Obedience
Do You Need a Miracle?
Do you need a miracle? Something extraordinary in your life? What do we mean when we use the word miracle? Webster defines a miracle as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency; just as rising from the grave.” Another definition is “a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences;” such as “it was a miracle that more people hadn’t been killed or injured.” Perhaps it’s that last definition we use most often. “It’ll be a miracle if I can manage everything going on in my life.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if our marriage makes it.” Let me ask again, “Are you in need of a miracle?” If so, our best hope for experiencing one is to bring Jesus into the equation. Galatians 3:5 describes Jesus as the Miracle Worker.
“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
As we consider Jesus, the Miracle Worker, it’s important to consider the combination of the two words: miracle and work; along with the word “faith.” Our miracle isn’t going to happen with the twitch of our nose as in the 1970’s show “I Dream of Jeannie.” When we study Jesus’ miracles we see they involved energy and power (Luke 8:46), most often required a person taking part in faith (John 5:8-9), and often took place as the person acted in obedience (John 9:6-7). Maybe Jesus is showing us that rather than having a demanding, “God, do it now,” attitude, we should thank Him for how He has already worked in our lives, thank Him that He hears us, and then take the next steps He shows us.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being involved in our lives. You are the MIRACLE WORKER who can help us. Open our ears to Your instructions so we can faithfully follow Your promptings.
Jesus, the Miracle Worker, demonstrated His healing power in John 5 when he told a man who had been ill for 38 years to pick up his pallet, walk, and sin no more. Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 5 HERE or listen to it HERE.
Show and Do
Are you sick in spirit, soul, or body? If so, consider how Jehovah-Rapha worked in Moses’ life.
Israel had been three days in the wilderness after escaping Egyptian slavery when they arrived at the undrinkable waters of Marah. What did Moses do? He cried out to Jehovah-Rapha, which means healer. Moses then did what the Lord told him to do and the water became sweet.
Exodus 15:26 records God’s words. “‘If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.’”
This brings us to a question. Have we cried out to Jehovah-Rapha and done what He has shown us? His message was clear. “If you do” means our actions have a consequence.
“If you give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord our God” emphasizes the importance of paying attention to what God tells us.
“And do what is right.” Moses had to do what God told him.
“In His sight” means God watches to see if we obey Him.
“And give ear to His commandments…” Are we listening to Jehovah-Rapha?
God is our healer. Are we crying out to Him? Are we doing what He tells us?
JEHOVAH-RAPHA, Lord our Healer, we praise You for the complete healing You’ll give us in heaven. In the meantime, help us increasingly listen and obey you.
In addition to today’s key verse, John 5 also depicts Jesus’ healing power and the importance of obedience. Jesus healed a man who had been disabled for 38 years and commanded him to stop sinning, warning that something worse may happen to the man if he continued. To watch all of Debbie’s teaching on John 5, click HERE or listen to it HERE.
Grinning Joy
Do you ever have a blah day? That happened to me some time ago. Not motivated. Not feeling the joy only God can give. If you can relate and it’s been a while since you’ve had grinning joy that causes you to race to God to thank Him, you can. How? What caused me to get the joy only God can give? One morning as I was praying, the Holy Spirit nudged me to do something. I wrote it in my journal, then quickly did it. The result? My spirit was filled with joy. No doubt the disciples experienced joy after returning from their first missionary journey. (Luke 10:17) They experienced joy as they followed Christ’s instructions. (Matthew 25:21) The next time you notice that there’s no spring in your step, go to God. Offer yourself to Him then follow through on how He prompts you. Experience grinning joy.
Do You Need a Miracle
Do you need a miracle? Something extraordinary in your life? What do we mean when we use the word miracle? Webster defines miracle as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency; just as rising from the grave.” Another definition is “a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences;” such as “it was a miracle that more people hadn’t been killed or injured.” Perhaps it’s that last definition we use most often. “It’ll be a miracle if I can manage everything going on in my life.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if our marriage makes it.” Let me ask again, “Are you in need of a miracle?” If so, our best hope for experiencing one is to bring Jesus into the equation. Galatians 3:5 describes Jesus as the MIRACLE WORKER.
So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and WORKS MIRACLES among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
As we consider Jesus, the Miracle Worker, it’s important to consider the combination of the two words: miracle and work; along with the word “faith.” Our miracle isn’t going to happen with the twitch of our nose as in the 1970’s show “I Dream of Jeannie.” When we study Jesus’s miracles we see they involved energy and power (Luke 8:46), most often required a person taking part in faith (John 5:8-9), and often took place as the person acted in obedience (John 9:6-7). Maybe Jesus is showing us that rather than having a demanding, “God, do it now,” attitude, we should thank Him for how He has already worked in our lives, thank Him that He hears us, and then take the next steps He shows us.
