Beyond Ourselves Podcast
If Jesus Is the Great Physician, Why Didn’t He Heal …
Life is filled with joy, but also pain. Sometimes the most painful questions we ask are why didn’t God heal a loved one or friend? If you’ve had those questions, you’re not alone. We don’t know the answer to many questions. In times of pain, when we don’t understand and we don’t have answers, we look in faith to Jesus, who allowed Himself to die, so we’d have visible evidence of divine ultimate healing. Jesus knew that there would be challenging questions on this side of heaven. He said to those listening to His teachings in Luke 4:23, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself!'” But, He didn’t heal Himself. He died a painful death with no pain killers and with no one sitting by His side holding His holy hand. He died to pay for our sins, and by His resurrection, gave proof to our ultimate eternal healing. For that we can be grateful.
Jesus, eternal Physician, thank You for rising from the dead so we can see the ultimate healing You give to all who place their faith in You.
How to Become Perfect
Do you ever hang your head in shame because of sin? Do you sometimes feel badly about something you’ve done or said? If so, I’m with you. It’s easy to get discouraged when we know the right thing to do and don’t do it. In those times it helps to remember God’s words to us in 1 Peter 5:10.. “…the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself PERFECT, confirm, strengthen and establish YOU.” Those are refreshing words! God is the One who will PERFECT us. We can’t become perfect in our own strength. Are we in any way responsible for cooperating with God? Yes. We’re to renew our minds according to the Bible. We’re to prayerfully walk by Christ’s Spirit. The next time we mess up, rather than walk around with our head hung low, let’s take hold of the Bible and put our minds to it. Let’s ask God to perfect our walk with Him and others.
Lord, thank You for not only calling us to Your eternal glory, but for also taking it upon Yourself to PERFECT us. We love You and give You praise!
“…the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself PERFECT, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
Nobody’s Perfect!
Have you ever defended your bad behavior by saying, “Nobody’s perfect.” Or, has someone ever said to you, “Nobody’s perfect!” in defense of something they’ve done wrong? It’s a common response because it’s true. Nobody is perfect except Jesus. However, and this is a big however, our imperfections aren’t excuses to stay as we are. Rather, they’re signals for where we need to look to Jesus for His example and empowerment to change. For instance, in Matthew 5:48, Jesus doesn’t say, “Heh guys, give yourself a break. Nobody’s perfect.” Instead, He says, “Your Heavenly Father is perfect. You’re to be perfect.”
Heavenly Father, You are PERFECT. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit who transforms us when we walk according to His power in us.
“’Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is PERFECT.’”
When You’re Tired of People Telling You “Chin Up”
Do you ever get perturbed when someone tells you “chin up,” that everything will get better? I get it. People may be well intentioned, but the fact is, things may not get better. We may not be able to keep our marriage together. Our child may have special needs the rest of their life. Our job may be tough. A person may refuse to forgive us. That’s why 2 Thessalonians 3:16 tells us to find our peace in Jesus, the Lord of peace. Is it easy? No. But, it’s real. I experienced it when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I experienced it when my parents were dying. In John 14:27, Jesus describes His peace as “out of this world.” In other words, it comes from heaven into our hearts so we can go through our day with inner peace. Moving the direction of our chin doesn’t change anything. Opening our heart and asking the Prince of Peace to fill it changes everything.
Thank You, Prince of PEACE, that You supercede circumstances. Fill us with Your peace.
“Now may the LORD of PEACE Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.”
When You’re Out of Patience with Your Unsaved Friend or Loved One
Are you concerned for a family member or friend who refuses to trust Jesus for salvation? Are you worried they’ll die apart from Christ? If we’re concerned for the unsaved, it’s for good reason. This world isn’t all there is. There’s life beyond the heavens just as there’s life below the ocean that we can’t see until we enter into it. Yes, all people are alive after they pass through this life – either in Christ’s presence or apart from Him. Jesus implores us to take the road to heaven through Him. So, what do we do if an unsaved friend or family member refuses to turn to Christ? We align ourselves with the Lord, who we’re told in 2 Peter 3:9 is “not slow about His promise, but is PATIENT…, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God is PATIENT. Keep praying. Keep looking for opportunities to speak the truth in love.
