I think most of us enjoy the story of “Jonah and the Whale (Great Fish).” Jonah was commissioned by God to go to Nineveh and warn the people that if they didn’t repent of their wicked, sinful ways, God would destroy them. Jonah didn’t like these people and didn’t want God to save them, so he boarded a ship and went off in the opposite direction. But God sent a great storm “to shake Jonah up.” However, all aboard the ship were terrified for their lives. When Jonah admitted he was the cause of the storm, the sailors threw him overboard.

But God in his mercy sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. Had God not done this, without a doubt Jonah would have drowned. On the third day, Jonah repented and God caused the great fish to vomit him up on a beach. After Jonah repented and God rescued him, God commissioned him a second time.

Having worked in the area of recovery for a number of years, and specifically in the area of divorce and grief recovery over the past decade, I have seen too many individuals rush into a second marriage without resolving the issues that caused their first marriage to fail—and then see their second marriage and, for some, their third marriage fail.

What many fail to realize is that, in all of life (not just marriage), what we fail to resolve we are destined to repeat … repeat … repeat … until we get it right!

The good news is that no matter how many times we fail, God in his mercy and infinite patience will give us a second, third, fourth, fifth, ad infinitum opportunity to get things right. However, once we get it right, we don’t have to go through the same failure again!

This is why I encourage divorcees (and others who have failed in other situations) to resolve the issues in their life that caused their marriage or situation to fail so they won’t have to go through the same terrible experience. God wants us to recover, heal and become whole so we won’t keep hurting ourselves—and others. Like Jonah, God will keep giving us as many opportunities as we need so we will get it right. That means quitting the blame game, admitting and facing our personal problems, and getting into recovery.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to admit every failure in my life and help me to see the causes behind these failures, and lead me to the help I need to resolve these issues and recover so I can move on with my life in more creative and wholesome ways. Please help me to use every one of my failures as an opportunity to grow and become a better, healthier, more God-honoring person. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Jonah 3:1-2 (NIV).

A Daily Encounter reader asks, “Do you have any information on what effect having an abortion in one’s youth can have on one’s life as an adult? I understand that it can have far-reaching effects. Is it possible for healing?”

Perhaps one who has had an abortion could best answer this question, so all I can do is share my observations and what I think. At one retreat I attended, a non-Christian, rather loose-living, non-religious woman shared with our group how she had had two abortions and didn’t know if she even loved the two children she now had. As she shared with us, she sobbed her heart out. Her past actions were certainly having far-reaching effects in her life. As I understand it, she, like many others who have had abortions, do suffer with long-term grief and guilt, unless, like for any other sin, they seek and find God’s forgiveness and healing. If they fail to resolve their guilt and grief, it will have a negative effect on their present as well as their future close relationships.

To be freed from guilt, whatever one’s sins may be, it is essential that we confess them to God and ask for his forgiveness. It is also very helpful to confess our sins and failures to a trusted friend, pastor, priest or counselor. As James wrote in the Bible, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”² Then we need to forgive ourselves—this, for many, can be the most difficult thing to do, especially for those who are perfectionists or have perfectionist tendencies.

True, some sins are going to have lasting effects in this life and may always bring regrets, but we need to realize that there is no sin that is so big or so bad that God will not forgive—apart from the sin against God’s Holy Spirit which is the failure to accept God’s forgiveness! Any and all sins are an offense against a Holy God but, because God loves us so much, he gave his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sins—large and small! All we need to do is confess our sins to God, repent of them, believe that Jesus died on the cross in our place, invite him into our heart and life as Savior, ask for his forgiveness, and thank him for it.

Note: For further help, be sure to read the article, “Forgiveness: the Power That Heals” at: http://tinyurl.com/3bw3q3 and/or “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, thank you for your great love for me, and for giving your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for all my sins. I confess my sins (name them) to you God, and ask for your forgiveness. Please help me to forgive myself and all who have sinned against me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

See article: “Healing from Post-Abortion Syndrome” at: www.ncfliving.org/post_abortion.php.

1. 1 John 1:9 (NIV).
2. James 5:16 (NIV).

