This morning I was reminded of a theme I was thinking about last Sunday, that of deep healing and restoration, even to the way a person's brain is wired, or a body is functioning chemically. We are amazing creations and super-complex in our bio-chemical, physiological, emotional, thinking, relational, and spiritual make-up and inter-working. In any of our systems, if you can call them that, having issues can cause problems in many if not all of the other systems. Paul spoke of this in 1 Corinthians 12, when he used the body analogy, and said, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." (1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV)
I was thinking last Sunday of those people who are significantly affected in one way or another; one whose body has been ravaged by disease; one whose emotions are scarred by past experiences; one whose bio-chemical balance is off and they are struggling with depression; one who has been sinned against and carries the deep shame, guilt, and spiritual woundedness deep inside; one who struggles with addiction; one who struggles in an abusive relationship; one who struggles with self-hatred, and on and on.
It was in my mind that these are the people who need the touch of the Lord, to set them free from what ever is binding them. The image I had was a person in ragged clothes standing outside a clothing store, looking in at an awesome outfit, and thinking that as much as they wanted to wear that outfit, they could never do so because of their situation, circumstances or condition and they had no hope for any change.
This morning as I was reflecting back on that, I felt like the Lord directed me to the story of Lazarus. If there was ever an impossible situation, this was it, and yet the Lord moved. I have studied the process the body goes through after death and by the 4th day, there was not much left of Lazarus on the inside, to restore and heal. (See my blog entry for more regarding this - https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2017/02/gods-promises-are-good-it-is-never-too.html). His body had started to decay, internal organs had likely ruptured, etc. When Jesus called forth Lazarus and he came out of the tomb, all of this decay was completely restored, his mind, emotions, body chemistry, all were completely restored and healed to the point that he was completely normal again!
I have included John's recounting of the story:
John 11:17,38-44 NIV:
[17] On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
[38] Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. [39] “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
[40] Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
[41] So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. [42] I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
[43] When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
[44] The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
We know that he was healed completely and normal once again for we find Lazarus mentioned again in John 12:1-2 NIV:
[1] "Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. [2] Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him."
What an amazing miracle God did in healing and restoring Lazarus!! The point is, however, that He can do the same miracle in any one of us! He can restore and heal our bodies, He can restore our mind, He can restore right chemical balance in us, He can restore relationships, He can set us free from whatever binds us, in this case it was death, and if that didn't stop Him nothing else can!
Paul had it right when he wrote, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ( Romans 8:38-39 NIV).
As I was just thinking about these verses and imagining Lazarus in the tomb, I could almost see death as a personality gleefully holding onto Lazarus, until Jesus spoke, and Lazarus was ripped out of death's grasp and restored fully to life! It wouldn't have mattered if it was addiction, self-hatred, chemical-imbalance, depression, emotional or spiritual scarring, when Jesus spoke, every chain would have broken! In this case, the stone was blocking Lazarus' new life, in the image I saw, it was a pane of glass, and it wouldn't mattered if it was 12 feet of cement and 10 feet of steel, when Jesus speaks, it is rolled away!
This morning it is my belief that the Lord wants to speak!
He wants to issue the command to come forth!
He wants to set free!
He wants to heal and restore!
Let Him speak over your life! Let Him instill hope in you for that life you don't think you will ever be able to live! Let Him restore, and recreate the promises that have died or been buried!
Come Lord Jesus, release the dead! Restore, heal and refresh the wounded! Give hope to the hopeless!
Amen and Amen!
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