And the Winner Is...

(C) Gateway Create Publishing/Integrity Praise! Used by Permission

The Winner of the Wake Up the World CD giveaway is JenMom who loved the song "Beautiful." You can check out more Gateway Worship at their MySpace. You can order this CD at Gateway Church's resource page.

JenMom send me your snail mail address so I can mail you your CD! Also, Susan please send your snail mail address so I can send you the 100th comment award - a Gateway Worship Wake Up the World CD. Love Ya'll!

In Defense of Fort McHenry & the National Day of Prayer

I was on the internet today and found the following information from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for Kids website. With the talk I did last week about the nation's flag, I thought it would be interesting to know "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey has said. Read On!

This Thursday, May 1, 2008, is the National Day of Prayer!

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Star Spangled Banner
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(composed by Francis Scott Key, "In Defense of Fort McHenry" in September 1814. Congress proclaimed it the U.S. National Anthem in 1931 -- history follows.)

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

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On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:

'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

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And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

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O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,

Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;

Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land

Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

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History: In 1814, about a week after the city of Washington had been badly burned, British troops moved up to the primary port at Baltimore Harbor in Maryland. Frances Scott Key visited the British fleet in the Harbor on September 13th to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes who had been captured during the Washington raid. The two were detained on the ship so as not to warn the Americans while the Royal Navy attempted to bombard Fort McHenry. At dawn on the 14th, Key noted that the huge American flag, which now hangs in the Smithsonian's American History Museum, was still waving and had not been removed in defeat. The sight inspired him to write a poem entitled Defense of Fort McHenry; later the poem was set to music that had been previously composed for another song by a Mr. Smith. The end result was the inspiring song now considered the national anthem of the United States of America. It was accepted as such by public demand for the next century or so, but became even more accepted as the national anthem during the World Series of Baseball in 1917 when it was sung in honor of the brave armed forces fighting in the Great War. The World Series performance moved everyone in attendance, and after that it was repeated for every game. Finally, on March 3, 1931, the American Congress proclaimed it as the national anthem, 116 years after it was first written.

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I don't know about you, but I wish they had left the entire song in tact. After All, that last verse really says it all. Unfortunately, just as so many other things have been randomly challenged by our seemingly Godless culture- so, too, I am sure someone would take the National Anthem to the Supreme Court should it be used in its entirety. What a beautiful testimony to God's Sovereignty and the grace afforded this nation in battle. Written in a time when it was an honor and a duty to fight for one's country and the freedom of others.

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What has happened to our nation? Have we become a people so jaded by our own "selfish" values that we cannot see the need to defend the rights and needs of others for that same freedom? Our nation saw that need in the early 1900s when Europe was under seige. When the nations there were vying for their national sovereignty. Our men did not hesitate to enlist and go to war against those who would threaten their European allies. The same ally who had only 100 years before tried to take our nation and burned our capital. Where is that sense of duty, that sense of patriotism? What has happened to the country that our history books have told us about and our parents remember?

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Just as God called to the Israelites through His prophets - I cry out to our nation: Turn back, turn back to the God who will preserve us and protect us. The God in whom this nation was established and the God in whom our hope, our victory and our trust must still reside!

My heart aches as the National Day of prayer approaches. I want to challenge you to go out on May 1st and join with others this Thursday as we pray for our nation, our local and state governments and the future legacy and inheritance we will leave our children. Pray for this coming election and for God's will to be accomplished... PRAY FOR OUR NATION! Pray!

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For More Information about the National Day of Prayer, see this website: National Day of Prayer Task Force.

YESTERDAY!

I can hardly believe the wonderful things that happened in my life yesterday. I don't even know where to start if i put them in the order of priority. So-I will start at the beginning.

Yesterday we had a time when leaders from the women's presbytery team came and spoke words of encouragement to us. Much of my calling and the present path I am taking with the Lord was confirmed in this time. I mean some really wonderful things were said, things that I can hold onto for a long time, areas to walk in and claim. I don't know how else to explain this except to say I can hardly believe what God did there. It just blessed my socks off!

When I got home, I was just over the moon as you can imagine. While I was cooking dinner in the evening the phone rang. It was Pastor Arnita, the pastor of women's groups, at church. She had received my application to lead a mentoring group for bereaved moms and was following up. Yippee! I know this is really not a topic to be excited about, but it is a ministry opporunity I can't help but anticipate greatly.

However, the icing on the cake-and you are going to find this hard to believe but, alas, it's true-was last night at the Writing Critique Group. I took my first chapter to be critiqued. I was okay about it. I really anticipated the exercise- until the moment of truth came. I was the last one to present my chapter in a group of six. When I handed out my fourteen pages I felt my heart go "pitter-pat." Would they tell me to keep my day job? Would they pick it to pieces or would it be a smashing success? I was breathless and feeling anxious as I read the words of the pages I had carefully written. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the leader furiously marking up my manuscript. My heart fluttered and dropped to my stomach. Still, I continued to read and had to keep catching my breath. I was finally finished and received my critique. One Word: overwhelmed. Grammar and a little too much backstory/details aside, the critique was a wonderful experience. Relief washed over me. I did not feel embarrassed or inadequate-I felt freer. (If that is a word?) Free to go back and rework the areas that need work, and encouraged that my story had merit. A start to something more.

