Welcome to Autumn! I love this time of year! Signs of transformation are everywhere in South Jersey. I grew up as a "military brat" and lived many places. I realize that not every place on this planet has a magnificient change of seasons. Yet, one thing I know to be true... there is a pattern of climate that is fairly consistent for wherever you or I live.
.
Creation shouts patterns... cycles... things you can count on... truth...
.
The first part of Romans 1:20 says,
"For since the creation of the world
.
.
I've been begging Him recently for more violent thunderstorms. There was one last Thursday night and then again last night. Thank You, LORD! During the storms, our 27 year old daughter Jessica, who suffers from constant migraines and chronic pain, is over the top miserable. Yet, lately, after these storms, her migraines / chronic pain lessen for a time period of a day to five days. That's been the pattern. Yet, I know He can change patterns. I know He answers prayers. So, I'm praying that soon a thunderstorm will lessen her pain to the point of taking it away entirely and never allowing it to return again.
- Sometimes, He says, "Yes!"
- Sometimes, He says, "No!"
- Sometimes, He says, "Wait!"
How do I know? Because Jessica has been in constant pain since she was twelve.
.
How do I know? Through His word: 
God hears His children and lets us get a glimpse at what James means when He says, James 5:16-18
"The effective prayer of a righteous man
can accomplish much.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours,
and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain;
and it did not rain on the earth
for three years and six months.
And he prayed again,
and the sky poured rain,
and the earth produced its fruit."
.
What gives me even more hope? It's the amazing transformational passage in John 9. Have you read it recently? I have put it, in it's entirety, here for your reading. I have also highlighted words for a "quick read".
John 9 - Healing the Man Born Blind
.
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, " Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." 6 When He
had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, 7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. 8 Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, "Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?" 9 Others were saying, "This is he," still others were saying, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the one." 10 So they were saying to him, "How then were your eyes opened?" 11 He answered, "The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went away and washed, and I received sight." 12 They said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know.".
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, "He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see." 16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?"
.
And there was a division among them. 17 So they said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?" And he said, "He is a prophet." 18 The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, 19 and questioned them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?" 20 His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, " He is of age; ask him."
.
24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, " Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." 25 He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26 So they said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" 27 He answered them, " I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?" 28 They reviled him and said,
"You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 "We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from." 30 The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. 31 "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. 32 " Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 " If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." 34 They answered him, " You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?" So they put him out..
35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 He answered, " Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" 37 Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you." 38 And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus said, " For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, " We are not blind too, are we?" 41 Jesus said to them, " If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ' We see,' your sin remains.
.
Today, I am praying for...
- Jessica to be healed of her migraines and chronic pain
- Chip Bloecher to have complete healing of his brain and that all his cognitive and physical abilities return. Praying that a spot opens today at UT Southwestern Hospital's Neuro Unit for Chip.
- Jonathan and Holly Neely's baby, born on Tuesday, who is in NICU with what Jonathan describes here, "Leeland has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. It is very serious and they say it will be a long process with several surgeries to get his heart working right or you can pray that God heal his heart now. PLEASE PRAY."
- God's glory is revealed in all three of these lives - TRANSFORMATIONAL THINKING!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment