A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. [Proverbs 14.30]
There are so many anecdotes in the Bible for health and well-being. Here is one of many found in Proverbs.
I find myself at a loss for words today as I consider all the promises found in the Bible compared to the condition of my own body.
There is a part of me that wishes to declare, "Unfair!" "Lies!" "Untrue" when I read these promises.
There is another part of me that wants to believe that for some reason these promises were valid at one time, but no longer apply today.
But there is another very weak and docile part of me that wants to cry out in repentance because I realize that I can never know my own heart and that I could never earn righteous standing with God enough to deserve any of His promises.
Of course, reason jumps in on my latter conclusion and assures me I could never really be that wicked. But then I ask myself, "where does reason come from?" It comes from my heart communicating with my mind. The problem with that is that my heart, according to the Bible, is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.
So, the only 'safe' way to draw conclusions from the Bible is with my mind and the help of God's Holy Spirit. I must, at all cost, avoid 'following my heart.'
If I follow my mind as it is inspired by the Spirit, then I am convicted that God's Word is true, that I am a sinner, that His judgments are true, but there is a remedy found in repentance and faith in Christ.
But why then am I still in pain?
Oh, how my heart wants to lie to me right now...
Why am I still in pain?
If any of us are to believe the Bible (and we should) we must assess and answer the question above accurately - from God's Word as our minds receive it from the Holy Spirit. If the Bible is true, then I am still in pain because I have yet to genuinely repent and believe.
But I have repented and I do believe!
Says who? Me? Can my assessment of myself ever be accurate given the fact that my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked? Never!
So, if my assessment of myself cannot be trusted, then I am left to trust the only Truth known to mankind, and that is the Bible. If I cannot trust the Truth of the Bible, then this whole thing is a mindless waste of time and resources, and has been for thousands of years! But I do not believe that to be the case! I believe the Bible is true. And, if the Bible is true, then pain and suffering are the result of disobedience (sin) and repentance and faith in Christ are the combined and only solution.
But how do we know we have repented and believed enough? We know it when the pain and suffering go away.
People however will believe what they want to about this. It is not likely that anyone at this point is in agreement with what I am saying here. If I am mistaken, then so be it. I would rather be mistaken and repent too much than be mistaken and repent too little!
I am satisfied that in our present compromised and Godless world (sadly, including what we know as the Church), thorough repentance will require more prayer, reflection, and changing of ways than will ever be conceded as necessary. But I will personally try to repent and keep repenting anyway. I will continue to believe that repentance is the first step of faith.
There is no 'faith' that is not first (and thoroughly) repentant.
May the LORD Himself help us find TRUTH in this subject and quit all our heart-reasoned theological error! May He find us repentant!
Father, I have nothing outside of You. I have no hope, no health, no wealth, ...nothing. Forgive me for my constant return (like a dog) to the vomit of sin and unrepentance, and consequent faithlessness. Show me my ways, O Lord, because I cannot trust my own heart to do so - it lies to me. Forgive me as an individual, a resident of my city and state, and as a citizen of my country - there is sin at every level. Forgive me - forgive us - heal me - heal us - You are our only hope.
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