God is good... And, I am so grateful He is moving in my life. God's plans are perfect for us, and we must find His direction and walk in His purposes. The goal is that we become more and more like His Son until our arrival in Heaven. I for one look forward to this journey and that day. Onward!

Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is my Banner!

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“And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord is my Banner; 16 And he said, Because [theirs] is a hand against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” ~ Exodus 17:15-16 (AMP)

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Hebrew Strong Reference 3071: ‏יהוה נִסִּי‎
Transliteration: yhwh nissî
Phonetic Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw' nis-see'
Root: from and with the prononimal suffix
Cross Reference:
Part of Speech: n pr loc
Vine's Words: None

Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV: Jehovahnissi 1 [Total Count: 1]

from (Yehovah) and (nec) with pronoun suffix.; Jehovah (is) my banner; Jehovah-Nissi, a symbolical name of an altar in the Desert :- Jehovah-nissi.
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I found the following information that helped me to discover a more definite meaning for Jehovah Nissi. It is the Reference for the root word Strong’s Reference 5251 – nec. the following information from the Lexicon/Genesius Lexicon (Help) at the Blue Letter Bible

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Lexicon Results for nec (Strong's H5251)
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Hebrew for H5251 נס (Transliteration)
Pronunciation: nās (Key)
Part of Speech: masculine noun
Root Word (Etymology) from H5264
TWOT Reference 1379a
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Outline of Biblical Usage:
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1) something lifted up, standard, signal, signal pole, ensign, banner, sign, sail
__a) standard (as rallying point), signal
__b) standard (pole)
__c) ensign, signal
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Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 20 AV — standard 7, ensign 6, pole 2, banner 2, sail 2, sign 1
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Gesenius's Lexicon (Help):

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Also Consider the Following Commentary from The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament, Walvoord and Zuck, Victor Books 1985, pp. 135-36.
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17:8-16. At Rephidim the Lord also gave His people a military victory. The Amalekites were nomads in the desert of south of Canaan (cf. 1 Sam. 15:7; 27:8). They were descendants of Esau through Eliphaz (Gen. 36:12). They apparently were attempting to dislodge the Israelites from this pleasant oasis and to secure their territory from intrusion. In this crisis Moses called Joshua, who is mentioned her for the first time. Though Joshua entered into battle with zeal, the victory was secured in a unique fashion in order to demonstrate God's power. Moses' holding the staff of God (cf. Ex. 4:20) above his head with both hands symbolized Israel's total dependence on the power of God. When Moses lowered his head with both hands symbolized Israel's total dependence on the power of God. When Moses lowered his hands, a picture of lack of dependence, the enemy was winning. With the assistance of Aaron and Hur Moses' hands remained uplifted and a great victory was secured. (Hur is mentioned only here; 17:12; and in 24:14; 1 Chron. 2:19-20; the Hur mentioned Ex. 31:2; 35:30; 38:22 is probably another person. Still another Hur, a Midianite king, is referrred to in Num. 31:8; Josh. 13:21.)

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The defeat of the Amalekites was something God wanted Joshua to remember. The Amalekites remained a persistent, harassing enemy of Israel (cf. Num. 14:45; Jud. 6:33; 1 Sam. 14:48; 15:7; 27:8) until they were finally destroyed by King David (1 Sam. 30). Moses commemorated the victory in his day by building an altar which he named the Lord is my Banner. An interesting sidelight is that Exodus 17:14 includes the first mention in the Bible of the writing of official records, though Moses did keep some type of diary of the soujourn (Num. 33:2). God proved Himself faithful in preserving and protecting His people.

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In Ann Spangler's book, "Praying the Names of God," she explains the meaning of Jehovah Nissi in this way: "Ancient armies carried standards or banners that served as marks of identification and as symbols that embodied the ideals of people. A banner, like a flag, was something that could be seen from afar, serving as a rallying point for troops before a battle. Though banners were first used in Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, and Persia, the Israelites carried them on their march through the desert. When you pray to Yahweh (Jehovah) Nissi, you are praying to the God who is powerful enough to overcome any foe."
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This week as we consider what it means to pray to our God as Jehovah Nissi. He is our covenant God who is powerful and mighty to overcome our enemies- any foe we might face. As I read through the account in Exodus 17:8-16 I find these eight verses provide a foundation on which to build our understanding of who God is when we declare Him as our Banner, our Standard. Moses held his arms up during the entire battle declaring God their banner and battle standard- when his arms were lifted in praise to God for victory, the battle was won. However, when he grew weary and lowered his arms- the battle was lost. Aaron and Hur went with him and helped him lift his arms to Lord declaring the Sovereign, Covenant Lord of Israel the rallying point and the standard of victory for the nation of Israel against the Amalekites. God is our rallying point, His covenant and truth are the places we go for protection, for reinforcements, for instruction and a battle plan. He is the source of victory. He is our banner and our standard, the courage and the truth to encourage us to continue in our fight when we grow weary.

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In the movie "Glory" a 1989 film depicting the rise of the Massachuesetts 54th Volunteer Regiment, which was the first Union African-American

regiment to fight in the Civil War. As they went into the final battle to take Fort Wagoner, where the regiment suffered nearly half its total number in casualties including Robert Gould Shaw, the Colonel who raised the idea for the regiment and fought to get them into the war.

