Naaman's Healing Story Continued....

The Jordan River came into view and Naaman's heart twisted just a little bit with the tiny bit of hope he allowed. Disgust also rose up vying for the foremost spot. The war within the captain was visible in his expressions. He was about to do something he did not want to do. Everything in him all but demanded he stop this foolishness, that he turn back and just go to his homeland. He was about to demean himself on a level he'd never had to do so before. He was a Captain of the Syrian army! A great captain, revered by many, praised by his King, and here he was about to strip down and walk into a muddy river on foreign soil. It wasn't bad enough he had to put a single foot into the river, he had to submerge himself fully, and not once but seven times! He had to go under the water completely seven times, totally covered by the reviled water. He couldn't do this thing, and yet he had to try, he had to.

Walking to the water's edge, Naaman steeled himself for what he had to do. His servants surrounded him and reached out waiting for his permission to help him take off his clothes. Taking a deep breath, Naaman gave a curt nod signaling them to begin. With each article of clothing removed Naaman's jaw tightened until it was clenched so hard he thought his teeth might break at any moment.

Stripped of all but a loincloth, Naaman forced himself to look down upon his exposed flesh. He had to see the reason he was doing this, he had to look at the blemishes on his skin. Leprosy. He could still remember his first suspicious mark and the horror that overtook him. It wasn't long before his suspicions were confirmed as the marked flesh expanded and grew more loathsome. Unable to deny what was happening to him he'd confessed to his king and the shame-filled him. He'd fall on his sword before going into a leper colony, it was just a matter of how long he could hold off before that had to happen. He had a family to consider and wanted them taken care of before the inevitable.

Conversations at home about his condition grew more frequent and spilled over into the ears of the servants, and soon that little Israeli captive felt bold enough to speak to his wife about the prophet in her land, the healing prophet. His wife, in turn, brought the information to him, with such hope in her gaze he held back his initial reaction to scoff at her falling for the little maid's lies. Her pleading with him to seek help from the prophet was at first refused, but her tears broke his reticence easily enough. He could never fight those tears they fell so seldom but when they did it was always out of the deepest love for him. Agreeing to go to the king with the request, Naaman told his wife softly to wipe away her tears, wishing he dared to touch her to do so himself. He longed to kiss her tear dampened cheeks and comfort her but he couldn't, and it had been a long time since he'd done so. Leprosy had separated them from the intimacy they were accustomed to and he missed her touch desperately. Such a man as he was, a strong Captain of a great army, the victor in many a skirmish and yet at home he'd always melted into the tender touch of his wife. For her, he had to try to save his life, even if it was a fool's undertaking.

The white blotches across his torso, the lesions moving to his extremities, Naaman knew it wouldn't be much longer before he lost fingers, toes, his nose. Oh yes, he'd seen lepers and their many disfigurements- always from a great distance, but close enough to know what this disease would do to him sooner rather than later. This wretched disease would be the death of him, he knew that, but here he stood not quite close enough for Jordan's water to touch his bared feet. The fool's errand had to be seen through to completion. He had to be able to tell his wife he'd done all that was asked of him. To go back to her and tell her his pride had kept him from following the prophet's instructions would only result in more tears and pleading for him to go back and try again.

As the wind brushed over his exposed flesh, Naaman's body shuddered hard. He had to get this over with now, there was no reason for any more delay, none.

The men surrounding him took a step back and all but his most trusted servant turned their backs on him, giving their master the privacy his rank required. They didn't have to witness his humiliation first hand and if they could, anyone of them would fight to keep any others from seeing their master this way. They'd protect him, and give him all the honor he deserved. Did they think their master a fool for undertaking this journey? No. They all hoped for only the best outcome.

A step forward and the cool water touched his feet. Naaman kept a gasp from escaping his clenched jaw, sparing himself the humiliation of such a noise. With his feet wet he instantly just wanted to get this whole ordeal over with as fast as he possibly could. One long stride and then he forced himself to take shorter steps, he hadn't a clue when or if the ground beneath would give way and he'd go under the water. He didn't want a sudden dunking, he wanted to be in control of his submersion.

The water moved up over his knees, his thighs and to his waist, this was far enough, he had enough room to completely submerge himself. Did he turn around and look back at the shoreline where his most trusted servant alone stood watching him, or did he keep himself facing away? Did he want to see the only other witness to his degradation? No. No, he did not.

