For about 4 weeks, I have been having lower back pain. I’ve had back pain before that went away so naturally I thought that would happen in this case. Well over the last 2 weeks the pain has been worsening. The last 2 days, the pain has been unbearable. I was going to try to wait it out the weekend and go see my doctor this week. This morning (Resurrection Sunday) I was eager to be in church, when I got out of bed with much effort, I could hardly take 3 steps without thinking I would collapse in pain. So I made the decision to go to urgent care. At urgent care I found out that my sciatic nerve was inflamed. I’d heard of sciatica before but I had no idea what it meant. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve that comes from the spine, across the lower back, buttocks, and leg. When it’s irritated or inflamed it can be debilitating. I was on my way to debilitating today if I had not gone to urgent care.
When I got home my curiosity had me looking up more information on the sciatic nerve. I did a search and a few results included some very interesting references to the sciatic nerve. A couple of search results referenced the account in the Bible where Jacob wrestled with God (Genesis 32). Jacob wrestled with God and refused to let HIM go until HE blessed him. During the wrestling match, the MAN touched Jacob in the hip/thigh area. Some refer to this area as the sciatic nerve. That information caused me to apply Jacob’s experience to my own.
The Life Application Study Bible (New Living Translation) states:
“Jacob continued this wrestling match all night just to be blessed. He was persistent. God encourages persistence in all areas of our lives, including the spiritual. Where in your spiritual life do you need more persistence? Strong character develops as you struggle through tough conditions.”
Jacob states in Genesis 32:26 “I will not let YOU go unless YOU bless me.”
I’m following Jacob’s lead! I’m going to be persistent! I am struggling through some tough conditions and I refuse to let GOD go! He has ordered my steps and I trust Him in every area of my life!
God, you know the things that I am wrestling with mentally, physically, financially and spiritually! I won’t let YOU go until YOU bless me. Just like Jacob, I know YOU have a calling on my life and an assignment for me to complete. YOU changed Jacob’s name to Israel and made him the father of a great nation. YOU changed my name and I know you have birthed and are birthing some things in me! I won’t let YOU go until YOU bless me! Amen!!!!
What are you wrestling with?
Peace & Blessings!
IJ
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Stained but Still Useable
For the last week or so I have been listening to the song named Even Me by Crystal Aikin (lyrics to be included at the end of the posting). If you haven’t heard the song and you are a true believer, you MUST find it and listen.
The song has ministered to my spirit in a manner that I can hardly put into words. But do we really realized how much God loves us? He sent His Son to die for our sins! Sins that we had not even committed yet at the time of Jesus' death. God knew we would need a redeemer. But God is so loving that when He looks at us as believers He doesn't see our sin. God is not like us, when someone wrongs us, we see what they did to us even when we say we forgive them. But God does not. Psalm 103:10 says "He does not punish us for all our sins;he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve." Many of us deserve death and even hell for some of the dirt we have done. But God is faithful. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 Johns 1:9).
And even when we try to be "right" we still are wrong! Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 64:6 that "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." That means even when we are treating one another right, going to church, tithing, praying, fasting and reading our Bible that we are still as "filthy rags." But THANK GOD that He sees us as righteous (Romans 3:21-24).
Psalm 51:7 says "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
AND He still wants to use you!!!!! Yes, even you! Even me!!!! There is something for each and every one of us to do in the Kingdom of God.
In Matthew 9:37 Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few."
What are you doing? Don't let your scars and brokeness keep you from being used by God! Don't let your guilty stains go unwashed by a Merciful and Loving God!
Even Me (Crystal Aikin)
I don’t deserve, the love You’ve shown
The blood You’ve shed, covers my wrong
Beyond my faults, Oh, Lord You see,
And said You’d still use, use even me
Oh, Lord I’ve tried, to do my best
Although sometimes, I do much less
You’ve called my name and, and I ran away
But still You called me another day
Yes, even me Lord, even me
Though scarred and broken, and unworthy
My guilty stains, You washed them clean
And said You’d still use, use even me
Sometimes I fall, and make mistakes
But brand new mercies, You show everyday
You are my strength, when I get weak
And out of the darkness, You lifted me
Yes, even me Lord, even me
Though scarred and broken, and unworthy
My guilty stains, You washed them clean
And said You’d still use, use even me
Oh, even me, even me, Lord use even me
Though I’m scarred and broken, scarred and broken, and unworthy
My guilty stains, You washed them clean
But You coulda used anybody else, anybody else, but Lord, You still used me
The song has ministered to my spirit in a manner that I can hardly put into words. But do we really realized how much God loves us? He sent His Son to die for our sins! Sins that we had not even committed yet at the time of Jesus' death. God knew we would need a redeemer. But God is so loving that when He looks at us as believers He doesn't see our sin. God is not like us, when someone wrongs us, we see what they did to us even when we say we forgive them. But God does not. Psalm 103:10 says "He does not punish us for all our sins;he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve." Many of us deserve death and even hell for some of the dirt we have done. But God is faithful. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 Johns 1:9).
And even when we try to be "right" we still are wrong! Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 64:6 that "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." That means even when we are treating one another right, going to church, tithing, praying, fasting and reading our Bible that we are still as "filthy rags." But THANK GOD that He sees us as righteous (Romans 3:21-24).
Psalm 51:7 says "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
AND He still wants to use you!!!!! Yes, even you! Even me!!!! There is something for each and every one of us to do in the Kingdom of God.
In Matthew 9:37 Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few."
What are you doing? Don't let your scars and brokeness keep you from being used by God! Don't let your guilty stains go unwashed by a Merciful and Loving God!
Even Me (Crystal Aikin)
I don’t deserve, the love You’ve shown
The blood You’ve shed, covers my wrong
Beyond my faults, Oh, Lord You see,
And said You’d still use, use even me
Oh, Lord I’ve tried, to do my best
Although sometimes, I do much less
You’ve called my name and, and I ran away
But still You called me another day
Yes, even me Lord, even me
Though scarred and broken, and unworthy
My guilty stains, You washed them clean
And said You’d still use, use even me
Sometimes I fall, and make mistakes
But brand new mercies, You show everyday
You are my strength, when I get weak
And out of the darkness, You lifted me
Yes, even me Lord, even me
Though scarred and broken, and unworthy
My guilty stains, You washed them clean
And said You’d still use, use even me
Oh, even me, even me, Lord use even me
Though I’m scarred and broken, scarred and broken, and unworthy
My guilty stains, You washed them clean
But You coulda used anybody else, anybody else, but Lord, You still used me
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