In the last battle scene in the movie, leaders are calling the troops to attention standing before the standard bearer and calling out for a volunteer to come forward and carry the flag in the event the standard bearer is shot. In the battle, the standard bearer is indeed killed, and one of the men comes to take up the flag. The advancement of the flag or standard presses the troops forward. . These brave men fought hard that day. Charging forward on a battlefield weighted heavily against them. They fought not only their enemy, they fought their oppressors. Many of the men who died, including Colonel Shaw had refuse the pay offered by the military. Their reason? The soldiers were given less than standard pay because they were black. Historically, Colonel Shaw's last words were "Onward Fifty-Fourth!" as he charged to the top of the fort and was shot dead. Robert Gould Shaw was buried with the soldiers he mustered and led on that same beach.

In our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," the words ring of the high value a soldier places on the flag of their country:

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

(composed by Francis Scott Key, "In Defense of Fort McHenry" in September 1814. Congress proclaimed it the U.S. National Anthem in 1931)

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Think of it, the sight of that flag still flying after a night of fighting gave the men the courage and the strength to fight and carry on. The rally point was the standard. In history count the times the sight of the flag being raised as becoming a symbol of the victory. In yet another movie, "Not Without My Daughter" Sally Field plays the wife of an Iranian man who refuses to let her and her daughter return home from a trip to Iran. There she is mistreated and held hostage by his family until she bravely hires a man to sneak her and her daughter across the Iranian border where she can seek aid from the U. S. Embassy outside of Iranian territory. The scene when she is walking through the town uncertain of where she is at the end of the movie is a very heart stirring scene. She rounds a corner and the sight of the US Flag at the embassy brings hope and strength to her weary body. She successfully escapes the tyranny of her husband and his nation and is given hope by the standard of her home nation.

In these examples, the flag of our nation serves as a call to continue in the fight you've been in, a symbol of hope and freedom that not only must be upheld- it must be defended. So it is with our God. He is our banner, and we are soldiers in a spiritual battle on behalf of our God. He is our strength to continue in the fight, the focus of our hope and the source of our freedom. He is to be upheld in our lives and He is our defense. He is our Banner. "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." Song of Solomon 2:4 (NKJV) He is our banner and His banner over us is His love. The victory is sure sweet sisters. Now let us look to Scripture for more evidence of this truth!
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Read the passage and note anything new you learn about the Lord your Banner.

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"17 Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you had come forth from Egypt, 18 How he did not fear God, but when you were faint and weary he attacked you along the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear. 19 Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens; you must not forget." ~ Deut 25:17-19 (AMP)

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That God's deliverence is evidence of His Banner. When we face any battle and overcome, we are not to declare the trouble of the battle, but the glory of God's Victory in our lives. It is our Banner, Jehovah Nissi, that receives the glory when we overcome.

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"22 Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the Gentile nations and set up My standard and raise high My signal banner to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in the bosom of their garments, and your daughters will be carried upon their shoulders. 23 And kings shall be your foster fathers and guardians, and their queens your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know [with an acquaintance and understanding based on and grounded in personal experience] that I am the Lord; for they shall not be put to shame who wait for, look for, hope for, and expect Me. 24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives of the just be delivered? 25 For thus says the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the prey of the terrible will be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will give safety to your children and ease them." ~ Isaiah 49:22-25 (AMP)

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God's standard brings the promise of protection, favor and deliverence. It is also a signal to those outside the faith. When God is given the glory in our lives as we surrender to His will and realize victory in every circumstance people sit up an take notice. It is not our job to make a name for God and declare the victory, it is our job to to declare our God and His favor upon us and allow Him to make a name for us and declare the victory over us. If we lift Him up, all men will be drawn to Him.

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"10 And it shall be in that day that the Root of Jesse shall stand as a signal for the peoples; of Him shall the nations inquire and seek knowledge, and His dwelling shall be glory [His rest glorious]! 11 And in that day the Lord shall again lift up His hand a second time to recover (acquire and deliver) the remnant of His people which is left, from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam [in Persia], from Shinar [Babylonia], from Hamath [in Upper Syria], and from the countries bordering on the [Mediterranean] Sea. 12 And He will raise up a signal for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel and will gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" ~ Isaiah 11:10-12 (AMP)

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The root of Jesse, is that Christ? Think of that, Jesus Christ is our signal flag, our banner and our standard. He will gather us all together, and raise up a signal to the nations to assemble all of the outcasts and bring back to us the plunder stolen from us - His promise is always victory. Jesus is the banner over us that declares the love of God over us. He is our covering, our shelter, our battle cry - He is our all in all.

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"4 You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah" ~ Psalms 60:4 (NKJV)

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His banner declares His truth! It is the declaration of His truth, the evidence and fruit in our life gives light to the fact that He is God, His Word is true and He is who He declares Himself to be.

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"18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." ~ 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)

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His banner is now the message of the cross. It sounds like foolishness to the world who is perishing, but to those of us who are saved by it - it is the power of GOD! GLORY! GLORY! GLORY!

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"52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed). ... 54 And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? 56 Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power [upon the soul] through [the abuse of] the Law. 57 But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (AMP)
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Our Banner is that we are conquerors and victory. But, when He returns He will raise us up and we will be the symbol of His victory and we will share in the victory of His banner.