Without another thought, Naaman spread his arms slightly out to the side and bent his knees dropping his body downwards and the water rushed over his chest, up to his arms, and to his neck. Pausing only long enough to take a deep breath Naaman forced the rest of himself underneath the water until he was sure not a single hair on the top of his head remained dry. Less than a moment later he shot up out of the water, the force of his push upwards causing him to stumble slightly before regaining solid footing. Water cascaded down over his face and he blew a hard breath outwards and shook his head displacing the water as best he could. One down. Only six more submersions to go. Did he pause to look at his flesh? No, he just wanted to get this over with. Down he went for the second time, a repeat of the first plunge. Up again, another hard shake of his head and expulsion of his held breath. Two. He could do this, only five more. After the next four plunges, Naaman paused, taking a deep breath as he brushed the water from his face. His stomach was a knot of hot anger and desperate hope. This time he did take a moment to look at his disfigured flesh. The wet skin distorted things a bit but he could clearly make out the marked skin twisted lesions still there on his arms. One more time, just once more and this entire sordid ordeal would be over and he could go home and make plans to end his life while a shred of dignity remained to him.

To be continued….

Naaman's Healing.

The gentile, heathen, Syrian- Captain Naaman wanted desperately to be healed of his leprosy. Given hope by a young girl taken captive from Israel that there was in Israel a man who could heal him, Naaman jumped at the chance. The King of Syria also wanted his amazing captain to be healed. The man was an asset to him except for leprosy that would ultimately keep him from doing his job. A letter from one king to another desiring help. However, the receiving king thought he was being asked the impossible, to heal someone of leprosy?! Impossible! This was a ploy, a set-up, he was being manipulated into what would be a war and already the Syrian army had taken Israeli captives from his land. Distraught the Israeli king was at a loss, he didn't know what to do. The word spread quickly and the prophet, Elisha stepped up. He would show the power of God to this disease-ridden, idol worshiping, enemy captain.

Relief filled Captain Naaman when he heard the news! Could it be true? Had his slave girl- captured from Israel- truly led him to a path of healing? He'd do anything to be healed, the alternative was a slow death as leprosy ate away at his flesh and incapacitated him, forcing him from life as he knew it and into a camp of diseased people such as himself. Surely he would go before this healing man and the healer would perform his elaborate ritual of healing. Isn't that what healers were supposed to do? All the supposed healers, soothsayers, and the like of his land, of his religion, put on great shows with their magic god-given powers. Unfortunately, they had yet to find a prophet, healer, soothsayer from their own religion that would heal him.

Sent for, he arrived at the home of the healing prophet who worshiped the one God, the unnamed God, the supposed God of all gods. Oh, yes, Naaman knew of the religion of these people. He studied history, he knew their backstory. Naaman was familiar with their temple worship dedicated to the one God, he knew all about their sacrifices to one God. He knew they had been captives of Egypt at one point and their God supposedly freed them by great miracles and brought them into occupied land, and enabled them to conquer the land He'd chosen for them. The kings- Saul, David, Solomon… oh, yes, Naaman knew of these famous kings of Israel and he also knew of the divided kingdom history, that's what you did as a good captain, a successful captain of an enemy army you studied and knew your enemies. There was no secret about the God of these people, and Naaman had nothing to do with Him, why would he? He wasn't Israeli and he was raised to worship is own particular god, Rimmon, otherwise known as Baal. To have to go to a prophet of another god was disappointing but obviously necessary. Hadn't his own king sent him to this land to be healed because there were no healing prophets of his own god in his own land?

Hope flared deep inside Naaman as he and his treasure-laden entourage arrived at Elisha's home. What would the prophet ask of Him? Would he have to undergo elaborate and intricate ceremonies? Would he need to be brave in the face of being asked to do something out of the ordinary? Did this prophet want of him a blood sacrifice? It wasn't uncommon to sacrifice humans to gods, though Naaman had never heard of this as common practice for this particular God. He like animal sacrifices, well, Naaman had animals with him for such things, or enough money and goods to buy anything he might need for this very special healing ritual to take place. Ready for anything, Naaman approached the house and after announcing his presence he expected to be shown into the prophet's home, but that didn't happen. Perplexed, as a servant of the prophet stood before him, Naaman's brow furrowed deeply. What kind of trickery was this?! Where was the prophet?! He'd been told the prophet would heal him and the prophet wasn't even inviting him into his home?! Why was this lowly servant speaking to him other than to show him the deference he deserved while leading him to the master of the house? This wasn't right, this wasn't how it was supposed to be done. Where was the respect he deserved?

