does, heal supernaturally, but He also wants to help you avoid feeling bad in the first place. I am thinking of the 23rd Psalm and the picture it paints of the Great Shepherd’s care. Rest in His love and trust Him. There is the curse in the earth but, praise God, there is the blessing. Our beloved has provided blessing for every element of our lives including health. Let’s follow Him to the green pastures and fresh water of the blessing. Amen?

Back to Top

Promised Health

On February 8, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 7:15

“And the Lord will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you.”

We are on the third verse of the healing series and here is what I have learned so far. Both of the first two verses seem to suggest that a key ingredient of health is listening to the voice of God. Now, I suppose that should not come as a surprise but at the beginning of this series, would you have expected that to be the first point Father expressed? And, don’t be surprised that I said that this is what I am learning because I am right there with you. The first verse said, “give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments,” (Exodus 15: 26), so I am asking and listening along with you.

Today’s verse comes from a section in Chapter 7 subtitled, Promises of God. So, now you can say you have a promise from God regarding healing. He promises He will remove sickness. Here is the interesting bit though. You can tell that verse 15 is a continuation of previous verses. It even seems that it might express the result of what came before and, in fact, this is true. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but maybe God does. You have to go back to verse 12 to find out the context of this passage. Verse 12 reads, “If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the LORD your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you.” How great is that!? Even more interesting is that the verses between 12 and 15 include blessing your food and drink. So, here we are again. If we will listen to the Lord our God and obey Him, He will remove sickness from our midst.

Do you remember that the Jews had specific dietary guidelines and that those differed from other populations? What is that about? Do you think those guidelines were exactly what these verses speak to? I am not suggesting that God is telling you to go kosher. I am saying that He speaks to His people, leading them to healthy choices. I want to be clear in this too, what He speaks to me may not be the same as what He speaks to you. Maybe one person is advised to give up dairy or wheat while others are not. What I am explicitly saying is that Yahweh wants to remove all sickness from you because of the love covenant He made with you. He leads us to good health because that is what love does. It is imperative that we learn to inquire of Him and then to listen and obey.

Now, here is the hard part, listening. Tell the truth, do you sometimes get a little nagging feeling down inside of you about what you are eating? Do you get thoughts that would lead in a particular direction if you heeded them? Or, perhaps you hear a thought go through your head about drinking more water or getting up and walking a bit. God is rarely a loud voice in your head. He is gentle, more often nudging than pushing. We all need to become experts at hearing God’s voice and that often begins by listening to some of the quiet thoughts which float across your mind.

God is removing sickness from among us, as He promised to do. Our part in the bargain seems to be listening to His commands and faithfully obeying them.

Back to Top