I took this picture when Congressman Elijah Cummings came to speak at 19th Street Baptist Church in Washington DC where I was serving in music ministry
Day 33: Seasons Change
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
I learned of the passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings this morning. Yesterday I learned of the passing of a great singer from 19th Street Baptist, Deacon Emeritus Walter Jackson. In our lives death comes. Solomon said that there was a season for every activity under the son.
Sometimes we hurt ourselves when we resist the seasons. Sometimes it will be time to move to a new job or house. Sometimes your assignment will have a different location. Relationships may change. God is still good, but seasons change.
We must learn to be content as we progress through the seasons.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Phillipians 4:11-13
The secret is knowing we can do all through the strength of our Savior.
Today I accept what I cannot change-that seasons change.
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for[a] he gives to his beloved sleep.
Psalm 127:1-2
There is a peace that truly passes all understanding. When you have complete trust in God’s care you receive a healing peace. This peace allows you to work reasonable hours and trust that God will supply all of your needs. I’m not saying that there aren’t times when we have to work harder than the usual schedule. But I do think it is important to note the negative effective a stress-filled life style has on our minds and bodies.
The writer of Psalm 127 points out that God is the ultimate insurance. You can have security watching over your home or city but unless God protects it you will still have trouble.
I have lost confidence in many things. But not in God. Yehova is consistent. I will trust Him with my belongings, my family, my career, and my desires. And this peace will allow my mind and body to grow more healthy.
Today, I will brag on my protector. He has never failed me. Great is the Lord!
Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.
Jeremiah 17:14
If you knew that everything in your life was going to turn out for your good how would that change the way you reacted to life’s unexpected events?
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
We know that all things work together for our good because we love God and are called according to His purpose. Therefore stress should not be a problem. But why is it a problem? Maybe we don’t believe that this is true. Perhaps we should repeat what we know to be true to help us believe it.
When you hear branding on TV you start to believe it’s true. If you hear that a certain kind of car is the best value for your money even if it isn’t true you start to believe it. With all the misinformation surrounding us it is important for us to reinforce the truth. Read scripture daily. Repeat the gems that remind you of God’s promises and His goodness. Then your faith will spring forth because you believe the word of God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
Today I will feed my faith with the Word of God. And I will trust Him to take care of all my needs, including my healing.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25
The other evening I was overwhelmed with anxiety. I wanted help to know how I could cope best but I didn’t know who I should call. The next day I was talking with a friend and told them I thought of calling them but I didn’t want to bother them. How sad. Here is someone that I call a friend but I didn’t want to bother them when there was a moment they could express their friendship best to me.
Have you ever felt like you didn’t want to burden others with what you are going through? We often retreat into solitude at the exact time when a relationship could provide the healing that we need.
Please don’t isolate yourself when you don’t feel well. Yes, we should take time to unplug from the busy pace of life. Yes, we should unplug from our devices. Yes, we should get a break from our routine. But we shouldn’t forget that one of God’s best ways to share His love with us is through each other.
Thank you for reading. I’m on a journey to share 100 days of thoughts about healing. I hope you will be blessed.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. I Corinthians 12:27
I was watching a podcast by Dr. Eric Thomas who is the number one motivational speaker in the world currently.(Here’s one of his videos) He spoke about the importance of working with a team. He acknowledged that there are things he is really good at and other things that are not his strengths. So he works together with a team to accomplish goals.
In the bible we are introduced to the concept of the body of Christ. If we think of what a hand does and what an eye does we realize quickly that they cannot easily replace one another. If we would become healthy it’s important to stop trying to be something or someone you are not. And we must open ourselves to receive the help that we need from others who are skilled in ways that we are not.
I am encouraged by seeing that often when I look for opportunities to share what I’m gifted at with others the gifts I need make themselves available to me–if I pay attention.
Today I will work together with others to heal and to reach our goals.
I hope you have enjoyed the first four weeks of our 100 days of healing. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a post and don’t forget to share it with anyone you feel would benefit. I love you and believe in your greatness!
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
I Thessalonians 2:4
Have you ever asked yourself why you want what you want? I enjoy taking pictures. I’ve included a few in this post from a morning photo shoot at Baltimore Washington International Airport. But I really enjoy taking pictures that make me feel a certain way. They tell a story. They move me. When I’ve taken a picture that I think is beautiful, meaningful or clever I want to share it. And because of technology I can almost instantly get feedback on the photo. But what if others would never see the photos. Would I still want to take them? Would I still want to spend hours learning composition and editing with Photoshop? Would it be important to me if I didn’t get the feelings I receive when I share the pictures?
I’ve spent the better part of my life singing. I will honestly say it’s probably the most enjoyable experience I have. When I prepare to sing a song and then I share it and see the impact. I see eyes filled with tears. People hug me afterwards and tell me how meaningful my performance was. Singing has been a highlight for me. (LIVE RECORDING)But what if people weren’t touched by my singing?
I had an interesting experience when I was living in Korea. I went in 1990 to South Korea to teach English. For the last 8 months of my visit I was in a smaller city called Chun Cheon. Every weekend at the language institute I had to preach a sermon. But most people listening would only understand my interpreter. So things that I would say in the United States that would be inspiring weren’t always so in Korea. It was quite humbling.
