Psalm 1: “1BLESSED is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down where the scornful gather.
2But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law he habitually meditates by day and by night.”
Worshiping in the small country church shaped my world from an early age. I can remember napping while the preacher expounded on things I could not fathom. The sun would shine in from one of the long windows and warm my back during the cold winter days. If my mother caught me dozing, she might thump the back of my head. My embarrassment was worse than the pain of the thumping! I did manage to listen more attentively as the years went by.
Those sermons were filled with stories of those who were caught in adultery, power struggles between Jesus and his critics, and compelling narratives about miraculous healings.
Healing is something we long for when we are ill or injured. If you have a stiff neck, and cannot move without pain, you want to feel better. You might go to a doctor, and endure physical therapy in order to be healed. Pain gets your attention and requires a response.
Though we do not like pain, it does serve a purpose. It tells us something is wrong. If we ignore it, we can even cause greater injury.
In like manner, we can feel spiritual pain. We are uneasy about something and know that our lives are amiss in some way. If we do not give this pain the attention it needs, it can fester and lead to greater heartache. Pain thumps us on the head and tells us to pay attention.
Maybe the best time to find healing for our spiritual pain is before the crisis comes. It is good to do some spiritual house cleaning from time to time, so that when sickness or injury arrives, we can rely on a faith that is deep and enduring.
“3And he shall be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither…”
Author: David Martin
