Healing

"Jesus wept."  John 11:35

A couple years ago the small, rural community in which I live was hit by a series of tragic teenage deaths.  It was truly heartbreaking - obviously to the families and friends closely involved, but there was an overshadowing of grief throughout the entire community.  In the light of a current loss - the son of friends of mine - I remembered this journal entry.

I am contemplating the verse in John 11:35 , "Jesus wept."

Why, Lord?  Why did you weep?  You didn't weep when you heard the news that your dear friend Lazarus had died.  You didn't even seem shocked.  You wept when you saw the sisters' mourning, when you sensed their pain.  You heard their confusion and disappointment which clouded their blossoming faith as they questioned you, "Lord, if you had only been here, our brother would not have died!"  If you had come sooner.  If you had stepped in.  If you had just stopped that truck, thwarted the gunman, let the paramedics arrive sooner.

As they led you to the tomb you wept.

What was it, Lord, that made you weep?

Because you were God in the flesh you knew that Lazarus' soul was already rejoicing, already at peace with the Father in Heaven.  You knew that death is a mere shadow, just as this life is a mere breath.  Eternity is just around the corner.  At the forefront of your mind must have been your impending death and then your glorious resurrection in which you would conquer death forever!

You also knew that in just a few moments you were going to raise Lazarus from the dead!  So, why did you weep?

It gives me comfort to know that you did.  Perhaps it was that in that moment the part of you that was fully man, fully flesh, felt for the first time the incredible human pain of loss.  You saw with eyes of mortal man the seeming finality of death.  Although your mind was Divine Creator, Sustainer, Resurrection and Life, your flesh felt the deep ache and longing of a loved one gone - never to be held or seen or heard again - and your heart grieved.

Your thoughts must have gone back to the Garden of Eden and images of what our existence was meant to be before sin, pain and death entered the world.  So you wept.  You saw your beloved ones hurting, and you felt their pain.

We are hurting today, Lord.  We are grieving.  Young lives have bee cut short in senseless tragedy.  The questions spin and swirl, and the answers come up trite.

Weep with us, dear Jesus.  let your tears fall like rains of mercy and healing.

How I wish you would go to the grave of these beloved ones and call, "Come forth!" and life would be restored!  And yet, Lord, I know that you offer HOPE for each one of us in the face of death.  You conquered death by your resurrection.  You invite ANYONE to believe in you and to accept your death on the cross as payment for his/her sin.  When we accept that forgiveness, you grant us eternal life!  We do not need to fear death!  It no longer holds power over one who has accepted your free gift of salvation.

As your children, we can know that when we take our final breath on this earth, You will hold us by the hand and usher us directly into glory, directly into the throne room.  We will not be out of your presence for one single second!  Praise you, Jesus!  Thank you!

Scriptures for further study:  Romans 3:23 ; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10 ; John 3:16-17 ; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,
that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
and that He may send the Christ who has been appointed for you --
even Jesus.
Acts 3:19-20



Repentance. Confession. Admission of guilt. Sin.  Too many times we view repentance as a negative thing instead of the act that brings us freedom!

No of us are unfamiliar with feelings of remorse over something that we have done - or failed to do.  We feel the prick of guilt, and our conscience is burdened.  But where do we go from there?

Scripture makes it plain that at such a moment we need to openly confess to God.  Take responsibility for our actions, and come to Him humbly and honestly.

And what happens next?  Forgiveness!  Pure and immediate.  (1 John 1:9 ) We are washed clean, absolved of guilt.  Our sins are removed at that very second as far as the east is from the west.  (Psalm 103:12 )

Friends, too often, instead of following these very simple steps, we allow the guilt to eat us alive.  We allow the enemy to so infuse us with shame that we no longer believe we can ever have freedom.  And we are effectively bound with the very chains that Christ died on the cross to break!

It is normal to sin - we are human!  (Romans 7:14-25 ) And until we enter heaven we will succomb to our sinful nature.  However, Jesus died in order that we do not have to be slaves to sin any longer! (John 8:34-36 ; Romans 6:5-5 ,16; 8:1-2)  It's time to stop allowing Satan to hold us in bondage with shame and guilt.  We have been given freedom through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Look at the scripture above from Acts 3:19-20 .  We are admonished to repent of our sins so that "times of refreshing may come from the Lord."  Wow!  I don't know about you, but I certainly welcome times of refreshing from the Lord!  So I will choose to take ownership of my sin, to confess it honestly before the Lord, and then to repent of it - which means to turn away from it - so that I can experience forgiveness and freedom.

Our Savior Jesus has already paid the penalty for sin.  (2 Corinthians 5:21 ; 1 John 1:7 )  We do not need to carry chains of guilt and shame.  We need only to turn to God and confess...and experience joy and freedom!  


Additional Scriptures: Psalm 32:5 (read in context of whole psalm); Psalm 51

“Keep your eye on the healthy soul; scrutinize the straight life.

There’s a future in strenuous wholeness.

But the willful will soon be discarded.”

Psalm 37:3-38 (Message version)

“Strenuous wholeness” – That’s incredibly descriptive! The path toward wholeness, healing, balance, and a healthy soul which allows transparency with God  can be quite strenuous.

What begins with mustard seed of faith and a prayer of salvation continues with growth, maturing and developing that often is indeed work. Oh, now it’s not work if we just stay drinking the “milk of the word” (Hebrews 5:11-14 ), but if we do we will miss out on experiencing the glory and fullness of the Lord. If we never stretch our faith muscles in the spiritual realm, we won’t see the full potential of His Word alive in us. (Romans 8:11 )

When we decide to come vulnerably before the throne of grace to ask for healing and wholeness, Father God sets us on a journey. He begins to peel off layers of old thought patterns, fears, strongholds, and lies from the enemy that have kept us in bondage to sin and to our past.

As C.S. Lewis once penned, we submit ourselves to a “severe mercy” by the hand of the Great Physician, who – as we willingly lay on the altar before him – surgically carves out the poison in our lives that clouds his glory.

The path of wholeness indeed is strenuous. However, the rich fellowship with God, the confidence of his love, the joy of his presence, the moments of intimate communion are sweeter than any strain! Let us be fully consumed with the power and healing and presence of Jesus. The reward is well worth the work.

Other scriptures: Philippians 1:6 ; Hebrews 10:23