heal

Sketched IX Day 6 Heart Healer

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 3:1-26
Isaiah 53:3-6
Luke 7:1-10
Luke 22:47-51

Sketched 9, Day 6

I noticed him straight away by the Beautiful Gate. It’s strange; I must have walked past him many times before, but as John and I approached the Temple, just in time for the afternoon prayer service, my attention was immediately drawn to the man.

He had been lame since birth, and he was over forty years old. Unable to earn a living any other way, his only hope was to beg for money from those visiting the Temple. I felt a pang of compassion as I saw him being carried there by friends and seated in his position by the gate.

“Please give me some money!”

As we got closer, he called out, his eyes lowered to the ground. Although he was not addressing his words particularly to us, and although we had no money, something made us stop, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. We had become familiar with the Holy Spirit’s work in recent days. On the day of Pentecost, God had filled us with His Spirit and empowered us as He promised He would. Where once we had been weak and fearful, now we were bold as we shared about Jesus, and miraculous signs and wonders were now regular occurrences.

I stood and gazed at the man, and my heart went out to him.

“Look at us,” I said. He raised his head eagerly, and I could see the hope in his eyes, the expectation that we were going to fulfil his request for money. But there was also something deeper, a glimmer of faith. Maybe the reason he sat outside the Temple each day wasn’t only because of the gathered crowds. Maybe his desperation had drawn him to the place of worship. I admired his hope and faith persisting after so many years.

I had no money, but I had something better to offer. I thought of all the times I had witnessed Jesus’ healing power as He cured the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, and even raised the dead. His authority was so great He had healed a centurion’s servant without even visiting the man, just by saying the word from a distance. His desire was always to heal.

Even not so long ago, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus’ enemies came to arrest Him, He healed one of them! In my panicked attempt to defend Jesus, I had cut off a man’s ear, but Jesus simply told me to put my sword away, picked up the man’s ear, and restored it.

Now God had sent the Holy Spirit to fill us with the same power.
I knew what I had to do.

“I don’t have silver or gold,” I began, and the man’s face instantly fell. “But what I do have, I give you,” I continued. “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

He looked at me in confusion, so I reached out my hand, and as I helped him to his feet, his ankles were instantly healed and strengthened!

His eyes were wide as he began walking, hardly daring to believe it was true. At first his steps were small and tentative, but then they became bigger and more confident. Before long he was leaping and shouting praise to God, unable to contain his joy and exuberance.

As we entered the Temple, he came with us, praising God all the way, and clinging to us. Unsurprisingly, a crowd gathered to learn the cause of the commotion, and I could hear their incredulous conversations.

“Isn’t that the beggar who sits by the gate?”
“It can’t be – you know he can’t walk.”
“But it looks like him… It is… It must be…”

As the truth sank in, they were completely astounded!

They surrounded John and me, and I knew I had to set the record straight. It was an amazing opportunity to tell the people about the source of this awesome power.

Addressing the crowd, I explained the man had not been healed in our power, but by Jesus’ power and by faith in His name.

They knew about Jesus. Many of them had been there that awful day as He stood before Pilate. Many of them had shouted for Jesus to be put to death and for Barabbas to be freed. (Mark 15:6-15)

Yet, I felt no bitterness towards them. Jesus’ death had been part of God’s plan, and God had shown His power by raising Jesus from the dead. Their sin, all of our sin, had been the very reason Jesus came. His command to “love your enemies” came to mind (Matthew 5:44), and I longed for them to understand how they were just as much in need of healing as the man who was now able to walk for the first time. They did not need healing of the body, but healing of the heart. This was exactly what Jesus’ death had made possible, if only they would accept it.

“Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19-20)

The physical healing of the man pointed toward a deeper, spiritual healing each one of us needed, a healing available to all because of Jesus’ sacrifice and victory.

The fire in my belly, a longing for each wounded heart to meet its Healer, burned ever stronger. Where would He lead us next?

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched IX Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched IX!

Questions Day 4 Why Doesn’t God Heal Everyone?: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Why Doesn’t God Heal Everyone?!

The Questions

1) What kind of healing is spoken of in verse 15?

2) What role does prayer play in this passage?