Heavenly Father, thank you for being PATIENT. Help us be like you – patient and prayerful.
Help is On the Way
“Help is on the way.” It’s all I could think to say as I grabbed my purse and headed to my car. She needed to hear those words. She needed to know that help was on the way…the kind of tangible help we need when we’re at our wits end, when we don’t know how much more we can take. And so, God wants us to know, “He is our HELP.” We may not see Him, but we have the full assurance that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present HELP in trouble,” Psalm 46:1. Are you in trouble and need HELP? Are you in despair and need HELP? Are you disturbed about something and need HELP? Unlike the friend who had to wait for me, the Lord is our present HELP. We need only call on Him as Psalm 43:5 reminds us. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the HELP of my countenance and my God,”
Heavenly Father, we praise You, our HELP and the HELP of our countenance.
Unwrap It!
Gifts! Who doesn’t like to receive a gift? Presents wrapped with brightly colored paper and bows. A gift tag with OUR name on it. And most importantly, someone holding the gift and offering, “Take it! I bought it for you!” Beaming, our Lord God waits for us to take the gift described in Romans 6:23. That in spite of our sin, He offers the “free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our Heavenly Father gives us a gift that cost His Son’s life. Forgiveness is the first thing we see in the gift. Then the gifts of His Holy Spirit, heaven, friendship, eternity, and so much more! With each day, we realize there’s more of God’s love to unwrap. The Gift Giver smiles as our eyes light up in joyful praise.
Lord God, thank You for GIVING us the GIFT of eternal life in Christ Jesus and for all that is encompassed in the gift of His life! We praise You.
Could You Use Some Gentleness
When you think of Jesus, do you think of Him as gentle? In Matthew 11:29, it’s one of the ways He describes Himself. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”” What does Christ mean when He says He is gentle or meek, another word for gentle? It is often defined as “power under control.” Although I don’t fully understand this great combination of attributes, I see them in my husband. Keith has great strength of character; yet he stoops down to pick a tiny flower amidst a field of grass in order to gently hand it to me on our walks. So Christ, while holding infinite power, offers us His gentle, humble heart where we find rest for our souls. He invites us to walk closely with Him and learn from Him.
Lord Jesus, You are both strong and GENTLE! We praise You!
Passing Earthling or Proven Jesus
Who are you following these days? An earthling or Jesus? Why does it matter? Because we’re all going to die one day and Jesus says He alone is the “way” (John 14:6) to eternal life in heaven. Some people argue that there are many ways to heaven. Jesus says not so in Matthew 7:13-14. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” And, in John 14:6, “I am the way,…no one comes to the Father but through Me.” We can believe an earthly spokesman/author or we can believe the One who said He came from “above,” who was crucified, buried, resurrected 3 days later, and ascended into the clouds. I choose to believe the One who demonstrated His other worldly, heavenly powers over an earth born personality voicing their opinions. What about you?
LORD Jesus, we praise You, the GATE by whom all who call upon You can be saved.
A Sippy Cup Won’t Do
When we come to God for new life in Christ, we don’t come to a sippy cup of refreshing life. We come to an overflowing fountain of life. “Come to Me and drink!” Jesus invites us. (John 7:37) And don’t stop drinking. God’s fountain flows in the “innermost being” of the one who believes in Jesus. From where does the living water originate? Psalm 36:9 tells us. “For with You is the FOUNTAIN of LIFE…” God is a FOUNTAIN of LIFE. Are you thirsty? Are you dry? Go to your Heavenly Father with your heart open wide. Drink in His Spirit.
Lord, You are the FOUNTAIN of LIFE! Fill us. Flow in and through us.