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As we weigh the word today, read through the following verses of Psalm 20 and consider all the ways we learn that God is our Banner and our Standard in the Battles of our Lives. You are more than an overcomer, walk in victory today - His banner over you is love!

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Psalm 20

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1 To the Chief Musician.

A Psalm of David.

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;

May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

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2 May He send you help from the sanctuary,

And strengthen you out of Zion;

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3 May He remember all your offerings,

And accept your burnt sacrifice.

_____________________________Selah

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4 May He grant you according to your heart's desire,

And fulfill all your purpose.

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5 We will rejoice in your salvation,

And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!

May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

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6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;

He will answer him from His holy heaven

With the saving strength of His right hand.

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7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;

But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

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8 They have bowed down and fallen;

But we have risen and stand upright.

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9 Save, Lord!

May the King answer us when we call.

TAG! You're It!

My Friend, Twinkle, tagged me for a fun MEME that goes like this...
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I am to post 6 unimportant things about myself, and then tag 6 other people.

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But first, the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you. (In my case, that would be *-*TWINKLE*-* )

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your entry.

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Here are my 6 unimportant things:

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1. I hate my fifth grade picture...

If I had a copy of it well, I'd show you but I burned the thing - it didn't even look like me.

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2. My hair has not been anything close to my natural color for at least five years now.

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3. I laugh out loud and a lot at grief support group. And if I sit by my friend, Mary, (we've been grieving our sons for almost the same number of months - she is 2 months further along than I am) we laugh doubly loud! We are not allowed to sit together much! Imagine...

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4. I do NOT watch AMERICAN IDOL... I know... I know... its almost sacrilegious... but, I just can't do it. SOOOOO.... I Read All About It On Other People's Blogs... Here's a shout out to Boo Mama and Fry Daddy who keep me totally up to date on the whole American Idol issue!

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5. I rarely, if ever listen to SECULAR MUSIC! On 9/11 we listened to the reports at work on a local Christian Radio Station all day, I switched the station in our truck that afternoon and found that when I tried to switch it back... I could not really stand to listen to what was there!

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6. Last but not least... I'm an OLDEST child. So, I was the test-child... yes, it is true so if you were wondering --- most of my problems are experimental! LOL!

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Okay... All-the... All-the... Oxen Free! (Just Kidding!)

So TAG! You're now it...

1. Beautiful Bev

2. Bodacious Boomama (I was gonna' say Audacious but it don't start with a B)

3. Sensational Susan

4. Encouraging Elise

5. Lively Lori

6. Magnificent Monica

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Thanks Twinkle for including me in this fun bloggy game of tag! All I ask is if I tagged you, please keep this going by Tagging 6 More... Be Blessed and have FUN!

Tuesday's In Other Words: Intimate Issues

BONNIE over at the INK IT BLOG is hosting this week's "In Other Words." Pop on over and check out what others have to say, "In Other Words."

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As I read and re-read this quote, nothing in particular came to my mind except that I strive everyday to live this sort of life with my Lord and Savior, with my God and Father, and His Holy Spirit. I want Him to be so much a part of me and for me to be so much a part of Him that one could scarcely tell the difference. To be fully, completely and totally His.

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Then comes the morning, the new dawn of the next day and I want to get it right, but my head hurts and my body is tired. I used to plug myself into people and avoid being alone with God. Being intimate with others is not the problem, definitely not my problem... Being intimate with God... that is where I found myself falling hopelessly short. You know how it goes: That show I love just came on television and the laundry is piled up from a week ago. Today, I just don't feel good, and tomorrow I have a schedule overflowing with mundane, ordinary routine things to do... I don't feel like taking a shower much less cracking the binding on my Bible and spending time with God in my "prayer closet." Which reminds me, I really need to clean the bathroom. Then, before I know it my husband walks in the door and my kids are awaiting dinner. The books are piled on the kitchen table waiting to be read and I have spent a whole day reading about other people's relationships with God and severely neglected my own. This is the quandry of how my life used to be.

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I must admit that the preceding paragraph is like a whole week's worth of distraction and interference rolled into one episode... but it is true just the same. I know that I get it right most days. That I have really rich moments of intimacy that are mine and His alone. Every day I find those moments draw me back to Him, they woo me back into that secret place, that hiding place and sometimes I cannot get away from Him for hours. Like a first love, a new love that has come into my life He just keeps calling me forth. His Word reveals Him to me, and I find myself there, too. I come to the end of myself in those moments of laying my heart and my soul bare and being filled, brimming and overflowing with His rich, beautiful Spirit. His flowing, overwhelming and unconditional love begins to swirl all around me, wash over me and in those moments I open my eyes and see Him not as movies and pictures or paintings portray Him, but I see His glory in creation and my own life. I feel His love become manifest in my own heart. A deep, bubbling passion begins to rise within me and I cannot get away from Him even if I try. Even in my darkest moments when sin weighs heavy on my soul, those moments that are mine and His alone drive me straight to His feet, to confess in ugly reality the misdeeds of my heart, my mind and my body and to cry out for mercy in an honest desire for freedom, forgiveness and grace. All of which is won for me when my Savior died on the cross and rose from the grave. The moment I confessed Him as Lord, all of my past and future were completely forgiven. Confession is to drive me into Him, to seek His cleansing power and the purification and redemption of my soul.