I have read how in a park on the beautiful island of Bermuda there is a rock hanging on a rope with a large sign beside it which says, “Weather Station: Check the Rock. If it’s wet, it’s raining. If it’s moving, it’s windy. If you can’t see it, it’s foggy. If the rock is gone, it’s a hurricane.”

Don’t you just love it? At least it’s reliable!

Sometimes we, too, want a special sign from God for various reasons when the answer is staring us in the face. Sometimes we want God to be co-dependent and tell us everything we should or shouldn’t do—or even do for us what we need to do for ourselves. It should be obvious to the alcoholic who wants his wife and family back that he first needs to come to grips with his problem and overcome it, before he can expect his wife to return to him. Instead, he wants God to deliver him from the obvious consequences of his irresponsible behavior and give him his wife and family back now. It doesn’t work that way. Never has. Never will.

I have to admit when in college on more than one occasion I prayed that God would help me pass an exam when I knew very well that I wasn’t adequately prepared because I hadn’t studied sufficiently throughout the school term. It had nothing to do with God’s mercy that I passed this course. I had studied enough to get by. Had I not done this, I would have failed … with God’s blessing, no less!

But God isn’t codependent. He will not do anything for us that we need and can do for ourselves. Otherwise he would be keeping us over-dependent and immature. He will give us wisdom if we ask for it and guidance if we trust our life to him, but he does not and will not make our decisions for us, any more than a healthy parent will tell their adult children what they should or shouldn’t do. A healthy and wise parent will be a good sounding board for their adult children and help them to see their options so they can make their own decisions and choices. God will also do this for us if we ask him.

And when people ask questions such as, Is it God’s will that I should or shouldn’t marry this person? Or get this job? Or join this group? etc., etc., there may be some exceptions—and some won’t like this—but whether we should or shouldn’t get married is our choice. Also, God doesn’t send the right person to us (as so many pray for and expect). We need to be the right person if we are to be attracted to the right partner and he or she to us. Also, if I want to have a happy marriage, I need to be a happy person, for only happy partners make happy marriages. The fact is nobody else can make me happy—or unhappy for that matter, unless I allow them to. And where we work or for whom we work is also our choice. While God does call some people for specific ministries, he doesn’t have our lives in narrow, rigid, pigeon-holes. He gives us freedom to make our own choices and to live our life as we will—and the responsibility for the choices we make. If we make bad choices, we will get bad results.

God has given us both a head and a heart and expects us to use them both. God’s will for us covers a broad spectrum and a large framework. The important thing is that we live in harmony with his will; that is in accordance with the principles for effective living as found in his Word, the Bible. When we do this, while no life is perfect, we will find that most of life falls into place in harmonious ways. And the only way we can discover what these principles are is to read them in the Bible.

People who want God to tell them every detail of their lives are like little children wanting mommy or daddy to tell them every move. God wants us to grow up and be responsible, to become whole, and learn to make healthy choices and decisions. As I so often say, it’s only to the degree that we are made whole will our lifestyle, behavior, actions, relationships, choices and decisions be wholesome.

So where do we begin to know how to make right choices? By reading, studying and knowing God’s Word. This is where we find his principles for effective and wholesome daily living.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a love for your Word and with the help of your Spirit, help me to understand it and learn your laws and principles for healthy, wholesome living. And please give me a longing to be made whole and a willingness to accept responsibility to do what I need to do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 1:22 (NIV).

I have read that the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy was built from 1173 to 1372. This 12-story, solid marble structure began to lean even before it was completed. Quite significantly, the word “pisa” means “marshy land,” which gives some clue as to why—after the first three stories were completed, the ground underneath the tower began to sink. Also, its foundation is only 10 feet deep! Scientists are now working feverishly to keep this massive structure in place. They report that the tower moves about one-twentieth of an inch each year, and is now 17 feet out of plumb. Unless scientists and engineers can fix the foundation, in time this tower will eventually collapse.

It goes without saying that no building is any stronger or surer than its foundation.