Show and Do
Are you in a desperate spot? Sick of spirit, soul, or body? Are you frustrated because you’re not caring for yourself in the way you should? If so, I can relate. Our bodies, minds, and emotions are wonderfully made. But if we don’t take care of them, and even when we do, they can break or get sick. Disease can strike…physically, spiritually, emotionally. But let’s zoom in on a way our Heavenly Father chose to reveal Himself. Israel had just celebrated their crossing of the Red Sea and escape from the Egyptians. After three days in the wilderness and no water, they arrive at the waters of Marah, but the water was bitter. They couldn’t drink it. Picture the scene. You’re dying of thirst looking at water you can’t drink. And you can’t do a thing about it. You can’t fix it. Are you there now in your life? You have a problem you can’t fix?
Moses is desperate. He “cried out” to the Lord. As a result, Jehovah-Rapha showed him what to do. Rapha means healer; to mend, cure, make whole. Jehovah-Rapha told Moses to throw a certain tree into the bitter water. Moses obeyed and the most miraculous thing occurred. The water became sweet. Exodus 15:25b-26 says,
There He made a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, ‘If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.’
This brings us to a question. What have we cried out to Jehovah-Rapha about? What has He shown us to do? Are we doing it? Jehovah-Rapha’s message is clear.
- “If”… that means there’s a choice we make with a correlating consequence.
- “we give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord our God” …. that means we pay attention when He shows us what to do.
- “and do what is right”…Moses had to do the work of cutting down the tree and throwing it in the water. In other words, we have to do the work Jehovah-Rapha shows us to do.
- “in His sight”…God watches to see if we’re doing what He shows us.
- “and give ear to His commandments”… God knows what works. Are we paying attention to how He tells us to live?
God is our spiritual, emotional, relational, mental, physical doctor. Have we cried out to Him? Are we doing what He shows us?
Jehovah-Rapha, Lord our Healer, we praise You for the complete healing we’ll experience in heaven. In the meantime, may we look to You for direction and then do what You show us.
Do You Need a Miracle
Do you need a miracle? Something extraordinary in your life? What do we mean when we use the word miracle? Webster defines miracle first and foremost as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency; just as rising from the grave.” Another definition is “a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences;” such as “it was a miracle that more people hadn’t been killed or injured.” Perhaps it’s that last definition we use most often. “It’ll be a miracle if I can manage everything going on in my life.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if my child can get off drugs.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if our marriage makes it.” Let me ask again, “Are you in need of a miracle?” If so, our best hope for experiencing one is to bring Jesus into the equation. Galatians 3:5 describes Jesus as the MIRACLE WORKER. “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and WORKS MIRACLES among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” As we consider Jesus, the Miracle Worker, it’s important to consider the combination of the two words: miracle and work; along with the word “faith.” Our miracle isn’t going to happen with the twitch of our nose as in the 1970’s show “I Dream of Jeannie.” If we study Jesus’s miracles, we see they involved energy and power (Luke 8:46), most often required a person taking part in faith (John 5:8-9), and often took place as the person acted in obedience (John 9:6-7). Maybe Jesus is showing us that rather than demanding, “God, do it now,” we should thank Him for how He has already worked in our lives, thank Him that He hears us, and then take the steps He shows us.
Show and Do
Are you in a desperate spot? Sick of spirit, soul, or body? Are you frustrated because you’re not caring for yourself in the way you should? If so, I can relate. Our bodies, minds, and emotions are wonderfully made. But, if we don’t take care of them, and even when we do, they can break or get sick. Disease can strike…physically, spiritually, emotionally. But, let’s zoom in on a way our Heavenly Father chose to reveal Himself. Israel had just celebrated their crossing of the Red Sea and escape from the Egyptians. After three days in the wilderness and no water, they arrive at the waters of Marah, but the water was bitter. They couldn’t drink it. Picture the scene. You’re dying of thirst looking at water you can’t drink. And you can’t do a thing about it. You can’t fix it. Are you there now in your life? You have a problem you can’t fix?
Moses is desperate. He “cried out” to the Lord. And Jehovah-Rapha “showed him” what to do. Rapha means healer; to mend, cure, make whole. Jehovah-Rapha told Moses to throw a certain tree into the bitter water. Moses obeyed and the most miraculous thing occurred. The water became sweet. Exodus 15:25b-26 says, “There He made a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
Which brings us to a question. What have we cried out to Jehovah-Rapha about? What has He shown us to do? Are we doing it? Jehovah-Rapha’s message is clear.