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Even confession brings deep awareness, deep awareness breeds reality of change and I feel myself plunge deeper and more fully into the reality of my God. I weep as I realize He truly is my infinite, eternal All-in-All. He is the I AM of my days and the comforter of my nights and He is the Lover of my soul and I am so glad He pursues me this way!

Because I Am In A Giving Mood...

Hey Friends... wow, I have posted more today than I have in months it would seem. I hope you will read through and catch up with me. Okay, so in my last post I gave my 100th poster a copy of the Gateway Worship CD "Wake Up the World." Gateway Worship is my church's praise and worship team, but they are also my favorite worship music to just get alone with God and all. All of these songs were written by members of our church worship team and staff. "Wake Up the World" has moving (as in jump up and down moving) worship songs as well as soul stirring songs that will reach the deepest places of your walk with God. So... In the Spirit of Giving... I am giving away another Gateway Worship CD!!!

Here is what I am asking you to do: Go to Gateway Worship's MySpace and listen to the tracks and post which one is your favorite in a comment. I will leave the comments open for one WEEK! The Contest Will officially end on Monday, April 28th. The winner will be selected by random drawing!

So enjoy the music and let me know what you think!

100th POST

**UPDATE** Hey ALL! SUSAN at Forever His is the 100th comment poster on my blog! What has Susan won, you might be asking... and I'm gonna' tell you! A "Wake Up the World" CD by Gateway Worship! Yippee! You can purchase a copy of this cd at the Gateway Resources Worship Website. To check out the Gateway Worship Promo from Integrity Music try this link.

Yippee! I have posted my hundredth blog post today! The previous post to this one was number 100. So in honor of my 100th post why don't we come up with something related to 100 that we can praise the Lord for ... I'll start, thank you for 100 thoughts that spawned 100 posts! I'm so excited and grateful for this very day!

Blessings! P.S. For the person who posted the 100th comment on my blog I am going to send a very special gift... I will be back in a while to let you know who the lucky winner is and request your very special address so that I can get you your gift! Blessings again!

Helping the Hurting

Such a poignant "stop and think" testimony. Watch it to the very end. Blessings.

Chonda Pierce on Life Today

Do You Relate?

Tonight at church we heard a very thought provoking message about God - who He is and how He desires us to relate to HIM!

I could barely grasp what the speak meant, until he gave us three solid points! 1. God is God, 2. Jesus is God, and 3. The Holy Spirit is God.

God is God, in three distinct personalities. God desires that we relate to Him in all three persons on the same level. Kind of the way we love our kids - for those of us who have children or maybe how we relate to our parents for those of us with good solid relationships with our parents. We love them both equally, we desire to be close to them and to know them well, but our relationships manifest and revolve around different things.

He read Mark 12:30 this way, "Love the Lord Your God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit with all your heart, soul, mind and strength."

Now the question is which part of the Godhead do you relate to the most? I really had to think about it... and ten or so years ago, I would have told you "the Father." However, that relationship was nominal at best. Then, within the last three or four years I would tell you "Jesus more so than the Father..." and the Holy Spirit - NOT AT ALL????

But tonight, I had a revelation - not of God as He is: Father, Son and Spirit.... But, Of how I relate to Him! He showed me beautifully my relationship and the fullness of it as I scribbled out the words of my notes and sang and prayed tonight. He showed me that in worship I glorify and exalt the Father, I thank and praise the Son, Jesus, and I cry out for the Holy Spirit to come to us, to join us and to fall upon us in fresh revelation and truth. That took me to a new place, my Bible study of the names of God. I am learning to relate to God based on who He says He is, and primarily in this study I am learning to relate to and identify the attributes and qualities of the Father as He has and always will eternally exist. I fully intend to join God in studying the names of Jesus after I finish with the names of God. Then, since there really is no book on the names of the Holy Spirit - I am going to study the Holy Spirit and how He is identified throughout the Bible. All things being equal, I want to do this... I want to Know Him Fully, to be COMPLETELY HIS... I say it everyday, and part of being completely His is loving all of Him - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - with all of me - Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength! Amen... Amen.

Blessings.

Is it just me or ....?

A Graduation Celebration!

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Okay, is it obvious to anyone else besides me that the enemy has been working overtime the last few weeks! Especially considering that the week I would write my Names of God post about "Yaweh Rophe" I would get sick with the creeping crud that I can't really get rid of... still!
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Not to mention that I have been miserable this week and facing "demons" of my own misery and making I might add. Then the storm last night... and well, I am just going to say that God gave me a ray of hope in the midst of all this yucky stuff! A beautiful delicate rose in full bloom right in in my own flower garden and a beautiful, breezy warm Texas Spring day this afternoon.
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We made out the invitations for my oldest girl's graduation party and I mailed out about 40 of them this afternoon. Pray for God to bring just the right number of people since we are having it at our house and 40 invites = somewhere between 100 and 150 people! Crazy how that works!
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I can hardly believe that my Brittany Bear is about to experience High School Graduation! But, alas, here we are already! Where on earth does the time go? It kind of makes me think of how a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day for God. As a child, time could not pass fast enough. I remember counting off the days thinking I would never make it to summer much less adulthood - it seemed like forever growing up. Then, all of a sudden, I have responsibility, children, marriage, life and adulthood in all its glory... each month I find myself asking is it the first again already? I just paid the rent yesterday! Hard to believe a lifetime of childhood has passed before me and now it is time to release her into the world of independent adulthood! BITTERSWEET, Yes, oh yes, it is! I love being a mom and especially to my two wonderful girls. I am so blessed. Onward... College, Career, Wedding and Grandchildren are just over the horizon... I am looking forward to a new season as my nest grows empty and my life changes seasons one more time!
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GLORY! You are so glorious my God, and I do love you so! Give me peace and joy during this grand adventure and this sometimes sweet mingled with remeniscent sadness over the years gone by! How I ponder the greatness of your glory as it is manifested in her life!
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Blessings sweet friends. I will post about a new name of God next week - sorry for my delay and absence... I press on!

