Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Devotion: Live Long And Strong


The scripture tells us that Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  When Jesus died on the cross, he gave man the privilege to become a child of God, so that all could share in the blessing of Abraham and receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12-13NLT).  “Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14 NLT).

As a child of God, man now has the right to the inheritance of the new covenant, a better covenant, built with better promises (Hebrews 8:6-13), the right to a divine inheritance to the best in life, deserving all the Father has to offer (Romans 8:14-17), which includes the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity.

“He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs (sicknesses), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (cruised) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (blows that cut in) we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5).  “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed” (I Peter 2:24).

Let us point some important things that you may not have noticed.  Jesus carried all of our sicknesses and all of our weaknesses.  He was weighed down by our sorrows and by our pains.  He was pierced through for our transgressions and for our rebellion.  He was bruised for our iniquities and crushed for our sins.  He was beaten so we could be made whole; whipped so we could be healed.  Jesus, in his own body, personally bore all of these things on the cross so that we could be dead to sin and live for righteousness.  It was by these stripes that we were healed; a past tense action, meaning that our healing is already a done deal, already paid for.

“Beloved, I wish above all things (I pray in all things) that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (III John 1:2).  “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22).  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.  It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8).

Jesus came so that we might have life, and in having this life, we might have it in greater measure and more abundantly.  A life where above all things, all is well, we prosper and are in good health just as our soul prospers because of the word of God.  Yes, this is true.  God tells us that if we listen carefully and give ear to his sayings, keeping them in the midst of our hearts and mind not allowing them not to depart from our eyes, then we will find that God words are life unto those who find them and health to all their flesh.  In all that we do, trust in the Lord with all our heart, putting God first, and he will make straight our way and crown our efforts with success.  We are to turn from evil and be not proud of your own wisdom, but instead, trust and reverence the Lord and as we do, this will be health to our body and strength to our bones.  This type of life is a godly life and is the healthful, more abundant life that we as children of God are supposed to live.  Jesus paid the price for every one of us to have a life that is long, a life that is strong, and a life that is more abundant.

We always give thanks to God for the ability to share our inspirational message with you.  We constantly pray that you will be blessed as well as informed by them and that you will be the better for having read them.  If you are blessed by them, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

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