- “If”… that means there’s a choice we make with a correlating consequence.
- “we give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord our God” …. that means we pay attention when He shows us what to do.
- “and do what is right”…Moses had to do the work of cutting down the tree and throwing it in the water. We have to act on what Jehovah-Rapha shows us.
- “in His sight”…God watches to see if we’re doing what He shows us.
- “and give ear to His commandments”… God knows what works. Are we paying attention to how He tells us to live?
God is our spiritual, emotional, relational, mental, physical doctor. Have we cried out to Him? Are we doing what He shows us?
Jehovah-Rapha, Lord our Healer, we praise You for the complete healing we’ll experience in heaven. In the meantime, may we look to You for direction and then do what You show us.
Do You Need a Miracle
Do you need a miracle? Something extraordinary in your life? What do we mean when we use the word miracle? Webster’s defines miracle first and foremost as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency; just as rising from the grave.” Another definition is “a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences;” such as “it was a miracle that more people hadn’t been killed or injured.” Perhaps it’s that last definition we use most often. “It’ll be a miracle if I can manage everything going on in my life.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if my child can get off drugs.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if our marriage makes it.” Let me ask again, “Are you in need of a miracle?” If so, our best bet for experiencing one is to bring Jesus into the equation. Galatians 3:5 describes Him as the MIRACLE WORKER. “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and WORKS MIRACLES among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” As we consider Jesus, the Miracle Worker, it’s important to consider the combination of the two words: miracle and work; along with the word “faith.” Our miracle isn’t going to happen with the twitch of our nose as the 1970’s show “I Dream of Jeannie” depicted. If we study Jesus’s miracles, we see they involved energy and power (Luke 8:46), most often required a person taking part in faith (John 5:8-9), and often took place as the person acted in obedience (John 9:6-7). Maybe Jesus is showing us that rather than demanding, “God, do it now,” we should thank Him for how He has already worked in our lives and faithfully take the steps He shows us.
COMING SOON: PRAYER WALL
Show and Do
Are you in a desperate spot? Sick of spirit, soul, or body? Are you frustrated because you’re not caring for yourself in the way you should? If so, I can relate. Our bodies, minds, and emotions are wonderfully made. But, if we don’t take care of them, and even when we do, they can break or get sick. Disease can strike…physically, spiritually, emotionally. But, let’s zoom in on a way our Heavenly Father chose to reveal Himself. Israel had just celebrated their crossing of the Red Sea and escape from the Egyptians. After three days in the wilderness and no water, they arrive at the waters of Marah, but the water was bitter. They couldn’t drink it. Picture the scene. You’re dying of thirst looking at water you can’t drink. And you can’t do a thing about it. You can’t fix it. Are you there now in your life? You have a problem that you can’t fix?
Moses is desperate. He “cried out” to the Lord. And Jehovah-Rapha “showed him” what to do. Rapha means healer; to mend, cure, make whole. Jehovah-Rapha told Moses to throw a certain tree in the bitter water. He obeyed and the most miraculous thing occurred. The water became sweet. Exodus 15:25b-26 says, “There He made a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
Which brings us to a question. What have we cried out to Jehovah-Rapha about? What has He shown us to do? Are we doing it? Jehovah-Rapha’s message is clear.
- “If”… that means there’s a choice we make with a correlating consequence.
- “we give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord our God” …. that means we pay attention when He shows us what to do.
- “and do what is right”….Moses had to do the work of cutting the tree and throwing it into the water. We have to act on what Jehovah-Rapha shows us.
- “in His sight”….God watches to see if we’re doing what He shows us.
- “and give ear to His commandments”… God knows what works. Are we paying attention to how He tells us live?
God is our spiritual, emotional, relational, mental, physical doctor. Have we cried out to Him? Are we doing what He shows us?
Jehovah-Rapha, Lord our Healer, we praise You for the complete healing we’ll experience in heaven. In the meantime, may we look to You for direction and then do what You show us.
Praise to the MIRACLE WORKER
“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and WORKS MIRACLES among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
Have you ever wished for a miracle? Jesus was and still is a MIRACLE WORKER. But consider the combination of the two words: miracle and work. Perhaps we think of a miracle as happening with the twitch of the nose as in the 1970’s show “I Dream of Jeannie.” However, Jesus’s life indicates that His miracles weren’t effortless. They took energy and power. (Luke 8:46) They sometimes required the other person taking part in faith. (John 5:8-9) They took place as the person was acting in obedience. (John 9:6-7) Rather than prayerfully demanding, “God, do it now,” perhaps we should pour forth thanks for the ways He has already worked in our lives. Perhaps, we should open our hearts to hear and obey what He tells us to do.