Can You Hear Me Now?

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If I could describe how I have been feeling this week in one picture... this might be it! Sometimes nauseated, other times coughing my fool head off and other times just wiped out! But in it all my joy is still in tact and my resolve not to walk in yucky illness has remained in tact! Praise You Lord, Thank You Jesus that your stripes bring healing to my body, my soul and my Spirit.

My family might swear I am a hypochondriac... but everytime I start feeling a little low I ask, "Am I running fever?" Last night, no kidding I asked my baby daughter (the blonde - 16 yr. old) that very question and she touched my face with her pale, slender fingers and I jumped... Her fingers felt like cold little popsicles she had just pulled out of the fridge. Too Much... My hubby on the other hand is the warm blooded Italian variety and so his hands are always ten degrees warmer than my body temperature... I suppose I could just run down to the drugstore and invest in a thermometer - but, that might reveal that I am really quite "normal" after all and what fun would that be?
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However... Today - it was the kicker! I felt so much better after a brief run to the urgent care clinic to see if my baby daughter broke her hand in the most outrageous "game" I have ever heard of... ("We punch each other's fists!") She had not broken bones, thank you Lord, but a seriously bruised hand and a very expensive lesson to the tune of $120.00. At the Wal-Greens where I filled her prescriptions, I asked the pharmacist what the best OTC meds were for cold/flu symptoms. He said, Tylenol Cold Multi Symptom and I bought myself a little pack of Day/Night formula! This morning I awoke feeling a bit more well than when I retired just before midnight last night. However, after Life Group and Lunch out with the ladies and much much too much talking I came home and tried to speak only to find my voice was gone - not even a whisper. I smiled at my daughter and said, "Can You Hear Me Now?" And she looked at me with great consternation and replied, "I can't hear you? Maybe you should quit trying to talk!"

Okay... 'nuff said. Obviously or God would not have allowed me to lose my voice... Blessings sweet sisters - we must maintain our sense of humor or else this life would get us so far down we would not even come out of the pit if we got an engraved invitation! Engraved... our names are engraved on the palms of His hands... What an invitation! Blessings.

Yahweh Rophe - The Lord Who Heals

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"and said, 'If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.'"

~ Exodus 15:26 (NKJV)
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This week we are going to study the name of God, "Yahweh Rophe," literally "The LORD who heals you." Please review the following definitions and commentaries regarding Exodus 15:20-27 where God reveals Himself as the covenant God of divine healing.
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Yahweh or Jehovah is the same word we covered a few weeks ago that identifies God as the covenant making and keeping God of Israel – He was the personal God of Israel who identified Himself to them by name. Please refresh yourself by revisiting the following Strong's Definition for Jehovah:

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Hebrew Strong's Number: 3068

Hebrew Word: ‏יהוה‎
Transliteration: yhwh
Phonetic Pronunciation:yeh-ho-vaw'
Root: from <H1961>

Cross Reference: TWOT - 484a

Part of Speech: n pr dei

Vine's Words: Lord

Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV: LORD 6510, GOD 4, JEHOVAH 4, variant 1 [Total Count: 6519]
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from <H1961> (hayah); (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God :- Jehovah, the Lord. Compare <H3050> (Yahh), <H3069> (Yehovih).
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Now for the name, Rophe or rāphā'.
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Hebrew Strong's 7495
Hebrew Word: ‏רָפָא‎
Transliteration: rāpāʾ
Phonetic Pronunciation:raw-faw'
Root: a primitive root

Cross Reference: TWOT - 2196
Part of Speech: v
Vine's Words: Heal (To)

Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV: heal 57, physician 5, cure 1, repaired 1, misc 3 [Total Count: 67]

or raphah, raw-faw'; a primitive root; properly to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figurative) to cure :- cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, × thoroughly, make whole. See <H7503> (raphah).
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The Lexical Aids from the Complete Word Study Old Testament have this definition for the derivative of rāphā' (7495) – which is rāphā' ref # 7496.

This masculine plural noun originates from rapha (7495). It describes those flaccid, feeble, weak persons who are living in Hades. The term is a synonym for "the dead" or "the place of the dead." (See Psalm 88:10, Proverbs 2:18, 9:18, 21:16; Isaiah 14:9, 26:14, 19.)

Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words by W. E. Vine included the following definition of rāpā' (Strong's Reference 7495)

"to heal." This word is common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. It occurs approximately 65 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, appearing first in Genesis 20:17 [where God healed Abimelech].

"To heal" may be described as "restoring to normal," an act which god typically performs. Thus, appeals to God for healing are common: Psalm 6:2, Jeremiah 7:14. Not only are human diseases "healed," but bad water is restored to normal or "healed" (2 Kings 2:22); salt water is "healed" or made fresh (Ezekiel 47:8); even pottery is "healed" or restored (Jeremiah 19:11).

