Needs Compared to Wants

When we take time to examine our needs as compared to what we actually have, how can we help but be thankful for what God provides? However, there tends to be a relationship between our lack of dependency on God and the desire to satisfy our own needs for ourselves.

Everyone, with few exceptions, searches for a better life. Yet those first immigrants who came to America set aside time to celebrate and be thankful for what God provided. Jesus said, "I've come that you may have life abundantly." That does not mean an abundance of things, but of peace, joy, forgiveness, and eternal life with God. 

Jesus also said, "I am the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep." No matter how extensive our possessions, El Shaddai, the “all-sufficient God,” is able to provide adequately for what wealth cannot offer. That should give us a thankful heart filled with gratitude and the desire to praise God for his kindness.                            

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Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!

~1 Chronicles 16:8-9 English Standard Version

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Healing – A Multifaceted Process

Healing is an ongoing process for so many physical and emotional issues. Recovery may never be 100% regardless of treatments and medications. As a teenager, I liked to ride horses. On one occasion my horse got spooked and threw me over a fence, which resulted in my arm being broken.

I’m thankful I have full use of my arm, although complications from  that fracture still persist. I realize that healing can be a multifaceted process that may take place in stages.

Humanity is subject not only to diseases and emotional wounds, but to moral sickness. When the principles of righteous, godly living are pushed aside and self-centered ambitions become dominant, love and concern for others tend to fade. Jesus came into the world to heal moral sickness, which is called sin, because sin is a powerful, alienating force. Jehovah-Rapha means “the Lord who heals” and he, the Lord God, is available to heal and restore you.                       

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Some of you had foolishly committed a lot of sins and were in terrible pain…You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. By the power of his own word he healed you and saved you from your own destruction.

~Psalm 107:17,19-20 Contemporary English Version  

 

I said, “I have sinned against you, Lord; be merciful to me and heal me.”

~Psalm 41:4 Good News Bible

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Staying Healthy

There are many issues associated with the causes of illnesses and the ways each person contributes to their illnesses and healing. In Leviticus God teaches his people how to worship him and instructs them on ways to stay healthy in body and spirit. Earlier in Exodus 23 he assured them he is Jehovah-Rapha, "the Lord who heals".

In every generation new diseases are identified, and researchers frantically make every effort to discover treatments to restore health. The Greek physician Hippocrates observed, "Healing is a matter of time, but also a matter of opportunity."

My father trusted only the doctor who had treated him for 30 years. His doctor begged him to stop smoking, but to no avail. My dad died of emphysema. Good health depends on making intelligent decisions, sound judgments, and healthy habits. God’s name Jehovah-Rapha, "the Lord who heals", does his part to help us recover when we do get sick, if we follow good health care procedures.                            

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The Lord will help them when they are sick and will restore them to health.

~Psalm 41:3 Good News Bible

 

O Lord, by these things [people] live, and in all these is the life of my spirit; restore me to health and let me live! Indeed, it was for my own well-being that I had such bitterness; but you have loved back my life from the pit of nothingness (destruction), for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

~Isaiah 38:16-17 Amplified Bible

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Extend Yourself to the Lord Who Heals

It's impossible to stay completely healthy 100% of the time. Yet because of our immune system, most bacteria and other germs do not cause illnesses. I realize there are those who worry excessively about germs and become germ-phobic, filled with fear and anxiety.

We live in a country where major illnesses are treatable. In addition, we have medications designed to aid in the healing process. One of the primary features of Jesus' ministry was his ability to heal those who were physically, spiritually, and emotionally sick. The name Jehovah-Rapha means the Lord who heals.

This name for God was expressed as he spoke to the Hebrew people, who been freed from Egyptian bondage. Listen to his words: "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep his decrees, I the Lord Jehovah-Rapha will heal you.” Isn’t that good news?                               

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O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing! He forgives your sins – every one. He heals your diseases – every one…He wraps you in goodness – beauty eternal. He renews your youth – you’re always young in his presence.

~Psalm 103:2-3,5 The Message

 

Lord, heal me and I will be completely well; rescue me and I will be perfectly safe. You are the one I praise!

~Jeremiah 17:14 Good News Bible

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Trusting in God's Provision

A request you may have expressed spontaneously is, “Deliver me from ever experiencing that situation.” Avoiding painful situations or people is a natural desire for most individuals. However, all conflictual situations and people that test your faith and endurance cannot be avoided. In these moments, reach out to God for help and solutions.

Genesis 22 relates how Abraham faced the death of his son Isaac. God commanded him, “Take Isaac and sacrifice him as a burnt offering.” Innocently, the boy questioned his father about where the lamb was that was to be sacrificed. Abraham answered, “God will provide a lamb for the burnt offering,” and God did just that.

God’s name, Jehovah-Jireh, which means “the Lord will provide,” is a name you also can trust even when the situation appears hopeless and bleak. Never give up and constantly be on alert for his help, provision, and solutions. God will provide as you remain faithful and true to his word and instructions.   

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Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide.

~Genesis 22:13-14 New International Version 

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Managing the Storms of Life

Desperate situations and uncertain times trigger anxiety and worry, which test your faith and trust in God to manage and provide solutions. This happened to the disciples of Jesus when a storm began tossing their boat so violently, they feared for their lives. When the storms of life become threatening, fear and anxiety may try to replace your faith in Christ Jesus to send help.

Jesus calmed the storm but scolded his disciples for their lack of faith in his willingness to save them. The storms of life you and I face can arise suddenly and appear overwhelming. It's not unusual to question the reason God permits his people to experience severe pain and suffering.

This experience assured the disciples Jesus would provide for their needs. God’s name Jehovah-Jireh is translated “the Lord will provide,” so trust Jesus to send help. Whether his help comes instantly, over a period of a time, or both, trust the Lord’s faithfulness to provide whatever your situation requires.               

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The Lord is faithful to his promises; he is merciful in all his acts. He helps those who are in trouble; he lifts those who have fallen…He protects those who love him.

~Psalm 145:13-14,20

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Thriving in Difficult Times

What would you say is your most compelling need at this moment? A television series focused on several families who volunteered to live for one year as the pioneers did in the1850s. This included duplicating the food, clothing, housing, and conveniences within that time period.

Each family, with one exception, discovered life was manageable without electronics, air-conditioning, automobiles, refrigeration, or indoor plumbing. The family who left the series was unable to adjust to the severe limitations of pioneer life. One couple later divorced as a consequence of stress created by pioneer life.

Those who kept their commitment discovered that God provides even in difficult, challenging times. These people committed to adapting physically and discovered God’s faithfulness in providing character strength that kept their relationships stable. A name for God’s faithfulness is Jehovah-Jireh, “the Lord who provides.” Do trust God to provide for you.  

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And God is able to make your every spiritual blessing overflow for you, so that you will always have in every situation an entire sufficiency and so overflow for every good cause.

~2 Corinthians 8:9 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

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