HEALING & REFRESHEMENT (Body & Bones)

 Greetings and Salutations O Ye Healed and Refreshed Saints.  How are your bodies and bones holding up?

I was in my office at home this morning...having a little time with my son Phillip.  Since he is working 3rd shift at Nissan and going to school after he gets off from work...and then comes home and goes to bed...this was one of those rare moments of just sitting and talking.  The topic of conversation led to how the Lord has blessed him throughout the years and how we can expect continued blessings in his life.
Usually I will bring out my Bible and try to leave him with a Word from God.  In our conversation we began to talk about FAVOR.  This favor that we were talking about is not only with God...but man also.  I turned to the practical book of PRO-VERBS...the book of Pro=Positive Verbs= Action...the book of Positive Action.  We cracked open the Book to Pro-Verbs 3:1-12.

As with most of Pro-Verbs (with a few exceptions) it is a book written from a Father (Solomon) to his son.  In this conversation...it was encouragement from a father (me) to my son (Phillip). Here is a breakdown of Pro-Verbs 3:1-12 as applied to me and my son.

Verse 1:  "My son, do not forget my teaching. But let your heart keep my commandments."

NOTE:  Sometimes we as humans...in the hustle and bustle of this world tend to...not remember things taught to us.  When we forget...we tend to stray away.  So it is with our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  The lowest points in my life were when I forgot...did not remember...by my choice the things the Father and His Word had spoken to me.  The word BUT lays out the contrast to forgetting the words.  Instead of forgetting we are to LET/ALLOW our HEARTS (the core of who we are) to KEEP (treasure) commandments (words spoken).  NOTE TO THE NOTE:  It is nor just a bunch of do's and don'ts...but protecting them by keeping watch over them...so we don't forget them."

Verse 2:  For length of days and years of life and peace will be they (teaching/commandments) will add to you."

NOTE:  This is called CAUSE AND EFFECT. I have found that every time I listen to my Father...and keep/treasure/do His commandments...that I AVOID TROUBLE...and the things that shorten my life span.  I find that my PEACE in the midst of the whirlwinds of life...is prevalent...and I tend not to be as frustrated, angry, fearful and anxious.  Eliminating those things alone prolongs my life.

Verse 3:  "Do not LET/ALLOW kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart."

NOTE:  This speaks of our VOLITION...our FREE WILL...our God given right to CHOOSE.  If we don't choose correctly we go into automatic default.  Binding them around your neck speaks of an outward action...while writing them on the tablet of your heart is an inward action.  As we take the Word of God...read it...hear it..meditate or ruminate on it...what takes place from outward to mental to heart is manifested.

Verse 4: "So you will find FAVOR and GOOD REPORT/REPUTE/REPUTATION in the sight of God and man."

NOTE:  Again the concept of CAUSE and EFFECT is seen.  This outcome of FAVOR and GOOD REPORT with GOD and with MAN...is hinged on  verse 3.  Many years ago a dear sister...Mary Carroll spoke this word into me prophetically...and I took it to heart.  I can look back over my life...and at every intersection of need...I saw God giving me grace, mercy and favor...with man.  After all...promotion comes from God (Psalm 76:6-7)

Verse 5: "TRUST in the LORD with ALL your HEART and DO NOT LEAN...on your OWN UNDERSTANDING."

NOTE:  In Mark 11:22...we are told to "have FAITH in God...CONSTANTLY." (The Amplified Bible)  It is easy to trust in the Lord when things are going good...but FAITH...TRUST...in the Lord...is in the good, bad and ugly times.  As we treasure the WORDS of the Father...and FAITH comes by HEARING...and HEARING by the WORDS OF CHRIST (Romans 10:17)...whether it looks like we have FAVOR with anyone...we continue to TRUST in the Lord... and we don't lean on what we understand...because we WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT. (II Corinthians 5:7)  In Hebrews 6:1...one of the elementary/basic principles of Christ...is FAITH TOWARDS GOD.  When our faith is directed towards anyone or anything... including our faith...our understanding...we will fall every time.

Verse 6:  "In all your WAYS...ACKNOWLEDGE Him...and He will make your PATHS STRAIGHT."