The servant was only following the orders of his master and relaying the message given to him for the captain.

"My master said you are to go to the River Jordon and wash in the water there seven times and your flesh will return to normal and you will be clean."

Fury filled Naaman instantly. Wash in a filthy river?! What kind of sick joke was this?! Where was the prophet? Why wasn't he out there to meet him? Why hadn't he invited him inside? Why wasn't the healing ceremony being undertaken? Did he think him a fool that he would go into his filthy Israeli river not just once but seven times?! Would he have spies, or lay in hiding somewhere to watch him make a fool of himself by listening to such idiotic instructions? No! Naaman would not be made a fool of! He would not be dismissed by a messenger and sent on a fool's errand designed to humiliate him and not heal him. This wasn't the way you healed someone, it just wasn't! Where were the spices, the special herbs, the waving thrushes, the sacrifices and possibly painful tasks for him to undergo to appease the god being called on to heal him? Surely he at least deserved the prophet's presence and the prophet's grand gestures as he called on his God on Naaman's behalf! Wash in a river, this was lunacy. There were much better rivers, cleaner and pure in his own land. If he were going to be healed in a river surely it would be in his lands superior rivers. Enraged completely he turned away to leave, to go back to his own home- a leper still. He would not be made a fool any more than he had been already.

Before he could get far though, a few of his own trusted servants stopped him. "Why not at least try what the prophet said to do, what do you have to lose? If he'd asked you to do something fanciful you wouldn't have hesitated and you know it, but he didn't. You should listen, it won't hurt you. We won't tell anyone about this if it fails. Isn't it actually a good thing he doesn't want you to suffer a blood-letting, or painful needles, or bites from leeches, or worse? This won't give you any pain at all except to your pride."

Such bold servants, but their words didn't fall on deaf ears. Captain Naaman's fury began to abate. The things they were saying were all true. He had nothing to lose at all by listening to the instructions. It wasn't as if the prophet told him to cut off his own arm in order to be healed. A rush of resignation filled him as the anger subsided. He'd do it, he'd go to that dirty river and follow the instructions of the prophet given to him by the man's servant. His own servants were right, who was going to know about all this? And even if they did find out, who would blame him for trying anything to be healed?

Relenting to his servants' pleas, Naaman started for the Jordan River. The entire way to the river his thoughts were filled with conflict. He felt anger and yet a small glimmer of hope allowed itself to take root. What if this were the proper way to be healed here in this land of the One God? What if the filthy, disease-ridden river water had some special power. No, it couldn't have the power of its own, that would be impossible. If the river were the source of healing people would fill it all the time with their sick. Kings would fight to own the river as much as anyone could own an entire river. Such a prize as a healing river would be famous, not completely unheard of. That's was the truth of the matter, wasn't it? This river was not known at all for any kind of healing. Yet still, if he were healed… did he dare allow himself that hope, maybe just a little bit? The skeptic in him was in the forefront and yet to go home without at least trying to be healed by this ludicrous means would also be foolish and he'd always wonder what might have happened had he listened to the healing prophet. Surely that little captive girl had no reason to deceive him, in fact, things would be quite dire for her should this prove to be a fool's errand. She was a nice young girl, perfectly suited to serve his wife. In fact, his wife had nothing but great things to say about her. The girl wanted to help him so to lie to him about a healing prophet wouldn't be in character. The girl had nothing to gain from a lie, nothing.

The Jordan River came into view and Naaman's heart twisted just a little bit with that hope he allowed. The disgust also rose up in his thoughts vying for the foremost spot. The war within the captain was visible in his expressions.

To be continued…. By the grace and the will of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Healing.

When I was young, many years ago now, I remember reading from a set of books called, "My Bible Friends." You can still find them to order online if you want to get a great set of kid-friendly bible books that will give your kids lasting memories- as I can attest to. The set of books was one that had the story of Naaman, a man who gets leprosy and whose little captive servant girl- who believes in God- tells him she knows someone who could help him. As I write this I can recall the very vivid pictures from the book, I can see the young girl wanting her master to be healed, and I can remember his austere expressions as he set about listening to the young girl, having nothing to lose, but filled with doubt.

