So Great A Debt
Such a great God. Jehovah Rapha, the Lord Who Heals.
A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them. The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Psalms 103:1-22 NASB
God heals the sick; He heals hearts; He heals lives for the glory of His kingdom and the exaltation of His Messiah, Jesus.
Jesus, the only one by who’s name salvation comes. He who walked with Adam. The very God who heals:
Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'” At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. – Luke 7:19-22 NASB
I am flawed. I am other than God. He is holy, perfect in His righteousness. I am sinful and nothing in me would choose God apart from His changing me and yet by the perfect, sinless blood sacrifice of Jesus I stand before God, uncomdemned, declared to be the righteousness of Jesus; a co-heir with the Son of God. I’ve experienced God’s power in my life. A relationship with God is not just about doing things but where there are opportunities to do some things I see God move in my life to change my thoughts, my desires and grow me in His paths for His name’s sake. This doesn’t happen every time because sometimes I choose sin and sometimes I am not close enough to God to even recognize the difference in the choices although I should be.
God has set me free from the penalties of sin and from the power of certain sins that were previously strongholds. He’s freed me from the true guilt of my sins and continues to teach me that I’m free from the false sense of shame with which some would desire to overwhelm me. My life isn’t about me for I’m a failed creature. I wouldn’t have done any different from Adam. I chose iniquity, sin, rebellion and godlessness. I spent years doing it and yet the lover of my soul set me free from things I never knew I could walk away from.
God is truly the everlasting God. He is the God who transforms. He is the Healer and deserves to be glorified for His nature as well as His work.
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
Matthew 18:23-35 NASB
Having been forgiven and freed from so great a debt what can I do but seek to share His forgiveness and reconciliation.