Hello my dear friends! As I write today, Spring is in the air (though where I live, the return of winter is only a random cold front away). As I gaze out my window I see my neighbor working in her flower bed and a few of the plants are beginning to suggest new buds are on the way. The season of deadness (winter) is giving way to a new season of life. The writer of Ecclesiastes was right when he said "for everything there is a season."
In a sense, we have all experienced a season that one writer called "the dark night of the soul", when we were hurting and God seemed to be so far away. Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a wonderful reminder that God does care for us. He is only a prayer away to help the one who is in desperate need of rescue.
Looking to the King who will rescue me,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #8
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. Psalm 30:2 (NASB)
God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together. Psalm 30:2 (MSG)
Core Value: Prayer
When we were younger we were told the story about “Humpty Dumpty.” Though it was a silly rhyme, there lies within it a powerful truth: brokenness is a common theme for all of us, even those who love the Lord. If we have lived enough life, we have been touched by the brokenness of a difficult circumstance that, even today, may still provoke strong emotions within us. The memories of a personal crisis can be haunting, especially when they are triggered by a new crisis. When we “fall off the wall” we are reminded of how fragile we really are. We have been touched by the brokenness of our sin. We, as Paul, still do the things we do not want to do and struggle with attempting to do the things we want to do (Romans 7). We, even as disciples of Jesus, are broken. The children's rhyme reminds us “all of the king’s horses and all of the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty back together again.” Pretty sad. Pretty depressing. We need to be rescued. Fortunately for us, we do have a King who rescues us from brokenness and restores us and heals us. This is the power of the Gospel. This is Good News.
Principle #8 & Personal Application: The quality disciple makes an intimate and desperate appeal to the only One who can help, heal and put us together.
Although the implication of this passage of Scripture is that God actually brought physical healing to David, we know that God also heals in other ways too. When we pray . . .
• We can pray that God will heal our memories that have been seared by painful events.
• We can pray that God will heal our emotions that have been shattered; leaving us fragile and weak.
• We can pray that God will heal our sick soul that has been wounded by sin.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; Luke 4:18 (NKJV)
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What kind of brokenness does Jesus need to touch in my life today?
In what ways have I experienced the Lord’s healing touch in my life?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank You that I can cry out to You for help and know that You will respond to my need for healing. You, and only You, can touch me and put me together. You, and only You, can heal me.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/
Note: Looking for a way to enhance your devotional life in 2011? Allow me to suggest purchasing a copy of Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace. You can order your copy for only $15.99 (a $4 savings!). If you would like to have a devotional book that also serves as a spiritual life journal as well as a unique 21 point Bible study and personal assessment on grace, follow this link to my website where you can download a FREE SAMPLE at,
http://www.dennybates.com/Home/PODGIG.html
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