A large number o fuses of rāpā' express the "healing" of the nation – such "healing" not only involves God's grace and forgiveness, but also the nation's repentance. Divine discipline leads to repentance and "healing": Hosea 6:1, and God's promises found in Jeremiah 30:17. Even foreign cities and powers can know God's "healing if they repent. (Jeremiah 51:8-9).

False prophets are condemned because they deal with the symptoms and not with the deep spiritual hurts of the people: Jeremiah 6:14 and 8:11.

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In Exodus 15:20-27 we read the account of the Israelites in the desert when God "healed" the bitter waters of Marah making them sweet. The Baker Commentary on the Whole Bible (Walter A. Elwell, Ed., Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1989) includes this commentary on the Exodus 15 account where God reveals Himself as Jehovah (Yahweh) Rophe. "The result of this event is God's introduction of an ordinance for Israel (vv. 25b-26). The purpose of this event is to "prove" or "test" Israel. After witnessing God's saving act at the sea, how would they respond to the dilemma of the bitter water? Would they look to God? No, they complain, or break faith with God. This is merely the first of many instances where this happens."

This passage in Exodus 15 is also called "The Old Testament Healing Covenant" by Jack Hayford in The Hayford Bible Handbook. "(Exodus 15:26). This verse is widely referred to as the OT Divine Healing Covenant. It is called a "covenant," because in it God promises He will keep His people free from diseases and conditions the promise upon their diligent obedience." He goes on to say that the terms used for diseases and healing in the Hebrew indicate ailments of the body and their healing. "This is not only a spiritual concept, but an intensely physical one."

As I evaluated all the definitions from the Hebrew for Rophe, I was also given to look up the grammatical notations. The word Rapha or Rophe is a Qal Particple Active. This means it is a "verbal adjective in the active voice, indicating continued simple action." (Lexical Aids of the OT, Complete Word Study Old Testament)

Think of that, this is an active description of God doing a continued simple action in the lives of those who are in covenant and obedient to Him. If you knew that your physical, emotional and spiritual healing depended on God perpetuating a continued simple action – would you believe Him for it! The promise is for us to enter into a covenant of obedience and He will bring about the healing in our lives as it is needed. It is when we get out of line with His will and His Word that we suffer the greatest afflictions. The enemy has an open door.

As I read through the various commentaries and the definitions preparing for this devotion yesterday, I was struck by one phrase: "To mend (by stitching)…" from the Strong's definition. To Mend By Stitching – what does that mean to you? It brought three things to my mind: 1.) Healing is a process ordained by God, 2.) That it does not just come in the form of miraculous instantaneous healings, but may involve a painful process that delivers us into a place of healing and rest, 3.) That it may leave scars. Have you ever had a scar or stitches? The area that was stitched is often tender, vulnerable to infection and if the stitches are torn out prematurely through activity they can make the wound worse. When the stitches are removed after a set period of time, there is a scar. Visible evidence of the wound that often times is very sensitive even after the stitches are removed because the tissue has not fully healed. You can run your hand over it and feel the bumpy growth of new skin, a new scar is typically sensitive to touch and to movement. It is a constant, present reminder of not only the wound and how it got there, but what it took for the wound to be healed. The truth of the matter is that once torn, the stitched area does not ever really look or feel the same as it did before – the evidence of the wound is always there. So what does that mean?

In my own life I have scars from accidental cuts doing dishes where I had to have stitches, and I have had several surgeries that resulted in stitches being applied. Over time the areas where the stitches were applied have faded and the skin become more pliable until you may notice the discoloration or the different texture of the skin mildly, but the scar is not as prominent as it once was. Healing, both physically and spiritually, can be just this kind of process that comes in measures of time, or as the definition says, it can be a situation where God brings instant and thorough restoration to the person who requires healing. Healing, and its measure and its administration is determined by God – not by man. He may bring healing through natural means, human means, miraculous means or over a period of time – however God chooses to heal it should be recognized and embraced as the work of God and not just a coincidence.

When I injured my knee last summer, I was prayed over at church and saw immediate results within 24 hours of the prayer being offered on my behalf. Where I was heavily medicated and on crutches when I went down for prayer, the next morning I was able to walk and move without crutches and virtually operated throughout the day medication free. (At night I took a muscle relaxer to ensure I did not unconsciously undo the "healing" I had received. I know, but this was my first experience and I truthfully feel God uses doctors and medicine as agents of healing… so there it is.) When I returned to the doctor for my MRI results a few weeks later I was sure he would report a miraculous reversal of the injury I had sustained. When he didn't, he actually said, "I don't see how you are still walking on that knee." I told him about the prayer for healing and my belief that I had already received full grace for my injury – he replied, "Protection from pain is a form of healing, and God does use doctors to bring healing at times." Which I knew to be true, I later had surgery and recovered quickly. I have been to other services where prayer for healing was offered and I received the prayers and each time a new level of healing was manifested in my life. I receive it and walk in it and believe God for it each time I receive it. I could not do that if I did not believe He was the Great Physician as the New Testament calls Him or the Divine Healer that the Old Testament reveals Him to be.

