Proverbs 2:6
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding -Proverbs 2:6
As a parent my biggest prayer for my children has been that they will seek after wisdom! And that they will have an intense love for God's word and an understanding of it that transcends their age and worldly ability to understand. This year my boys asked to trade in their children and youth bibles for one like mine. Since the beginning of the new year they have barely put them down. First thing in the morning they are in bed reading, all throughout the day you will find them huddled around the table reading scriptures to each other, and every night before bed they are consuming God's word. I love that my children are seeking wisdom but what I love even more is watching them gain the knowledge and understanding that comes for God's word! Tonight my mama heart is celebrating and praising God for His faithfulness to even the least of these.
Yesterday my 8 year old got sideswiped with a stomach bug. We prayed over him but I had a feeling this was going to be his battle to win. He was ready, with his little bible by his side he poured himself into every scripture he could find on health and healing. He was reading and speaking Gods word over himself. He was speaking to symptoms and went head to head in battle and I'm so proud to stay he walked out encouraged and victorious this morning. It was when he got the revelation this morning that if he didn't want to be sick then he needed to stop doing the things a sick person does and force his flesh to get in line with all those amazing scriptures he's been meditating on and speaking over himself. I'm so proud of him. So the crazy thing is that this kind of stuff is normal for us. This is how we live. We don't believe in being sick. I wanted to share his victory because I'm so proud of him but also to encourage others.
The other day I shared about how the enemy is out to steal your identity. And in the case of sickness and disease I believe this is another area where Satan tries to steal your true identity. You see, scripture is full of truths about who you are if you are a believer and what the Father has made available to you. As believers we are quick to accept forgiveness of our sins as a gift of Jesus Christ dying on the cross but most think salvation is the beginning and the end. Scripture just doesn't support that. This is a message that encourages and excites some and offends others. My intention is not to offend but to encourage and strengthen you and to see you walk in victory like my son! God is so good always, and if we see or know Him as anything else it is a lack of understanding on our part.
Isaiah 53: 4&5 says, "Surely He has borne our griefs (also translated from the original Hebrew word, Choliy, as sickness, malady, anxiety, calamity and disease- Strongs Concordance) and carried our sorrows (also translated from the original Hebrew word, Makob, as pains, anguish or affliction- Strongs Concordance); yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed."
Isaiah was an old testament prophet and this was a part of a prophesy about Jesus Christ before Jesus was ever born. Matthew referenced this scripture in the new testament in regards to Jesus healing all those who were afflicted. In Matthew 8:17 he says, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: " He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."
It is again shared in 1 Peter 2:24. "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness- by whose stripes you were healed." The best part about this particular passage is that this was after Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected! Do you notice the word "were"? By whose stripes you WERE healed! It is a done deal. Your healing was paid for on the cross. If that is not enough to convince you lets take a look at what sickness and disease is and where it comes from.
Deuteronomy 28: 15-68 lists many sicknesses, ailments and diseases as part of the curse for not keeping the law. Incase you didn't see the symptoms of a particular illness in that list Deuteronomy 28:61 goes on to say, "Also EVERY sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed."
This will have to be a whole other post on its own but in the time the law was given and when the curse of breaking the law was imputed people were very wicked. Doing things and living in a way that is hard for us to understand. For an example beastiality (having sex with animals) was normal and happened regularly. So as much as we can look at this list of curses and be tempted to think our God was a cruel God that would not be the truth. To fully understand our current situations we have to fully understand the past. Most American churches and believers interpret the bible through our world today. Through our experiences and circumstances. When that happens we build beliefs and doctrines based on a very different world. It is a lack of understanding on our part often times not the full truth.
It was never God's desire to impute sickness on those who love Him and this is not something He does today because Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us- as it is written, "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." Jesus became the curse for us. He bore your sickness and disease and sin in His body on the cross. Think about this for a minute, we watch movies like the Passion and think that the beatings and whippings were the pain He endured. Of course it hurt but I don't think that even touches the pain of the full curse for every man and woman then and through the end of days being placed on him. The full wrath of God was placed on Jesus on that cross. I think about this every time I start to feel a scratchy throat, a pain in my back or head. When I find a new rash on my skin or start to feel discouraged and depressed or anxious in my heart. Jesus does not want us to bare the very thing He already bore for us. That doesn't make any sense.
Romans 6:5-7 says, "For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, so shall we also be united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we should no longer be slaves to sin, For the one who has died is free from sin." Jesus bore your sickness, disease, pain, etc.. in the wounds on His back and took those to the pit of hell where He suffered the full punishment for our sins and immoral living. This scripture says that if you are a believer then when He was crucified your flesh was crucified with Him! And when He was raised from the dead 3 days later, so were you! Free of sin and free of the curse of sin!! What a beautiful gift our Lord has given us!
Sadly, I see so many believers walk around wearing sickness, disease, anxiety and depression as some kind of badge. They have been lied to and not only have they accepted it, but so many of them embrace it as their identity. They show it off to all their friends, they talk about it and read about it and relate to others through it, it totally consumes who they are. This breaks my heart so much because it is a terrible case of mistaken identity. This was never who God wanted you to be. He didn't create you to live in sickness, and He didn't intend for you to embrace a curse. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:36 When you truly know who God is and what He's done for you, you will not call yourself by a name of death and cursing. You're identity moves from cursing and death to healed, redeemed, child of the most high God, daughter or son, adopted child, heir of God and joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:12-17).
This day, friend, I encourage you to seek the heart of the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Choose to walk in the Spirit and not the symptoms of the flesh (Romans 8:5-11), the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), the same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead, who lives in you and gives life to your mortal body (Romans 8:11)! "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you"- James 4:7 The word "resist" here actually means to actively resist! Speak to your symptoms and tell them to go away in Jesus name! Speak to your body and order it to get in line with the word of God (1Peter 2:24). Keep your heart, mind, thoughts stayed on Jesus and His word. Speak those things that are not in the flesh as though there were (Romans 4:17). Speak life and blessing over your body and mind and not death (Proverbs 18:21)! And remember, "Wisdom is the principal thing;Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding." -Proverbs 4:7 The wisdom you seek is not that which you find from a doctor or college professor, it is not the wisdom of this world but it is the wisdom that transcends this world and it is only found in scripture and revealed by the Spirit.
In John 8:44 the devil is referred to as the father of lies. He is a thief and a liar and there is no truth in him. Do not trade your true identity in Christ over for the lies of the devil. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." -John 10:10 I speak abundant life over you today. Abundant life over your mind, your thoughts, and your body this day! I speak death to sickness, disease, pain, confusion of heart and confusion of mind. In Jesus name Amen!