TRUE HEALING
Read Time: 6 min 4 sec
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"We don't believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true."
Dallas Willard
THE GOOD STUFF
LENT DEVOTIONAL 06: TRUE HEALING
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
One of the constants of the human condition is pain and suffering. We’ve all experienced it, though to varying degrees. But the Word of God offers a tremendous truth: God didn’t promise a pain-free life, but He did promise comfort in the midst of even the most painful circumstances.
God’s comfort is present for any affliction. It’s where true healing for your pain comes from. Whether from the loss of a child, difficulties with a friend, marriage problems, job loss, or everything in between – God’s comfort is available for it. But not just that…God’s comfort is sufficient for it. God’s comfort is sufficient to heal every wound you could ever suffer.
How do we know this? From His Word. What confirms it for us? The sufferings of Jesus Christ.
One of the most important (if not THE MOST important) questions you will ask yourself as you go through hard times is this: “Who is God in the midst of my suffering?” It will color everything else you see.
So do you see God as the unloving being who does nothing but allow your pain? Like the father who is so engrossed in the football game on TV that he doesn’t notice his son struggling to stay afloat in the family pool.
Or do you see God as the merciful creator who entered this world to bring you healing and comfort? Like the father who dives in and carries his son to safety – sacrificing all thought of his own interests.
God jumped in. That’s what verse 5 above is saying. We don’t have a distant Savior. We have a Savior who knows what it’s like to taste blood in His mouth. To feel betrayed. To be lonely in a sea of people. To be hated. To be falsely accused. But Jesus Christ went through it and it’s through Jesus Christ that God’s comfort flows to you. Never again fall prey to the false idea that God is distant. He made Himself a man – a man who suffered greatly – so that you would be redeemed. He offers comfort and asks you, in turn, to comfort others.
APPLICATION
Where are you looking to cover your pain instead of allowing it to be healed through the comfort of God?
How can you turn the comfort that God provides you into comfort for a fellow follower of Christ?
Brian Holt | Lead Ministries Pastor
P.S. Join us tonight at 6pm for Lent worship on YouTube.
STORY
MARCH MADNESS, GOSPEL GLADNESS
At this point, everyone's March Madness bracket is busted. The first weekend included more upsets (15) prior to the Sweet 16 round in tournament history and already smashes the previous records set in 1985 and 2014 for most total upsets (13) in the whole tournament! A record-setting four teams seeded 13 or higher advanced to the next round and Oral Roberts became the second 15-seed in history to make it to the Sweet 16. So needless to say, it's been a wild tournament.
And if your bracket is as busted as mine or if your favorite team was also knocked out by a team whose mascot is "The Mean Green," let's find some joy in something else March Madness brought this year.
My wife, Olivia, and I spent Saturday at the new Bottleworks District in downtown Indy where they have huge screens set up outside with spaces to sit and watch games. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, there were lots of people laughing and having fun, and it felt rather nice to get a sunburn in March. A couple in their mid-50s sat next to us for the majority of the day, and right before we decided to leave they struck up a conversation. They said throughout the day they became convinced that we were Christians and they felt drawn to open up to us. We learned all about their family, their Catholic faith, the wife's dream of writing a book, and the husband's early retirement because of the Lord calling him to spend more time with his family. We talked about the last year and how quarantine and social unrest reminded us of the importance of the hope we have in Christ and how oftentimes we can be so focused on our differences that we miss the beautiful truths we share that are worth celebrating. We talked for an hour in the middle of a crowded street about Jesus and the ups and downs of a life devoted to following Him and sharing the Gospel with others.
I was so encouraged by our conversation and challenged to look for more opportunities to engage with others, even though it might be awkward to bring up the name of Jesus to someone who is just trying to watch a basketball game. The Lord is bigger than our busted brackets and He is calling us into deeper community with others. He can bring us encouragement through conversations with strangers and challenge us to live with intentionality for those moments outside of our daily agenda.
Today I am thankful for that couple and their boldness to strike up a conversation, and I am challenged to be that person for someone else who may need to be told of the hope that comes through knowing Jesus Christ.
Jake Zurawski | Creative Arts & Communication Director
STAFF PICKS
READ
"C.T. Studd - Cricketer and Pioneer" by Norman P. Grubb
Great biographies are captivating and enlightening. As we study the lives of others we learn more for our own. This is especially true when reading about great men and women of the faith. CT Studd’s biography stirred a deeper zeal in my own heart for the Savior. To put it bluntly, Studd was crazy for Jesus, and he was crazy to do whatever it took to see others come to know Jesus. I put this book down with a greater longing to see my life spent to make much of the name and fame of Jesus Christ. I pray your heart is stirred to that end as well.
- Brock Graham, Lead Pastor
READ
When it comes to my personal spiritual discipleship, I don’t think there is another book that has impacted my walk with Jesus more than, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer. And when I say impacted, I mean the kind of hit that rocks your soul so hard there’s a dent in the body. If God’s standard for impact is a 2x4, He reached for the 8x8 rail tie for this.
Last year my wife (Rachel) and I read this book and decided to follow the rhythms of rest of a true Sabbath. Like a doctor, God prescribes rest to our ailing souls, and Jesus himself models and calls us into a rest that satisfies us completely.
In a culture that deifies the workaholic, the always available, and the instant notification, it is counterintuitive to stop weekly and truly rest, to Sabbath. Mind, body, and soul. Rested and relaxed. If it has been a long time since you felt that way, or if you think you have never felt that - consider reading this book - then do what Jesus did - rest.
- Jake van Gilse, Student Pastor