This man was the captain of the house of the king of Syria, a very important man held in high regard by his superiors. The LORD favored Captain Naaman by giving Syria deliverance from their enemy. This Captain was a mighty man in valor, and honorable, but he was still a leper.

Long story short, Naaman listens to the young servant and goes to see the prophet of God and the prophet tells Naaman what to do to be healed- he doesn't simply heal him. Naaman is very angry at what the prophet wants him to do. It seems silly to him, demeaning, beneath his rank and dignity to do this thing being asked of him by this prophet belonging to another people. In fact, Naaman leaves angrily. But servants of his convinced him to listen and do what the prophet told him to do. Sure enough, Naaman was healed by following the instructions of the prophet.

I can picture the young servant girl with the captain and his wife all of them praying together at the end of the story, as Naaman came to believe in God after that, denouncing the false gods he previously worshiped.

This story's meaning conveyed in the child's book was that God might ask us to do things we might not want to do, that we might think are silly, but if we listen and follow God's leading we will do well. God wants to heal us. God wants us to comprehend His healing power.

Now, let's read the Bible passage this children's story is based upon-

2Ki 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

2Ki 5:2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

2Ki 5:3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

2Ki 5:4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

2Ki 5:5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

2Ki 5:6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

2Ki 5:7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

2Ki 5:8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

2Ki 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

2Ki 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

2Ki 5:11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

2Ki 5:12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

2Ki 5:13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

2Ki 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

2Ki 5:15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

2Ki 5:16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

2Ki 5:17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

2Ki 5:18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.

2Ki 5:19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

*

Go wash in the river Jordan seven times. How many of us right now today would gladly wash ourselves in the river Jordan seven times if it would heal us of our ailments? We would, wouldn't we? There would be a flood of people at the Jordan River right now if the river itself had that power of healing for all. The King of Israel had received from the King of Syria the charge to have Naaman healed. The King of Israel was very upset, how could the King of Syria ask of him something that was impossible for him to do? The King of Israel was so upset that he tore at his own clothes in despair. He didn't have this sort of power! Surely the King of Syria was asking this thing just to start a fight between them. The upset of the King of Israel reached the ears of Elisha, a prophet of God and it was the prophet of God who had God on His side, willing to heal this man who didn't even believe in God at all, but worshiped false gods.

The faith of the young captive servant girl set this all in motion.

We have a God who heals.

Over and over Jesus healed people by the thousands. Jesus even said these words- "Thy faith hath made thee whole."

Mat 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

Mat 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Mat_9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

We seek healing today, healing for others, healing for ourselves. We long for a time such as when Jesus walked the land of Israel healing when prophets of God could heal. We pray for healing and yes, sometimes we can witness the hand of God as a person is healed, but often there is no healing. We've no prophet to go to, Jesus is not going from city to city healing all who come to Him, and the apostles are long gone who continued this healing after Jesus died, rose and returned to heaven.

We are told to seek healing-

Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord

Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Are you sick?

Call for those you believe are of God.

Let those believing of God pray over you.

Let those believing of God anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord.

Confess your faults to each other.

Pray for each other.

So you may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The prayer that produces the intended effect, the extremely passionate enthusiastic prayer of a man right with God will help a lot.

Healing.

To be continued tomorrow by the grace of our Lord and Savior, may His will be done always!

The Spiritual Kingdom.

To be called by the name of the LORD God of host, how wondrous that has to be! To belong to God!

Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

If the words of the LORD do not bring us joy and rejoicing in our hearts what a sad state we must be in. The words of the LORD are so precious. We can't appreciate enough how incredibly blessed we are to have the word of the LORD. I go look on the news today and find in some country, in someplace on this earth there are those being persecuted STILL for reading the word of the LORD. It seems medieval, it seems barbaric that people today born in certain countries are not allowed to own a Bible. We read the history of the Bible and how it was kept from the masses by the clergy who wanted to retain control of how people interpreted the Word. The clergy at the time did not want people to have the Word of God to read for themselves because to do so would open their eyes to the truth of God's word, the freedom of God's word, the salvation found in the Word of God. It wasn't until the Protestant Reformation that the Word of God was spread far and wide in the hopes that it would never be repressed and kept from people again. The Bible is mass-produced and widely available in so many places and yet still you have some countries and the rulers of those countries forbidding people from reading the Bible.

