Feeble? NOT!

Joshua 14: 10 – 11

Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.

I have told you how Moses accepted his divine calling at age 80, led the children of Israel for 40 years and then at 120 years of age, climbed Mount Nebo. Of course, you already know about Abraham and Sarah. Now look at the words of Joshua.

The link between the words “old” and “feeble” needs to be severed. The Bible says when Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt, “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes,” (Psalm 105: 37 KJV). You know there were old people in that group. It was the entire nation of Israel. None the less, there were no feeble among them. We need to let that revelation sink into our brains and our hearts.

Romans 12: 2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Let me translate this for you, applying it to today’s message. You can either listen to and think like the world and be sick and feeble or you can be transformed in your thinking and live a long, healthy and prosperous life. Which do you want? You cannot listen to the “wisdom” of the world, which is constantly telling you how your body begins to fall apart at age 40 so they can sell you some drugs, and be youthful and vital. You’ve got to turn your ear to God. Your thinking must be transformed into God type of thinking. We need His mind on these things. Am I saying the world is wrong, that many doctors are wrong? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. However, it will be true for you if you believe what they preach. Why don’t you show them a different model? Be the Joshua of your group. Climb mountains like Moses. Let the people in your church see what happens when someone dares to believe God.

I believe in doctors. I think God blessed us with them, but He never meant for them to take the place of Godly wisdom. Be wise, be strong, be youthful. Live immersed in the grace the Lord has given to His beloved kids.

Vigorous

Psalm 105: 37               King James

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

We saw from Deuteronomy 34: 7 yesterday that Moses died at age one hundred and twenty but that he was not feeble when he died. Today’s verse is about when God led His people out of Egypt. There were several million people in that great exodus but not one of them was feeble. Isn’t that amazing? There had to be people of all ages in that group yet every one of them was able to walk without stumbling.

Yesterday I wrote that we do not have to get old and feeble but let’s now look at a broader picture. Moses was eighty years old when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. He was strong and full of vigor. All of the people of Israel, regardless of their age were able bodied. They packed up their entire households and marched out into the desert. Honestly, how many of us today could walk in the desert day after day?

Here is the good news though, the power that gave their bodies strength is just as available to us as it was to them. In fact, we have a greater mediator and intercessor than they did because we have Jesus. Jesus has conquered death, hell and the grave but guess what, that is not all. He has conquered infirmity. Hallelujah! You’ve got to get this idea deep down into your bones. Let it sink in deep. When you do, you will find that it gives life to your body. You have a promise and a heritage of strong, able and vigorous strength for every sinew, bone and cell of your body. Focus your mind and attention on the truth. Every day remind yourself that none of the Lord’s people are weak or feeble. The more it sinks in, the more invigorated you will be. Tell yourself the truth, and the truth really will set you free.

Made Strong

Psalm 105: 37

Then He brought them out with silver and gold; and among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.

I recently heard Pastor Joseph Prince teaching on communion. It is a brilliant teaching. The part that made the greatest impact on me was when he spoke about the Hebrew children leaving Egypt in the great exodus. He used today’s scripture in his message. The Amplified version says that there was not one feeble among their tribes. Prince ascribed that miracle to the immediate previous actions of the Israelites. They had just partaken of Passover. The people took unblemished lambs; slew them and used the blood to mark the entrance to their homes. Then they ate the meat of the lamb. You can see there the communion message because in our communion we partake of the body of the perfect lamb as represented by the bread. Since Jesus took all disease and physical ailment in his body we are able to live free of sickness and disease. The Passover looked forward to the slaying of the perfect lamb while our communion looks back to the sacrifice of our Lord. In both instances our sickness was born in his stripes (see Isaiah 53: 4 – 5, 1 Peter 2: 24).  

Joseph Prince’s teaching taught about the power in communion when you understand it and it is not merely a ritual. If it is done apart from faith, then it is meaningless. When, however, you mix your faith with the giving and receiving of the body of Christ then the miraculous can truly happen. That is what the bread is. It represents the body of Christ Jesus which was broken for us. Referring back to the fact that no one among the Israelites was feeble, Prince said that the partaking of Jesus makes you strong. If, therefore, you need healing in your body, it can be found in the broken body of Jesus, so receive the communion bread in faith expecting the healing power of Jesus to touch your body.

As I wrote earlier, I think it is a brilliant teaching but I am really trying to arrive at a different message by using Joseph Prince’s message as the foundation. When I heard him say that partaking of Jesus makes you strong my mind left the thoughts of the body of Christ which was broken for our healing and went to inner healing and inner strength. Partaking of the body makes your body strong but also partaking of the Spirit of Jesus and the Words of Jesus makes your inner person strong. 

Most of us have scars and injuries in the inner person and those injuries make us weak. They make us dance to other people’s tunes rather than living in true freedom. They incapacitate us and they steal life from us. However, if we will fill ourselves with Jesus we will be healed in the innermost parts and we will become strong. You can have everything you want if you will receive Jesus’ healing. It takes some courage perhaps. Too many of us are afraid to feel and afraid to make ourselves vulnerable even to the Lord. If you will let him, though, Jesus will make you strong in your body, mind and emotions. Of what are you afraid? Let him touch your heart. Partake of his spirit and his word and you shall be made strong. Of you it will be said, “Not one among them was found to be feeble.”