What if people didn’t get my singing? What if no one was touched? A few years back I had the privilege of singing before the President of the United States, Barack Obama. When I finished he gave me a standing ovation. That felt so good. But would I continue to sing if no one clapped?
We have to ask ourselves the right questions to get to the real reasons why we do what we do. And when we start to get to our true motives and values we can let go of the stuff that was never really ours in the first place. Letting go is often when healing begins. What do I really want? Who is important to me? What do I value? How do I want to spend my time? What do I want my legacy to be? How will I give God glory with my gifts?
Today I will ask myself better questions until I understand what I really value and where my focus should be.
Thank you so much for reading. Please subscribe and share with a friend! Here are the pics I promised.
Now if you don’t find anything funny the article pointed out that simulated laughter has similar positive benefit. So laugh. It’s good for your health.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:8
Day 25: Freely Give
Today is my long day. I teach in the evening at Washington Adventist University after completing my daytime teaching at Hammond Middle School in Howard County, Maryland. Tonight I reflected on the importance of what I am blessed to do. I share with the future leaders of tomorrow. I help them solve problems. I give them insight so that they won’t make the same mistakes I did.
If you’ve learned something share that know-how with someone else. If you’ve been healed than by all means tell the rest of us what helped to heal you. If you’ve found a solution to a problem please share it with those of us who might still have the problem. If we are going to be our best selves we need to prioritize sharing what we’ve received.
And when we least expect it we may be developing the person who will help us in our most desperate time of need.
Today I will freely give because I freely have received.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26
Day 24: New Heart
There comes a time when if we want a different outcome we need a different approach. I heard this morning that my hometown football team fired their head coach. He is probably a very accomplished person. But because the results aren’t what they need to be the management decided to look for a new vision.
Has what you’ve been doing gotten you the results you desire? If not a new approach could be the answer. I have started forming new habits that are improving my life. But before the new habit came a new idea. But with the new idea came a new mindset.
God has promised to give his people a new heart. Ask him for it! Ask Him for a vision of the habits to give you a new healthy life physically and spiritually. He’s willing and able.
Today I will be open to new ways with my new heart!
I have really been enjoying these posts for our 100 days of healing on JourneyToWorship.com . I hope they have been a blessing to you. Please share them with your friends and subscribe so that you’ll catch the whole series. Thank you for your support. It means a lot.
Day 23: Serpent Safe
There was a time when doing what was right was more important than doing what would get you out of trouble. However, mankind now has determined to use the methods of the serpent to worm our way out of trouble or worse yet to deceive others for our personal gain.
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:1-7
In this story the serpent creates doubt in the woman’s mind by suggesting that the prohibition to eat fruit from the special tree is a way God is trying to keep her down and keep her away from being more powerful like He is. In reality God wants to live forever with Adam and Eve and doesn’t want them tainted by sin which He knows He will have to destroy to protect the universe. Satan the serpent tricks Eve into believing what isn’t true about God. And he tricks her into hurting herself and Adam.
Are there things you do today that you were curious about but now find hard to give up? Even if you have seen that they hurt you, is it hard to stop doing them? If so you’ve been lead away from safety by the serpent. And he’s taking us farther and farther away from God’s plan expressed in His word. But is there any way we can be serpent safe?
Make level paths for your feet to walk on. Only go on ways that are firm.
Proverbs 4:26
I remember wondering how the bible could say in Matthew 24:24 “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” What would be so amazing that the very chosen of God would be deceived. But then I lived for 30 years. I watched more and more compromise enter church life. Sometimes it was in the name of social justice. Other times it was in the name of being up to date. Sometime it was in the name of reaching the unchurched. Eventually, I became confused as to what really was wrong and right.
Now we’ve come to a point where more and more things we used to protect ourselves and our children from are the fruit we eat daily. Do you see what I’m seeing? I’m frightened. I am affected. I understand Matthew 24:24 better.
When it comes to spiritual health as with physical health we may know that something is bad for us but because it feels good we do it anyway. And then we find it difficult to give up until a crisis comes. But often by then it is too late. The disease is terminal, the family breaks apart, the crisis blows up. So what is the remedy?
I Thessalonians 5:22 tells us “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” If someone promotes principles contrary to what the bible says, than tells you to buy their book or gospel album don’t you think you might want to give that a second thought? Matthew 7:16 reminds us “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” You wouldn’t drink from the sewer, would you? When we are told in proverbs to only go on ways that are firm it’s because when you make a pattern of doing what is questionable eventually you will find yourself doing things that you once new to be wrong and not be sure how you got there.
To find healing we need to leave alone what is questionable. As I grow older peace and safety become more important to me than adventure and excitement. It’s not that the thrills don’t have a place. It’s just that I’ve been hurt so much in this life that I want to choose green pastures and walk beside still waters. I want to stay close to my Savior. Take this week and eat only food that you know is good for you. In addition why not pray and ask God to help you only watch, read, or listen to that which will draw you closer to Him. It’s too late to take unnecessary chances. Jesus is coming soon.
Today I choose to be serpent safe remembering, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
Day 29: Relationships
Day 27: Ask Better Questions
