TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (Saturday 28th August 2021)
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.” Isaiah 53:5 AMP
WELCOME TO THE 240TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF HIGHER HEIGHTS!
We give GOD the glory for being our guide and shield for these 240 days of year 2021. We give Him grace for watching over us and feeding us. We thank Him for speaking to us about His ways for these days, especially through this platform.
We also thank Him for keeping us healthy despite the outbreaks of diseases. We do not deserve any of these acts of kindness.
Mercy is getting what you do not deserve from the LORD, in hope that you will respond to Him by living a life that will not bring upon you what you deserve. It is getting kindness from the LORD instead of punishment for sin, in hope that you repent and not go on living in sin and come under judgment. Indeed, we have been beneficiaries of His mercies. David says;
“If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” Psalm 130:3-4 NKJV
This scripture made it clear that GOD’s vision for showing us mercies is that we fear Him or lead godly lives.
In simple terms, when we are not punished for our sins and wickedness, when we are forgiven even without seeking Him for it, it is a seed sown into our lives to repent of all wicked ways and begin to love right. It is not a permit to keep living sinful lives.
I believe keeping us healthy in the midst of outbreaks of diseases and all that are acts of mercies.
Now talking about being healthy, I want to submit to you this morning that sickness is not the will of God for your life. It has never been. The Bible says in Exodus 15:26, “I am the LORD that healeth thee.” It did not say “I am the LORD that made you sick.” God does not make people sick. It is sin and rebellion that makes people sick.
As the Judge of all, God could use sickness to afflict the wicked like He did to the Egyptians in Bible days, but He is not the author of illness. When Adam was on His side in the Garden of Eden, He was never sick. But when he took side with the devil through the fall, history had it that he died because of illness.
When we take side with the devil by committing sin or becoming rebellious to the ways and will of God for us we may become sick and diseased.
THAT WAS WHY APOSTLE JAMES WROTE AND SAID;
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 NKJV
In this scripture, we see sin and rebellion as a major sources of sickness; we also see confession of sin in repentance as a major catalyst of healing.
When we get ourselves involved with the abominable and the demonic and it results in sicknesses and diseases, healing only comes when we get saved, or renounce sin and the demonic and repent of all evil, confessing to the right ears.
Sometimes sicknesses come via natural causes or age, and when that happens we need proper medical care and prayer to be made whole. Sometimes prayer alone will take care it! But let me take you further. Let’s talk about the things that make the grace of God go active to restore health to us!
There are things that make the grace of God to go active to restore a man back to the original health condition of God for mankind, which is divine health. The first principle that activates the grace of God to restore health to us is in the story I want to share.
Many years ago, during my high school days I was taught what many of us know today as “division of labor” by my Business Management Teacher. It was a new concept to my young mind, and I started sharing responsibilities in our little home.
I also started withdrawing from things that were not my responsibility. Life became easier and the pressure of making sure things were okay at home before mum or Dad returns was lifted. Division of labor was applied in doing the house Chores and every other thing that needed to be done then before evening. I applied the principle diligently.
IT BECAME BETTER AS I GREW OLDER. BUT LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT IT IS MORE OF A KINGDOM CONCEPT THAN A SECULAR-SUCCESS PRINCIPLE.
When I embraced the call of God upon my life, I realized that division of labor was not just a business management philosophy but a mystery of the Kingdom. In every miracle that the grace of God in Jesus Christ performed in the Bible, there was division of labor; including Healing miracles.
When ten lepers where cleansed, there was division of labor. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest, and the Bible says as they went they were healed. Going was their part, healing was God’s part. They did their part, and God did His part. Here is how the Bible told the story;
“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” Luke 17:11-14 NKJV
The lepers were cleansed when they did their part – they went as they were asked to do. One thing we should know is this, in Bible days, you do not show yourself to the priest for examination unless you are sure you have been healed. God healed them in the spirit and as they took responsibility to do their part by obeying Jesus in the natural, what was done in the spirit realm was unlocked upon their lives in the natural realm.
THIS PRINCIPLE CAN BE SEEN IN THE HEALING OF EVERY OTHER PERSON IN SCRIPTURE.
There was always something to do for God to act. But the story of Lazarus is more profound. This man was not just sick, but he died and was buried for four days. When He was sick, Jesus never went to pray for him, but when he died Jesus went. There is a mystery here; a hidden truth!
You see, if God delays coming into your life with a much needed miracle, it’s a sign that when He finally comes, it will be extremely glorious. In other words, if God seems to be coming late in your life, it’s a sign that He is coming big! However, do not forget, like in the case of Lazarus, when He finally comes, there will be division of labor; you will have your part to play and God’s part to play.
That was depicted in the instruction Jesus gave when He got to the grave of Lazarus. He instructed them to roll away the stone. Now, the people’s part was to roll away the stone, God’s part was to raise the man from the dead. The people did their part and God did His part.
The Bible says, Jesus asked them to roll away the stone covering the entrance to the grave. They did and grace went active to raise Him from the dead.
One Healing secret we can glean from here is; “If you need divine healing or health, sense your part and do it. When you do your part, God’s grace will be made active to do His part.”
You may ask, “Pastor what is my part?” If I give you the answer it means I have become the Holy Spirit. I don’t know your part, but I know it exist. That is the stone to roll away for God’s grace to move in your life and restore back your health. It is not a carnal act but a spirit led act that will turn things around and set you free.
Obviously, it cannot be giving preachers money or praying with deliverance inventions like salt, oil, water, sand, padlocks, brooms and etc. it could be a simple medical advice or aligning your ways with GOD’s ways, both privately and publicly.
Our devotional text today says,
“the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole”.
The text made it clear that Jesus’ death on the cross took away our sicknesses and diseases – spirit, soul and body. That is God’s grace for you. And division of labor is one of the many principles of the kingdom that will actualize it in your life.
It is actually improper for a man to have in his body what Jesus took away on the cross. If only we will discern what it is and take away the stone, grace will bring us out of the grave of sicknesses and diseases like it brought Lazarus from the grave of premature death.
As you pass through this day, you can begin a journey into the realm of divine health by bending your ears to God in prayer and seeking him to show you what you must do to be saved.
God sent this word to tell you the no matter the kind of sickness or disease that you may be struggling with; there is something to do to be saved. Until you discern and do it, there will be no salvation. “If you do the possible, God will definitely do the impossible.” That is the first key!!
May the LORD use these truths to give you an inheritance among they that are sanctified!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY.
“And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30 NKJV