There are few breaks in the weather but they seem to just appear for moments, or are shining off in the distance. These trees looked wonderful against the faint blue that was appearing, before the rain came down again.
I thank God for these pockets of rest that I have in the day.
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down,
and the feeble knees,
and make straight paths for your feet,
so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
When we have small rests we need to utilise them through spiritual prayer and spiritual restfulness. I used to sit beneath trees in the forest when I was in the army and many thought I was mad or just slightly strange. I was trying to gain a restfulness because I knew with this restfulness I would be more use to everyone. I am sure many people think meditation isn’t Christian, but it is entirely Christian to meditate on the Word of God.
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down
When climbing I find that every now and then I have to shake my hands out and hang them down so that the blood runs down into them again and I could then continue to climb. Any climber suffers fatigue with his arms upwards all the time. Is our prayer life getting strained of blood, do we need to “hang our arms down” to let the blood flow back into them, or reconnect with God to be refilled with the Spirits power?
the feeble knees,
My knees suffer sometimes, mostly walking on concrete and not the natural grass and earth. At the end of the day I like to feel the bare floor through my feet. As a child I would not feel any inhibition at running outside in bare feet to feel the rain hitting the grass. Do we shut ourselves off from this healing earth that God has created for us.
and make straight paths for your feet,
When I was running a lot, especially in the marathon in Preston, I found myself focussing more and more on my rhythm, breathing, and how my feet where being placed straight. Over a long period if I had a small deviation from the placing of my feet it really bit into my rhythm. Perhaps that is why some runners don’t like running on the path where it will go up and down, but keep to the flat road. Similarly we must have a good routine of prayer that doesn’t deviate from wholesome connection in reverence with God. Missing an odd prayer time with God might not immediately seem to impact on us but this time with God is essential to our life, not just our mind.
so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
God wants us to be healed from our broken state, all of us. I believe He puts events in place so as to stir our spiritual soul so that we are led towards him and in the process we are sanctified. I am not forcing God onto anyone. If people chose to burn out and live a life that drains their soul then that is a choice, but God is offering a gift, a wondrous gift of healing.
Healing through;
- Meditation for direction from scripture,
- Healing from working with nature,
- Prayer to praise God in heaven.
Adam and Eve had a life in the Garden of Eden, connecting with God, doing a job to look after the garden, and worshiping God, before they chose to walk away from God’s perfect plan. So as Adam was the disconnection, Jesus is the reconnection, and only through Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
Dear God, you are healing, you are life, you are the very essence of what we are if we but choose to open our eyes, ears, and all our senses to experience your creation. You created the earth before us, and then you created us, you set a pattern of work and rest, you guide everyone to a choice of accepting the joyous gift of healing through your Son’s payment that has been already paid for all – thank you.
Amen
365 Exhortations 