I could go into a book store or go online and order all the Bibles I want to order, no one would stop me. I have several Bibles in my house right now at this very moment. I am free to sit down with the Bible and read it all day and all night if I choose and no one would stop me, not a single person. There is NO threat over my life if I read the Bible constantly, I am so blessed- blessed beyond measure to have this privilege, this access to JOY that can only be found in the Bible.

This is a truly supernatural book, the guide to eternal life is found in the Bible. The miracle of its existence has been denied by many, labeled as fiction and fantasy. The Bible holds prophecies most have come to pass already as it was deemed they would. The Bible was a book whose words were given to men to write by the HOLY SPIRIT, one of the three God's who agree as one in the truth we believe.

The SAME HOLY SPIRIT will open the understanding of those reading the inspired words. The words in the Bible are written for-

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction.

Is it any wonder a ruler who wants their people to only follow their rules and no others would prohibit their people from reading the Word of God?

Oh, the JOY of the WORD OF GOD! The precious sweetness of the WORD OF GOD! To know the wonder of the WORD OF GOD! To have revealed to you the wonder of this WORD is a blessing that is beyond full comprehension.

Eze 3:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

Psa 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Pro 24:13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

Pro 24:14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

The words of God are more necessary than the food we eat to survive.

The sweet honey tasting WORD of GOD can satisfy us in a way nothing else can. Spiritual life, spiritual existence, eternal life with God is found on this plane, in this realm. Is it any wonder we can be transported by fictional worlds and allow ourselves to be dragged down into worlds that don't exist- it is because our spiritual longing knows there is a TRUE spiritual existence for us beyond all we know as our lives right now. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, came and preached of this Spiritual Kingdom. Freedom unlike any other is found in the Word of God. A freedom that cannot be jailed, not ever! Freedom that not even our temporal deaths can take from us! The knowledge of the Spiritual in Christ, in God the Father, through the Holy Spirit!

We are BLESSED.

Words Like Honey.

Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Feasting on the word of God!

Prophets and prophecy, these men of God, guided by God to know the truth and reveal it to others talk about eating the words given to them by God.

Eating figuratively is our way of relaying our desire for something, isn't it?

I've heard people say as they gently pinch a baby's chubby, cheeks, "I could just eat you up!" Now, of course, the people who say this do not mean it literally. The point they are conveying is how wonderful that baby is to them.

I've also heard people say something along these lines- "If that were food I would eat it up!"

When a person has a good appetite they find food appealing to them. Food will delight the senses- the sense of smell, sight, sometimes sound (think of sizzling favorite fried foods, or the roiling boil of a broth, or the popping noise of popcorn, to name a few.) The sense of touching food can be appealing as well. Taking a nice warm loaf of freshly baked bread and breaking it into pieces, picking up a palmful of your favorite nuts, plucking a juicy apple from a tree, or grapes from a vine, all these are very tactile and add to the enjoyment of the food to be consumed. The last sense - the sense of taste is a given when we are talking about food so I purposefully left it for last. Eating is more than just putting the blandest nutrients into our bodies without any consideration for our senses.

When Jeremiah writes of eating the words of the LORD that he found and that eating of the words created joy and rejoicing in him- this is something we can all use our imagination to comprehend fully. He perhaps devoured those words ravenously and joy filled him. Have you ever read a book that you found so overwhelmingly good that you could honestly say you devoured it? Some might say they devoured it in one sitting, staying up all night just to finish reading the book, it was so good. We can comprehend the delight in words and how they can fill our hearts with joy. Who among us hasn't received, or longed to receive, a love letter? The love you feel for someone can be revealed in words they speak to us. We can feel our heart overjoyed, the emotions so intense simply from the words a person writes to us. The greeting card industry knows this and makes a lot of money from people who want to say things to those they love, but don't quite have the time, inclination, imagination, skill, etc to do this themselves. I receive a birthday card with a special message from my spouse, or from my children and it gives me joy. It doesn’t matter that a thousand other mothers and wives may have received this exact same card, what matters is my child, my husband took the time to get me the card to share their feelings with me, to bring me happiness, to give me joy.

We know how powerful words can be, and it is no wonder that metaphorically eating them is something that men, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote down in the Word of God. Jeremiah wasn't the only prophet to speak metaphorically of eating words.

