MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY (4)ever closer to the Lord amen.
In a couple of months time I will celebrate my 81st birthday, and what an exciting spiritual journey it has been, coming to Christ as a 10 year old, I sure have much to testify about regarding the Lord’s blessing, and calling on my life,
I have always struggled with my weight, but overall my health has been good, it is only in the last 2 years or so have I become aware that my body was starting to slow down. About 6 months ago I began to experience considerable pain in my left knee and hip, general pain killers did not assist the pain level, and I was referred to a pain specialist, who ordered an MRI scan which showed I had damaged nerves in my back !!!! It appears it is not uncommon but I had not heard of such.
The Specialist offered surgery which would give me short term relief or special nerve pain medication, (which I chose) this initially did not make any difference to the pain, the strength has been increased (twice) and I think there is evidence of some improvement, I understand the medication also helps to heal the damaged nerve/s.
I have written recently that my understanding of the Sovereignty of God has wonderfully increased, Paul tells us in Rom. 8:28 NKJV And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
GOD IS SOVEREIGN
Over the weather
Over the plans of man
Over health, life & death
Over Salvation
Over all things
So God was not surprised when I began to experience this pain, for He has a purpose for it. I have been praying much, and asking the Lord what His purpose is.
I am continually drawn Hebrews 12:5-11 NKJV
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that WE MAY BE PARTAKERS OF HIS HOLINESS. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields THE PEACEABLE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to those who have been trained by it.
As a parent I had to discipline my 2 sons many times, they are in the Kingdom of God today, and thank God for my discipline.
The writer to Hebrews firstly tells us GOD LOVES US, and because He loves us He chastens us and scourges us, because He wants us to holy and righteous.
Peyer tells us in 1 Peter 1:23 NKJV having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
AMP. N.T. You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.
We now have God’s DNA in us, and God wants to complete what He has started. Phil. 1:6 NKJV being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
To be holy and righteous requires our co-operation, and we need to be PRO-ACTIVE in letting the Lord do His SANCTIFYING work in us,
This requires discipline on our part it is easy to get slack and lazy, Paul writing to the Corinthians in 1 Cor.9:27 NKJV tells us But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
I need all the help I can get, I am so thankful that an awesome part of the Holy Spirit is to woo and draw us ever closer to the Lord.
Solomon writes in his song in 1:4 AMP.O.T. Draw me! We will run after you!
PASSION Draw me into your heart. We will run away together into the king’s cloud-filled chamber.
I am praying daily, Holy Spirit draw me, I want to be more like Jesus,
May this be the prayer of the Body of Christ so that the world will see Jesus in us, amen