Most curious to me was the "healing of waters," indicating God's healing is more than a healing of our body, souls and spirits – He can also heal or restore our circumstances, our relationships and our destinies. God is a healing God and not limited by what we view as healing. Not only that, but when God works healing and restoration in our lives it is never incomplete or lacking in any way – it is always intended to make us whole by His standard.

We must recognize that if we are not receiving full healing in any area of our lives that our affliction may be serving a shaping or molding process that will ultimately humble us before God, bring us to repentance and then God can work the full restoration in our lives. I am not at all saying that all affliction is the result of sin in our lives, but if we fail to believe God fully for healing, we may not fully realize it. It is the faith of those who encountered Jesus that points me to this end. When one was healed by the ministry of Jesus, He told them one of two things: "Your faith has healed you." Or "Your sins are forgiven." It is not up to us to decide what kind of healing we need, it is up to us to believe God for the healing and do what He tells us to do to receive it.

As we look at the following verses of Scripture let's see what we can learn from each about how and why God is bringing healing. Note anything you discover about healing as we read:

⁵ "Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. ⁶ And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David." ~ 2 Kings 20:5-6 (NKJV)
Why did God restore Hezekiah's health? In 2 Kings 20:3 we hear Hezekiah's prayer. He was calling on God to be as good as His Word in Exodus 15:26 – Hezekiah cried out to God for mercy because Hezekiah had lived his life pursuing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Consider this – God was as good as His Word, but would Hezekiah have died had he not cried out to God? I believe God restored Hezekiah because his prayer and heart cry indicated his deep faith and belief in God as the only source of his healing.

[A Psalm] of David.
BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! ² Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits— ³ Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, ⁴ Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; ⁵ Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]! ~ Psalms 103:1-5 (AMP)

God is not only the gracious God who offers us salvation, but He brings healing in every form and fashion. He restores us through our faith in Christ for salvation from the consequences of sin, He heals us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually so we can love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. He redeems us and makes whole our lives from the ugliness and decay of this life – He brings beauty and dignity through loving-kindness and mercy, and He satisfies us with every good thing we could possibly need bringing renewal and strength to our lives – that we may run and not grow weary and walk and not faint. Being Strong, Overcoming and Soaring with God is Healing!

¹⁸ I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. ¹⁹ "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the Lord, "And I will heal him." ~ Isaiah 57:18-19 (NKJV)

God is watching us, He is listening to us He brings healing to us as we follow Him in obedience. He restores us through comfort in seasons of mourning and brings to us Peace as we praise Him with the fruit of our lips. No matter where we feel we are in relationship to God – He is in the business of healing those who honor and believe Him for the covenant of Divine Healing.

He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. ~ Psalms 107:20 (NKJV)
As I read the commentaries on this verse, I found that the common thought is that this verse indicates the healing God brings to situations we create ourselves through gluttony, intended disobedience and abuse of our own bodies and lives. The key is His Word, the Word of God brings healing as God sends it forth into our lives and it becomes a salve on our minds, souls, hearts and bodies. It brings change and restoration (transformation) from the inside out. When we begin to see God's Word at work in our lives – we will no be able to miss His healing work as well it comes by faith and faith comes by hearing the Word of God.

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. ~ Psalms 147:3 (NKJV)

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, ³ To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." ~ Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJV)
God promises in Psalm 147 to bring healing to the brokenhearted – yes, wounds that come to us at the hands or actions of others also are healed. They are healed by the precious life and blood of Christ. This promise was fulfilled when Jesus read it in the synagogue centuries later and said, "These words have been fulfilled in your hearing." Jesus came not only to heal those He encountered each day of His earthly life, He is here to heal us now – we must believe we do not have to be walking wounded – but the victory has been won and we are free to walk in it by the power and name of Jesus Christ.

For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,' says the Lord, 'Because they called you an outcast saying: "This is Zion; No one seeks her." ' ~ Jeremiah 30:17 (NKJV)

When no one else can see our potential – God does. Cry out to Him, tell Him where it hurts and let Him do the healing work. Do not listen to those who would say Healing is impossible, that nothing will ever change. Believe God and seize every moment of victory you discover in your journey of faith! He is a God who Heals, claim it today!

As we weigh the Word today, I am going to include two chapters of Scripture for your reflection. I am praying God will reveal Himself as Healer to you in new and meaningful ways. Take your time as you consider God and His Word today – let Him apply the healing treatments to every area of your life where you are afflicted and cry out to Him in your need. He is faithful, He is listening and He desires to bring you healing in every way! (Both Passages are NKJV)

Psalm 38

¹ A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!

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² For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.
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³ There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.
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⁴ For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

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⁵ My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.
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⁶ I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
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⁷ For my loins are full of inflammation,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
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⁸ I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
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⁹ Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
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¹⁰ My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
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¹¹ My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off.
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¹² Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.
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13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
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¹⁴ Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
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¹⁵ For in You, O Lord, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.
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¹⁶ For I said, "Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me."
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¹⁷ For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
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¹⁸ For I will declare my iniquity;
I will be in anguish over my sin.
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¹⁹ But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
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²⁰ Those also who render evil for good,
They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
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²¹ Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, be not far from me!
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²² Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
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Isaiah 53

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Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of
the Lord been revealed?
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² For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

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³ He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
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⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

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⁵ 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.
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⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

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⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
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⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

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⁹ And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
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¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

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¹¹ He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge
My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
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¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.