Eze 2:8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

Eze 2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein

Eze 3:1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

Eze 3:2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

Eze 3:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

Eze 3:4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

Rev 10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

Rev 10:10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Psa 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

More on this tomorrow… all by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Reward for Constant Tribulation.

God knowing us, it would seem is a commonality among those who belong to Him. A silly thing to say? Common sense dictates that truth? I guess what I'm trying to point out is the intensity of the belief from the one known by God. Yesterday I mentioned a bit about David and His wonder at God's knowing of him even before he was created by his parents. David marveled at God's all-knowing of Him. He wasn't alone…

Jer 15:15 O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Jeremiah called out to the LORD, 'thou knowest'. Yes, the LORD knows so much and our recognition of it should only enhance our worship of our KNOWING LORD. Jeremiah called to the Father and said, THOU KNOWEST and then asked God to remember him, and visit him, and revenge him of those persecuting him. Jeremiah didn't want to be taken away in God's longsuffering- in God's plan for humanity, that some imagine is truly a long game when in fact to God it's completely different. Jeremiah wanted God to know that he suffered rebuke for Him- he did God's will, spoke God's truth and he suffered for that. Did God already know all this? Of course, He did. Jeremiah worshiped God and recognized the holiness of God, the reality of God. He knew to speak to God what was on his heart, he didn't just sit back and know that God knew and what would be- would be. He had to speak what God knew, he had to use his voice to cry out to God- who was everything to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah wrote- He found the words of God. Not only did he find the words of God- words God wanted Him to speak- but he ate those words. How do you eat words? Well, there is a saying that you're going to make someone eat their words when you prove them wrong- you know what I'm talking about. Someone brags about something being a certain way and you know differently. You tell that braggart that they are going to eat their words when you can prove they aren't talking truth. And when you go get your facts and return to the braggart, and reveal the truth to them, you tell them to eat their words. Now, there can be no literal eating of words spoken, but the figurative meaning in this analogy is making someone take back what they said, to admit to their failing, that their bragging was nothing more than hot air, untruthful and in need of being corrected. When the braggart admits to their false claim people are satisfied that the lying words have been taken back and the truth substituted for them. Of course, this isn't the claim of Jeremiah. Jeremiah eating the words that he found meant figuratively that he was claiming those words of God. He was taking the words God gave him and making them a part of his life. Those words he found and consumed were life to Jeremiah.

Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

When Jeremiah found and ate the words, they gave his heart joy, his heart rejoiced! He was speaking God's words! He was using God's words! He was blessed with the words to speak and while others were rebuking him for this, he was rejoicing to be called as one who spoke the words of the LORD God of hosts! He was known to be God's mouthpiece to others. He was known as a prophet of God! The agonies prophets often endured were intense, but the joy was knowing they were being used by the LORD, the GOD OF HOSTS!

Jeremiah's joy and rejoicing was in the LORD!

Let's finish reading that passage-

Jer 15:15 O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. Jer 15:17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. Jer 15:18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? Jer 15:19 Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. Jer 15:20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Jer 15:21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

Jeremiah found joy in the knowledge that God was using him as a prophet, however, as God's prophet he was subjected to the reality of abuse. He didn't take part with those who mocked God, he suffered alone filled with disdain for those mocking God with their lives. Jeremiah suffered for his joy of having God's words in his heart. His pain was constant, his wounding incurable, and he wanted the words he spoke, the prophecies he relayed to the people to come to pass so he wasn't considered a liar, as a dried-up well - no use at all.

The LORD answered Jeremiah. He told Jeremiah that if he chose to remain a prophet of His that he would stand before Him. If Jeremiah chose the good from the bad, he would be used by God. If Jeremiah took all the abuse without giving in to any of those wanting Jeremiah to agree with them by taking their side, then Jeremiah would be protected doubly so- a fenced brass wall that none could destroy. God would SAVE Jeremiah if He repented and returned to Him, God would deliver Jeremiah from the wicked, God would redeem Jeremiah from those terrible people causing him to suffer.

Jeremiah's joy and rejoicing was in God's word, in God's truth, but he suffered for that joy.

How often is this the truth in life, holding fast to God results in putting a person at odds with those around them? It happens all the time. God is the joy, suffering for keeping that joy, ultimately redeemed as we holdfast during the awful suffering for the joy of God's word in us!

