Tag: John 14:12

Healing the Body

Though we can learn from others who have gone before us, we must play our role alone. We must make the effort to learn what we need to know, to do what must be done, to endure what must be endured.

Meditation Thought: “An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12)

“Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh” (see Genesis 2:23), why do we not have perfect health? The grafts to not always “take” the first time – the moving of one part of the body to heal the injury of another part (i.e. the Body of Christ; see Romans 12) . We must, when sin diseases the Body, each do our particular job required to work together to repair the ravages of the sin.

At one time we are the patient and must patiently endure the operation;
At another time we are the doctor, actually moving and causing change in some area:
At another time we are the nurse, caring for the patient;
Again, we may be the friend who ministers with our support and love and encouragement;
Perhaps we are a relative, feeling the pain deeply, but unable to stop it from happening, for the pain is part of the cure.

And so the process goes on, age after age, and though we can learn from others who have gone before us, we must play our role alone. If we are to be competent in promoting healing, we must make the effort to learn what we need to know, to do what must be done, to endure what must be endured.

And the strength and courage to continue on lies in the faith that the healing is possible because there walked on earth One who was in perfect health, without the disease of sin, and He promised that if we believe in Him we shall do the works that He did (see John 14:12).

What He did in his physical manifestation on earth, He does today through the new Body which was transplanted as the old body was crucified on the cross. The new Body is not free from disease, but in the healing of the disease that invades it, the Father is glorified.

Consulting the Guidebook

God’s works are always great, and right and inclusive and far-reaching.

Meditation Thought: “ Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

“Do the works”, ‘Do’ – an active verb, requiring a thought, a decision and a movement. ‘Works’ – changes, results, accomplishments. If we need a guide for God’s plan for us:
– Believe His Word.
– Think about each situation in terms of His Word.
– Decide what to do according to His Word and His circumstances and His leading
– Act, based on Jesus’ example of God-type action
– Praise the results, whatever they appear to be.

Trust God that He is doing the works through us and God’s works are always great, and right and inclusive and far-reaching. They coordinate, they complete, they make the whole more than the sum of the parts.

Imitating Jesus

As we exercise our spiritual capabilities, they expand.

Meditation Thought: “He who believes in me will also do the works that I do.” (John 14:12)

Jesus came to teach us the way, not just preach about the way. He is our example; therefore we can learn to imitate Him – but in order to imitate his results, we must imitate his works. That includes the attitude (willing, self-sacrificing, compassionate), the spirit (listening to the Father and obeying Him), and the action (travelling where the need is, doing whatever is needed to bring comfort and healing).

As we exercise our spiritual capabilities, they expand – just as exercising our lungs expands our capacity, or exercising our muscles makes them grow. We must keep using our capabilities, or they will atrophy. Therefore, we must stay in prayer, practice diligently what we learn of God, seeking constantly for new enlightenment. As we have results, we will be encouraged, and try even harder – and the deeper the channel we dig for God’s love and power to flow through the more “works” will be accomplished through that channel.