3) How does healing relate to turning a “sinner from the error of his ways”? (verses 19-20)

James 5:13-20

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. 17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

19 My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let that person know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Original Intent

1) What kind of healing is spoken of in verse 15?
This is the end of James’ letter, and unlike Paul, James lacks the succinct, logical flow Paul possessed in his letter writing. James’ letter is full exhortation to live out the everyday Christian life with wisdom from God as it applies to every situation. In conclusion, his last few instructions are thrown in as final, parting words of command and encouragement and appear a little disjointed, so it takes a little more care to properly parse and understand them. In verses 13-14, his primary focus is to call every believer back to the anchoring relationship with God regardless of circumstance. In verse 15, his goal is for the church to see the connection between the prayer of faith and the healing of the heart, which is wicked and wholly sinful and irredeemable apart from Christ’s offer of forgiveness. We know this because of the specificity of the Greek words James used in this particular sentence and the structure he employs. “The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” The Greek word for “save” is “sozo”, which is used when speaking of eternal salvation of the soul from the consequence of sin, which is death as in Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…”. This is not a physical healing, but a spiritual one. In addition, the Greek word for “raise” is “egeiro”, which is used when speaking of raising the spiritually dead heart to life as seen in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, “(But God) made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with Him…”. This is clearly speaking of being raised to life in Jesus from spiritual death, not being healed from physical sickness. As final evidence of this interpretation, the sentence structure itself points to one undeniable conclusion in the final word of the sentence, “so he will be forgiven.” (verse 15)

2) What role does prayer play in this passage?
As verses 13-14 point out, our time on earth is full of varying circumstances. We will not always be happy, nor sad. We will not always be sick, nor healthy. Regardless of circumstance, James reminds us of our one unchanging constant, God, and the believer’s access to Him. We are not instructed to pray so our circumstances can be manipulated to our liking, rather we are called to pray as a reminder of our anchor. Whether we are happy, depressed, diagnosed with cancer, vomiting with the stomach flu, or dancing on cloud nine with excitement, we are called back to prayer because our relationship with God is critically paramount in relation to everything else around us. He will anchor our hearts, keeping us tied fast to His good heart so we are not tossed to and fro by emotion or situation.

3) How does healing relate to turning a “sinner from the error of his ways”? (verses 19-20)
According to the Westminster Catechism, “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Enjoying Him forever is rooted in loving and obeying Him, which, as a result, brings Him glory as His Spirit does His work through us in our everyday lives. As James closes out his letter of practical, everyday wisdom for the Christ-follower, he ends with what is arguably the most deeply satisfying way to bring God glory, by turning sinners away from death. This isn’t accomplished by a single, well-timed conversation where we lay out the details of the gospel. This is to be the pattern of our everyday lives, day in and day out. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Matthew 28:19-20) James’ instruction isn’t limited only to those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus, but he also includes the holy calling to address sin within the family of those brothers and sisters who already claim the name of Jesus, but are stuck in sin.

Everyday Application

1) What kind of healing is spoken of in verse 15?
How deeply each of us longingly ache for a world where physical suffering and pain are eradicated! No more death! No more tears! No more pain! Every one of us would shout YES to a world like that! This is God’s heart for us as well, and it was His original design for His creation, but because of sin, everything was destroyed as we became separated from God. The effects of sin are felt in the brokenness of our bodies from sniffles to cancer to depression and everything in between. Hope is not lost, however! God uses even this desperately broken world, and our bodies, to make us aware of a much more severe problem, the lostness of our hearts apart from Him. If we die from cancer, but our hearts are safe with Jesus because we’ve trusted Him with our souls, our bodies will be healed for eternity in Heaven with Him. If we die from cancer while our hearts are stuck in sin, unredeemed by the God who loves us because we have stubbornly chosen to live for ourselves instead of our Maker, we will spend eternity apart from God. In this case, neither our hearts, nor our bodies, will experience healing. This is truly tragic! As you experience sickness and suffering around you, let it remind you of the state of our hearts without Jesus. Let it urge you to turn to Him for salvation and to tell others of His hope and forever healing!

2) What role does prayer play in this passage?
Take a few minutes to consider when you are most likely to pray, thinking through both the everyday, normal life scenarios as well as the big events in life like birth, death, tragedy, or success. Does your prayer life ebb and flow based on outward circumstance in the grand scheme of life? When do you most commonly pray in the everyday? Is it like breathing in and out? Do you pray most often at mealtime? With a child? Or maybe it isn’t really something you think much about at the everyday level. Assessing your current prayer life is a first step in fostering growth in prayer. We must accurately define reality before we can move forward in the direction we want to go. What do you wish your prayer life was like? Do you wish you had a deeper connection to God? Like James’ examples of when to pray, begin taking every opportunity in regular life to speak with the Lord. He is always present and always listening! The more we practice constant prayer, the richer our relationship with God will be, and the more stable our lives will become.