God will not fail us. Those around us would have us believe otherwise, that God fails us all the time. When every bad thing happens in our lives some believe God has dropped the ball and does not favor us. Yet we KNOW that God will never drop the ball and favors us beyond our ability to fully comprehend. We KNOW because God has told us we would SUFFER here, HE TOLD US WE WOULD SUFFER!

Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

IN the world we will have TRIBULATION!

God is not trying to deceive us! God is not painting a rosy picture of how our lives will be if we choose to love and believe in Him if we choose to belong to Him.

We will have TRIBULATION! And sometimes that tribulation is constant with no end in sight. Jeremiah suffered! We will suffer! Our joy must be in Christ the OVERCOMER of this WORLD! We can rejoice because this WORLD Is NOT where we will live in perfect peace and harmony without any tribulation. We know we are to suffer here! Our hope is in the good news of the gospel- the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN with our SAVIOR!

Our hope for a tribulation free existence is not a hope for a tribulation free life here and now, but for the future where we are storing our treasures of eternal life!

Is your life filled with tribulation? Constant tribulation? Do NOT think for one moment that God has abandoned you as some would have you believe so you turn your back on God. God's promise of eternal life will never fail no matter what we are called to go through here and now.

This is all TEMPORARY to ETERNITY!

God keep the truth of Your love ever before us! Ever in our hearts! Keep us from evil, from despairing, from forgetting where our joy and hope is in heaven, in YOU.

All in the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!

I Am Still With Thee.

"I know you." Have you ever had a stranger utter those words to you? I suppose it would depend upon the inflection of their words whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. A happily spoken, "I know you!" With a smile and obvious happiness, would be a good thing. A harshly-worded, "I know you!" With a furrowed brow, and angry eyes would indicate this knowing wasn't such a happy occasion. Both scenarios would be a bit confusing if you didn't know the person proclaiming knowledge of you. You might frantically search your memory for some sort of recognition- school, work, friend of a friend, an acquaintance at some event, maybe a person you sat next to at a doctor's appointment or saw at a grocery check-out, the list could go on for a long time and in that split second of trying to figure it out and failing you realize it would be easier to just ask…

"How do you know me?" You might ask with a smile or your own frown depending on the initial encounter. What you want now is to know how you are known, and if maybe this is a case of mistaken identity. Thinking you are known when you really aren't known at all.

When someone declares knowledge of you, you want to be able to declare it back to them. A memory of a meeting- good or bad. "Oh, you're the person who helped me get that package off the high shelf in the store." Or perhaps, "Oh, I accidentally knocked over your cart the other day." You want to comprehend the knowledge because we don't particularly care for people knowing us when we do not know them. In fact, we can't fathom how very well they know us if we do not know them in return.

Can you know someone without their knowing you? Of course, it's possible. You could be a private detective who has done a really thorough deep dive into a person's life from birth to current age and know so many facts about them, you probably remember things the person hasn't thought of themselves for years. You know that person factually, and maybe even by second-hand information from that person's family and friends. You might know the person has a great sense of humor and even heard many stories about their sense of humor, or you may have learned they have a short temper. These things you've learned make you feel as if you know the person and yet your claim to knowing them is not a firsthand experience but based on the views of others. Yes, you could know from a financial profile of them that they are a person who likes to spend money. Or you may discover the person hoards money and is someone who doesn't part with their hard-earned income easily.

We can KNOW all about a person and still NOT KNOW them truly.

How often after years of being a friend or loved one to another have the words- I never really knew you at all- come up? I've no clue, but I'm sure it has happened.

When we are known by someone the degree of their knowledge of us will vary, and not a single person alive will ever know us completely, not from the standpoint of how we know ourselves. You could talk all about yourself, leaving nothing out and still their knowledge of you, their perception of all you've said will not be taken from your own point of view- it is impossible.

Being known.

How important is being known? We like to think our loved ones- spouses, children, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers all know us. We especially like it if our best friend(s) know us. We say things like- "You know me, I…" and you tell of something you surely think the other person knows. A shared laugh, a shared knowledge and agreeing upon the trait that is yours, these are all good things. To have a close friend insist they never knew something about you that you're sure they know, is confusing and you hope quickly it is a joke they're playing on you- a pretending not to know. When that friend is adamant about their lack of knowledge and being completely serious, it's a bit frightening, definitely worrisome because you believed they had to know this fact about you, how could they not?

