Among the aspects of my stroke recovery that I find amazing are the many positive influences on my continued progress. The Bible has been a major factor. I have absorbed and meditated on the scriptural accounts of the different avenues God used for healing in both the Old and New Testaments.
One example is the account of Jesus’ healing 10 lepers in Luke 17. After the lepers called out to him to have mercy on their condition, apparently His only action, as recorded by the physician Luke, was to tell them to go and show themselves to the priest, a step necessary for officially confirming they were disease free and could reenter community life. Here are the verses from Luke 17 that hit me upside the head recently:
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
I have read that account for years, taking from it lessons about God’s willingness to heal and that we should always thank God for his blessings.
But my latest lesson was the timing of the lepers’ healing. They were healed “as they went.” They took Jesus at his word and started on their way to do exactly what he had told them to do. They didn’t wait until the evidence appeared that their disease was gone.
That is a practice I am working on in my stroke recovery, to trust “as I go.” I am happy to report that evidence of healing as I go continues to appear.
Another Bible passage, Psalm 68:19-20 expresses my thanks:
19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.
20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.
Psalm 68:19-20, New international Version
and the lesson i got from the ten lepers is that only one of the ten came back and thanked Jesus. it seems to me here by your next verse that you are thanking him for how far you have come.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding me. :)
ReplyDeleteGod is my healer.
To trust as I go!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda for that reminder today.
Obedience and going forward...
Even your stroke can put you in that place to walk hand in hand with HIm.
Thank you for sharing your inspiring, and uplifting life lessons with us, in such a pleasant way.
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to your posts, and the delightful comments that you leave on my blog(s). I wish I had your way with words...
Thank you for sharing these scriptures. I was struck how the lepers were healed as they went. That is just like the Lord. He wants us to step out in faith. I do think we are healed as we keep moving forward in faith. Healing does not happen by sitting by and waiting. I'm not saying that works heal us, but by stepping out we truly are healed, and we help in the healing of others.
ReplyDeleteI too turn to the scriptures in my healing. I write out passages on note cards and keep them next to my chair. It is comforting to pick up these cards and read the reminders that continue to help me heal.
Things happen for a reason, I think. Hopefully, we become better people because of it. Let the Lord shine his powerful light of love and forgiveness on all of us!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sandra. One of the most important things is to remember to thank God for his mercies. Or should I say her mercies? Dianne
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to leave you a note to tell you that I stopped by. I'm already looking forward to your next post :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a blessed day...