3) How does healing relate to turning a “sinner from the error of his ways”? (verses 19-20)
If you have given Jesus your heart, trusting the full weight of your eternity to Him and His finished work on the cross, then you are called to this mighty work of calling sinners to truth. This is the ultimate healing! If this is part of our chief end and purpose on earth, we should be intentional and diligent in fulfilling it! Make a list of those who are sin-sick, and don’t forget to include yourself on that list. Who has the Lord put in your circle who don’t yet know Jesus? Pray for them; pray for the healing of their sin-sick hearts. Pray for opportunity to love them like Jesus and to speak boldly of His love for them. Who do you know as a brother or sister fellow-believer in Christ that is stuck in a particular sin? Pray for them; pray for the healing of their sin-sick hearts. Pray for opportunity to lovingly share of God’s truth and calling in their lives. Are you aware of your own sinful tendencies? Ask a trusted believing sister in Christ to walk alongside you, be transparent with her, and confess sins with her as you both pursue the healing of your hearts in Jesus!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Why Doesn’t God Heal Everyone?!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Questions Week One!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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Awaken Day 1 A Prayer For Mercy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 6
Psalm 13:1-6
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 

Awaken, Day 1

One of the beautiful things about Gracefully Truthful is the vulnerability required to write each Journey studies. From the beginning, we have strived for authenticity, as our desire has been for other women to know we are walking the reality of the Journeys we write.
Rarely do I write from distant experience,
I write what the Lord is revealing in my heart moment by moment.
It is messy, I cry many tears as I write,
and I trust that the Lord will somehow use my scattered words to bring Him glory.

With that transparency I tell you, sisters, I am walking through an incredibly dark valley.
My future is uncertain.
My dreams are shattered.
My heart is broken.

In the midst of this valley, the Psalms has brought comfort, putting into words prayers I haven’t known how to pray. I’ve spent days sitting in one Psalm drawing as much truth and comfort from it as I can hold before moving onto the next.

It is beautiful to see how the Bible has so many dimensions!

The same verses I clung to as a little girl learning the Lord is my shepherd, are the same verses God used to makes me lie down in green pastures.
Today, those same verses remind me I will never walk alone.

The Bible never changes.
But I change.
Because of that, the Bible will always be relevant.

God spoke through Psalm 6, meeting me exactly where I am.
But His word is ready to meet each of us in every circumstance
because His Spirit makes it come alive!

Women trying to conceive can pray these words back to the Lord.
Mamas grieving loss can read these words as the Spirit ministers directly to their souls.
Soldiers could feel as if this psalm was written just for them, finding solace in His rescue.
God’s Word is relatable, bringing us life!
His Word is for each of us!

“Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am weak;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking;
my whole being is shaken with terror.
And you, Lord—how long?”
Psalm 6:2-3

My heart echoes amen and amen.
And countless hearts down through the centuries do the same.
Our beings shake.
Be gracious, Lord!
And Lord?! How Long??

The older I get, the more I realize how incredibly messy life is.
Even in the beautiful seasons, there will always be trials to face.
Every single person reading this page has faced a trial of some kind,
so we can all draw comfort from His Word.

“Save me for the sake of your steadfast love!”
Psalm 6:4

Oh sisters, how weak I have felt in this valley!
How deeply I’ve begged, “Save me for the sake of your steadfast love!”
I’ve never experienced the shaking of my bones quite like I have lately.
Often, I find myself crying out to God,
“How long? How long will this season last? Surely this valley can’t be any deeper?”

Are you weary from your groaning?
Is your pillow drenched every night?
Do you wait until your kids are in bed, then let the tears flow?
Do you hold them in for as many days as you can, until they just burst while you’re driving?
Me, too.

Take comfort in this, Dear One, the Lord sees every single tear that falls.
He catches those tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8); He knows the source of those tears.
He knows the heartache, the grief, the loss, the suffering, the anger, the disappointment.

Are your eyes swollen from grief?
Does your head throb from the overwhelming thoughts running through it?
Does your body ache from exhaustion as you long to sleep just one night without the interruption of horrible dreams or racing thoughts?
Does your jaw hurt because of the constant clenching?
Me, too.

He sees.
He knows each thought, each dream, and your aching body. (Matthew 11:28-29)
He longs to give you rest.

As I sat in my counseling session sharing with my therapist the anger I was feeling, he explained that my grief will come like the tide, sometimes it will roll in and come further up on the shore before descending back down, but like the tide, it will surely come.
The beauty of grieving, he explained, is that I am able to understand even more deeply the devastation caused by sin, and therefore, grasp the need for a Savior even more than I ever have before.
But I do not have to walk through grief alone.
As I enter into a new phase of grief I can bring it to the Lord,
transparently asking Him to walk with me.

The Lord has heard the sound of my weeping!
He hasn’t turned a deaf ear to my pain.
He hasn’t blocked out my mourning or allowed it to become like white noise mixing with the sounds of weeping across the globe.
He has heard each individual cry.
Yours. Mine. Your neighbor’s. Your child’s. The hungry child in Honduras.
The mourning father in Guam. Each and every wail is heard by the Lord.

And the Lord accepts my prayer.
Not only has He heard.
He listens. He accepts.

I look forward to the day I can write a Journey like this from the other side.
But I’m not there yet, and I won’t be for a while.
So, I sit in the peace that is offered in Psalm 6 and throughout the rest of Scripture.
The Lord knows my pain. He knows my tears.
He knows exactly how long this season will last.
And He will walk with me every step of the way.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Awaken Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Awaken!