Also, finding out a completely different side to someone that you thought you knew is cause for alarm. This happened to me very recently and to say it threw me for a loop is a bit of an understatement. It was actually very, very frightening to think I didn't know something so important about someone I thought I understood and knew. I was taken off guard and my whole world tilted off its axis in such a way I struggled hard for months and months to get it right again. All that because I thought I knew someone only to find out I didn't know them as I believed I did.

Knowing and being known, this is important stuff. Sometimes we want people to know us, expect them to know us and get upset when they claim not to know us. We get exasperated when we think someone should know us 'by now', they've been around us for years so surely they knew something would upset us because it has upset us for years. Sometimes we don't want others to know us, it rattles us to hear someone say they know we are a certain way when we thought we hid if very well from them. A lot of times we exist in our own spheres of knowing who knows us and we don't want anyone else intruding on our spheres and saying they're a part of it when we don't want them to be.

I can know someone for a few minutes and a short shared conversation could make it seem like I've known them for a lot longer. I can know someone for decades and a short shared conversation could reveal things I never knew about them.

This knowing, why am I going on and on and on exhausting the subject of knowing someone or someone knowing someone else, or not knowing?

Because being known or not known is something intimate, something we try to control. We want others to know us as we reveal ourselves to them. I might have work friends who know the 'work me'- a person that disappears when I go home and become the 'at home me'. I may have an acquaintance me that is nothing like the me once you really have spent time with me. It might not be that I'm even deliberately trying to be different in each scenario I live, but circumstances are automatically eliciting the different behaviors that make it appear I'm a different person each time. I wouldn't expect someone who just met my husband to know him like I do. I wouldn't want them to know him like I do, any more than I'd want others to know me like he knows me. We don't just expose our fears, our desires, our hopes and dreams, our nightmares to people we hardly know.

I allow you to know what I want you to know of me and if you somehow figure out more of me without my wanting you to know, it can make me feel uneasy, and exposed.

If there were such a thing as mind readers, real mind readers who could get into the minds of others and know their thoughts, we'd all be in a hurry to figure out ways to block that ability. We don't want anyone knowing our every thought, right? Especially if someone catches us having a bad thought but doesn't hang around long enough to catch the remorseful thought that follows.

God can and does know us- all of us every last awful bit of us, and every last good bit of us- God knows it all. There is no way for pretense with God. We are known.

However, when Jesus will tell many people upon His return to get away from Him, that He never knew them - this will be true too.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Surely He knows us all, and this is true. What He is telling these people is… you may have lived believing you know me, and are living for me but you weren't living for me at all. You didn't do any of those things you claim to do for me, you did them for yourself. You may have used my name, but I wasn't a part of what you were doing. You lived your life filled with deceit even to yourself, you lied to yourself, but you can't lie to me. You told everyone you knew me- you spoke as if you were relaying messages from me, you prayed and your prayers were seemingly answered but it wasn't me who answered them. You lived a life you claimed I was a part of, all the good things you did you told others I was using you to do them- but it wasn't true. You never revealed your heart to me, you used my name without ever really letting me know you beyond knowing your selfish intentions which are far from one who is truly mine, far from my knowing them intimately as I know those who are mine.

Jesus knew the sin in the person claiming to know Him and to have lived for Him. Jesus knew the lie of the person claiming to have done only good in His name. What Jesus didn't know was the love that would have made them His, truly His.

The analogy of a shepherd with his sheep is a good one. Sheep come to know their shepherd and when they hear their shepherd's voice they follow him. If they hear the voice of a stranger they aren't going to follow him, he's not their shepherd. Just as a pet dog knows their owner, they'll often come to the call of their owner but not the call of a stranger.

Joh 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

Joh 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

My sheep hear my voice and I KNOW THEM, and they FOLLOW ME.

The Shepherd KNOWS the sheep who hear His voice and Follow Him.

Knowing and being known, we long for Jesus to KNOW US, we long to hear HIS VOICE, we long to FOLLOW HIM, and to do this is a PART OF OUR LIVES, a living for HIM, a constant FOLLOWING of HIM in ALL we do.

David- beloved of God- wrote this song about GOD knowing him:

Psa 139:1-18

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Like David, we need to be able to say- When I awake I am still with thee.

When Christ returns for us, let us awake with HIM. Let us be known by Him.

All by HIS GRACE.