Heart Health
“Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23
Many of us have had an EKG (electrocardiogram) of our heart. It measures our physical heart beat. A healthy heart should have regular ups and downs on the graph as the heart beat is recorded. An unhealthy EKG shows lines that are erratic and indicates a problem. A diagnosis can then be made as to the condition of the heart.
Have you ever thought that each of us has a spiritual heart? Unlike our physical heart, which we certainly want to be alive and full of life, a healthy spiritual heart should be dead, that is dead to self. If the life of Jesus is ruling our spiritual hearts we do not react to life situations with fear, anxiety and a sense of impending doom. There is no line of ups and downs but a steady flow of His life ruling our spiritual hearts.
Recently I learned a lesson in this very thing. I had a ministry board meeting involving seven other people, one of whom was not present. We set a date for an event we would all be involved in and then there was a mix up the next morning regarding the date. I was trying to be considerate of everyone, and I got very anxious trying to straighten it out. In fact I used my usual devotion time to send emails back and forth until we got it cleared up.
Just the week before I had experienced a 90 to 95 % healing of terrible pain in my knees that had been diagnosed as the dreaded arthritis. The ministers praying for me had called out a spirit of arthritis and commanded specific healing in my bones, muscles, tendons, tissues, and whatever else has to do with a healthy, pain-free walk.
Art Mathias Book, In His Own Image, We are wonderfully Made, deals in root causes of diseases, and states that self hatred, anger, fear, and anxiety can all open the door to arthritis. I checked my spiritual heart and found there was no anger, no self hatred, no fear, but I had allowed myself to get very anxious as I tried to work out the perceived problem. I believe in my case this opened the door for the pain to come back in. I have repented, been prayed for again, and am standing in faith that this is dealt with.
For any arthritis sufferers do not take this as a blanket statement for you. I am not saying your pain is caused by Satan.
Let us all check our spiritual heart to see if it is dead to self, settled in Him and not bounced up and down by the challenges that come our way.
Copyright © Peggy Park. All rights reserved.
A Good Foundation
Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees.
Recently I have been struggling with pain in one knee. Then the second knee decided to get in agreement with the first knee and hurt also. It has been very trying in that I would find myself mapping out my trip in the grocery store so I did not have to walk any further than necessary. I went to the doctor who pronounced the dreaded word arthritis. He gave me medicine that seemed to cause problems with my esophagus. In addition I started on supplements which were guaranteed to rebuild cartilage.
Often I was awakened with my legs radiating pain and I would limp along in the day time. The situation gave me great pause for considering how important it is to have a firm foundation. This lead me to compare the physical foundation of my knees and legs with the firm foundation we have in Jesus. That foundation is built up by time with Him and in His word as well as in prayer. If we do not have this firm spiritual foundation, we will limp along in our daily lives trying to cope with pain of various sorts.
A young minister noted my condition and said he wanted to pray for me as he had had a torn ligament, and the Lord had healed his injury. He knew I was going on a very challenging mission trip to a third world country where part of my assignment will be to talk about healing.
I have determined that my experience is not the test of God’s power or faithfulness, but I knew it would not be a great witness if I had to “crawl” up on the stage to speak about the power of God to heal. Many of us have struggle with the mystery of healing although we know by Scripture it was very much a part of Jesus’ ministry.
The anointing was present, the minister prayed along with another believer. They locked their faith together (an expression I really love) and God moved. I could hardly believe it the next morning when I had slept all night without them hurting. No longer did I limp around in the day time. They are healed and I am one thankful woman.
My bout with weak knees really determined how important it is to have a firm, healthy foundation to support our walk. Likewise we need that firm foundation spiritually to support our walk with the Lord. I praise Him for healing me and I know we are to give testimony for His works.
Copyright © 2010, Peggy Park
Roots Grow in Dirty Darkness
I have been giving some thought as to why problems we think we have released sometimes spring back up again. I believe it is because we think in regard to our hurts and pain, “A good Christian would not feel this anger, hurt, etc.” so we push the situation away in our consciousness and never really face it. We may just deal with it on the surface but not really go to the root.
In my experience it is important to bring the pain to the light by talking it all out before your heavenly Father in prayer. Tell Him every detail and every disappointment you are experiencing related to the situation. Have a “pity party” with Him. This step is often missed or cut short; therefore, we are not able to release the pain because it has not been fully exposed to the light.
A word picture came to mind that helped me understand how this works. In the world we live in roots of any plant left in the dirt continue to grow. If they are only cut off and not pulled up they grow right back. The dark dirt is the perfect environment for the root. If we pull the plant up with the root and throw it aside it dies. Drawing a spiritual parallel if the roots of hurts and pain that we experience are pulled up and held up to the light of Jesus Christ they die for lack of nourishment in the dirt. They are in the light. Just as the plant in the natural does not continue to grow if pulled up so the root exposed to the light of the Lord, Jesus Christ will not continue to grow.
Colossians 2:7 tells us we are to be “rooted and built up in Him.” And Hebrews 12:15 encourages us, “See that to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
If you desire to grow in Christ I encourage you to check your roots.
©peggypark, 2008