NOTE:  Sometimes when you get on a dark and winding road...you are wondering if you will ever reach your intended destination.  I have learned with the advent of the GPS (Global Positioning System)...that at times that it leads me down unknown roads.  There are twists and turns that are confusing to my understanding...but usually if I just follow (acknowledge) the lead of the GPS...my paths becomes straight...and I end up at my desired destination.  So it is with my God...as I yield my ways to His ways...even if my own understanding is confused...I acknowledge that He is Lord and He always makes my crooked ways straight.  The Guidance System is His Spirit and His Word.

Verse 7: " Do not be WISE in your OWN EYES...fear the Lord and TURN AWAY from evil."

NOTE:  When God says something once...it is important...but when He says it twice...I might need to listen up.  It is like when Jesus would say "verily"...it is something important...but when He rolls out with a "verily, verily"...look out.  In Pro-Verbs there is are two verses that speaks of our WAY.  "There is a WAY which seems RIGHT to a man...but its end is the way of death." (Pro-Verbs 14:12; Pro-Verbs 16:20)  That is what happens if we don't keep our focus on the WORDS OF THE FATHER...we begin to think that our WAY is right...and we forget to fear the Lord and we run smack dab into evil...instead of running away.  We tend to love evil (for a season) more than we fear (respect the Lord's wishes) the Lord.

Verse 8:  "It will be HEALING to your body...and REFRESHMENT to your bones."

NOTE:  Again...cause and effect is in play.  Healing instead of sickness and refreshment instead of weariness.  This is not just spiritual healing and refreshment but manifests itself in the body...but it is hinged on your inside relationship with the Father...His Words..His Commandments...His Way.


Verse 9:  "Honor he Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce."

NOTE:  What are ya gonna do with all the cause and effect of blessings.  We HONOR the Lord from what He has blessed us with...and be sure to give off the top and the bottom. 

Verse 10:  "So your barns will be FILLED with PLENTY and your VATS will OVERFLOW with NEW WINE."

NOTE:  In Joshua 1:8...when it speaks of PROSPERITY and GOOD SUCCESS...it is hinged on the relationship of THE WORD on your MIND and LIPS.  This leads to doing the Word and the cause and effect is PROSPERITY (enough to meet your needs and an overflow for others) and GOOD SUCCESS (accomplishing the purpose of God in your life).  The CAUSE and EFFECT of honoring the Lord from the first of what He has blessed you with...is being filled with plenty and overflow.  "GIVE and it will be GIVEN to you...good measure, pressed down, shaken together, RUNNING OVER they (men) will POUR into your lap.  For WHATEVER (love or money or grain)...you deal out to others, it well be dealt to you in return."

Verse 11: "My son...do not reject the DISCIPLINE/INSTRUCTION of the Lord...or loath His REPROOF." 

NOTE:  At times people tend to think discipline means to beat a child/son/daughter in to SUBMISSION.  The DISCIPLINE/INSTRUCTION of the Lord...is REPROOF/CORRECTION utilizing THE WORD OF GOD.  It is training...teaching...laying out the cause and effect of the Word in their lives...and then...they choose.

II Timothy 3:16-17 is a wonderful TEACHING MODEL that I try to follow.  "All SCRIPTURE (the Word of God)...is inspired (God Breathe and infused with the Holy Spirit) and PROFITABLE (beneficial) for (1) teaching: laying out of information (2) reproof: grading (3) correction: showing where it is missed (4) training: modeling and showing how it is done) in righteousness (right standing and right living)...that the man/wo-man/hu-man of God may be adequate (reaching the standard)...EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK (what God has planned for them)."

Verse 12: "For whom the Lord LOVES...He reproves...even as a FATHER...the SON in whom he DELIGHTS."

NOTE:  We started out this Rambling with the father...exhorting...teaching...reproving the his son.  Notice that the father does not hate, resent, despise this son...but he DELIGHTS in the Son.  I love my son Phillip...and cherish the times to be able to wash him with the water of the Word...to encourage Him..I always let him know how blessed he is...but it is still his responsibility to PRESS INTO THE LORD...develop his own relationship with the Lord...and the CAUSE and EFFECT will be continued BLESSING in his life.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Your heavenly Father is speaking to you...via His Word.  Read the Word, Hear the Word, Speak the Word, Ruminate on the Word...Moo and Chew on the Cud of the Word of God.  I leave you with a REFRESHING verse from the book of Acts.

"So repent--change your mind and purpose; turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing--of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air--may come from THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD." (Acts 3:19)

Love and fatherly Kisses
Rodney "Healed and Refreshed" Boyd