Refueling

Isaiah 23:1–24:23, Luke 8:16–56, Job 5:17–27

While Jesus was on His way to the house of Jarius, a woman in the crowd touched the hem of His garment hoping to be healed. Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me? . . . Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”

For a long time I’ve wondered how He knew that, but I’m beginning to understand the answer. Jesus did everything in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet this is not always an easy experience. When the Holy Spirit uses a Christian, we can feel drained, weak, and very much in need of refueling. This is one reason why many pastors take Monday as their day of rest. Sunday is a busy day, but any ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit takes a physical toll.

For Jesus, it may not have been as extreme as it is for us, or it could have been worse. In any case, He was aware of a difference when “power” went out of Him to heal that woman.

I can also see an additional pattern; when the Holy Spirit uses me, I feel tired, but also may experience stronger than usual temptations. Prayer before ministry is vital; yet prayer afterward is also vital. Some might say that sense of lost power is normal for everyone, a human experience. Maybe so, yet the pattern I notice has nothing to do with how much sleep I’ve had or the amount of physical energy expended.

I write this today because when in ‘drained and tempted’ mode, I tend to look in the Scriptures for what I need to hear rather than a more literal interpretation. For instance, from Isaiah, I took personally the following verses, even though he used words more extreme than my current experience:

“The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish. The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.” (Isaiah 24:3–5)

This is a prophecy about God’s judgment on the earth, but sometimes I feel withered, defiled, and guilty of some wrongs, usually blurry and I cannot name anything. When that happens, I know this is the work of the liar, not the Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, all of the passage from Job blessed me today. Even though these words were spoken to a man who was NOT being reproved, and even though I do not always sense God reproving me (but often sense Satan accusing), these words are give me great comfort and encouragement:

“Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal. He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no evil shall touch you. In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes. At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the beasts of the earth. For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. You shall know that your tent is at peace, and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing. You shall know also that your offspring shall be many, and your descendants as the grass of the earth. You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season. Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear, and know it for your good.” (Job 5:17–27) Amen!

In Luke, the woman who touched Jesus wanted to be anonymous, but when she realized He was aware of what she had done, she fell down at His feet and told Him and the crowd what she had done and that she had been immediately healed. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Those words bless me, for because of Jesus, faith also makes me well — and fills my heart with peace.

His mind . . . ministers to my mind

Psalm 23 is a favorite of many, yet for me, Psalm 27 fills my mind with beautiful memories.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” reminds me of the days when I realized many of my problems could be traced to a fear of people. I was afraid of rejection, afraid of being hurt, afraid of being laughed at, but God showed me this verse again and again until it became part of the way I thought about Him and about people.

As Psalm 27:1 released me from much fear, verse 5 backed it up: “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.” These wonderful images became a reality and helped me be more courageous.

Then, and not many years ago, I read an amazing book that showed me how ADHD was formed and how it had affected me, even producing my tendency to be fearful of rejection. The author revealed the importance of eye contact in a young child’s life and if it was missing for whatever reason, those children had ADHD issues. While not as severe as some, God showed me the need to overcome this by seeking His face. For this, verses 8 to 10 became a long-term blessing to my ‘scattered’ mind . . .

“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’ Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.”

Before coming to this victory, I’d already had the help of the last few verses to carry me through a terrible situation. At that time, my life was like a roller coaster and I felt as if I would die before it would change. I cried out to God with words like these, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries . . .” and He increased my faith. Eventually I could say, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

As I read these verses now and think about the mind of Christ, another image pops into my head. A person’s mind is like any other living thing . . .  it thrives when properly fed. Feeding on the Word of God nurtures the Spirit who lives within and as I become increasingly aware of Him and His power, I am also nourished and sustained.

It is little wonder that the psalms have been a blessing to God’s people for many hundreds of years. As God hides me, lifts me, invites me to seek Him, takes me in, teaches me, and increases my faith, I am stronger, more courageous, and more able to be patient with Him and with life. Praise His name, and His power to speak to the needs of His people.

To Live is Christ — eating right

My daughter cannot eat bread. She isn’t celiac but has a problem with gluten. I cannot imagine going without bread, even though Jesus said that I do not live by bread alone. . . . I think that I could, or at least I did.

Lately I’ve not been eating regular bread, only the sprouted grain variety. Yesterday I had some regular bread and my tummy didn’t like it. I’m glad this is not true of all bread, especially when I read this verse from my devotional book this morning.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. (John 6:51)

Jesus talked to a crowd that chased after Him when they heard He had multiplied a few loaves of bread into enough to feed thousands. However, He knew why they were there. He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John 6:26–27)

They didn’t get it, but He kept talking. He told them that He was the living bread, the source of eternal life, but they had to eat this bread to have that life. They still didn’t get it.

Neither did His disciples. After the crowd was gone, they asked Jesus about this “hard saying.” In part, He told them, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)

Since I became a Christian, I’ve looked at many different views about Jesus. Almost all of them have no idea what it means to “eat” the flesh of Jesus. Some think it is a symbol. Some think it is a horrible cannibalism. Without the enlightening power of the Holy Spirit, I agree that this is a strange and hard saying. Yet God explains the key to understanding Jesus’ words through the words of Paul: 

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13–14)

Without the Holy Spirit, no one can fully understand the Bible. Even with the Holy Spirit, Christians get truth “here a little, there a little” for that is the way of God. He knows what I need to know. He does not give me all of it at once. To do so would be like trying to eat a bakery full of bread. My body could not tolerate it. Instead, God gives me a small slice at a time, just what I need. In the beginning, my first taste of Jesus meant that He gave me Himself. In doing so, He now lives in me and I have eternal life.

Since that day, the Spirit has fed me many things. For instance, Jesus is the Word of God, the living Word for sure, but also the written Word. It is this Word that I feast on, reading, chewing, digesting — knowing, remembering, understanding, obeying. By doing this, I am feasting on Christ. He becomes my spiritual nourishment and sustenance. Without a proper spiritual diet, my spiritual life would weaken into uselessness.

Using the same ‘bread’ analogy, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

In this verse, the Greek term translated “word” is rhema. It means “that which is needed for the moment.” In other words, God gives me the portion that I need for each day, my “daily bread.” I cannot gorge myself. He controls the portions because He knows me as His created and adopted child and knows what I need to be strong and live for Him.

I marvel at the wonderful care of God. He gave me spiritual life in Christ then feeds that life by drawing me into His Word and near to Him. No banquet could taste better or be more important that sitting down to a meal with Jesus.