Compare the tower of Pisa with its ten-foot foundation, with the foundations of the great European cathedrals. Some of these foundations go down as far as forty or fifty feet. In some instances, they form a mass of stone below the ground as great as that of the visible building above the ground. To build a great life is like building a great cathedral. You start with a sure foundation.²

And there is no greater foundation to build our life on than Christ Jesus, the solid rock and cornerstone of God’s kingdom, which brings to mind the old hymn we used to sing as kids: “On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.” Pity we don’t teach many of these old hymns to our kids today along with the new praise choruses.

Pastor Neil Strait tells about a woman who fought a long battle with cancer. Her brother, Dr. Earl Wolf, made the trip from Missouri to Pennsylvania to attend her funeral. While he was there, he spent some time leafing through his sister’s Bible. He found this handwritten poem tucked in its pages:

Often on the Rock I tremble,

Faint of heart and weak of knee;

But the steadfast Rock of Ages

Never trembles under me.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I thank you that Jesus Christ is the living foundation of your Church and of your Kingdom. Help me to make him the sure foundation of my life and of my family. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 2:19-21 (NIV).
2. Author Unknown. Cited in Wit & Wisdom, October 7, 1998.

Charles Swindoll shares how, in the fall of the year, Linda, a young woman, was traveling alone up the rutted and rugged highway from Alberta, Canada, to the Yukon. Linda didn’t know that you don’t travel to Whitehorse alone in a rundown Honda Civic, so she set off where only four-wheel drives normally venture.

The first evening she found a room in the mountains near a summit and asked for a 5 A.M. wake-up call so she could get an early start. She couldn’t understand why the clerk looked surprised at that request, but as she awoke to early-morning fog shrouding the mountain tops, she understood.

Not wanting to look foolish, she got up and went to breakfast. Two truckers invited Linda to join them, and since the place was so small, she felt obliged. “Where are you headed?” one of the truckers asked.

“Whitehorse,” she answered.

“In that little Civic?” one of them said. “No way! This pass is DANGEROUS in weather like this.”

“Well, I’m determined to try,” was Linda’s gutsy, if not very informed, response.

“Then I guess we’re just going to have to hug you,” the trucker suggested.

Linda drew back. “There’s no way I’m going to let you touch me!” she said angrily.

“Not like THAT!” the truckers chuckled. “We’ll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear. In that way, we’ll get you through the mountains.”

All that foggy morning Linda followed the two red dots (tail lights) in front, and had the reassurance of a big escort behind her as they made their way safely through the mountains.

Caught in the fog in our dangerous passage through life, we need to be “hugged,” says Chuck Swindoll. With fellow Christians who know the way and can lead safely ahead of us, and with others behind, gently encouraging us along, we, too, can pass safely.²

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, please give me loving friends to support me through life’s journey, and help me to be such a friend to other fellow strugglers. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Galatians 6:2 (NKJV).
2. Charles R. Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), p. 286.

Continuing from yesterday in our mini-series on divine healing, the reality is if we follow and live by sound biblical principles, we will have a much greater chance of living healthily and being healed of many DIS-EASES; that is, things that are troubling us and cause us to be ill at ease. At other times, when our illness has not been caused by irresponsible living and/or is totally out of our control, God does heal. Thousands of people can attest to this fact. Even the secular media reports how prayer is a powerful means in the healing process.

It seems to me that the important thing to do if we have an illness or any other problem, and want to be healed is to pray the right prayer. First (based on James’s admonition to confess our sins and faults before praying for healing) if you know of any sin or unresolved guilt, worry, anxiety, resentment in your life, confess and resolve this/these to clear the way for healing.

Second, if there is a deeper, hidden cause behind your sickness, ask God to reveal this to you and lead you to the help you need to resolve it.

Third—also in harmony with James’ admonition—call for the elders of the church to pray for you and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord.

Many, I’m afraid, go directly to the third step, ignoring the first two. Not good nor effective!

On the other hand, regardless of what some people and authors say (even if we follow the preceding steps), not every Christian who gets prayed for is healed. Some do. And some don’t. Dorcas (in the Bible) was raised from the dead. John the Baptist lost his head and stayed dead. The Apostle Paul had some kind of problem but was never healed of or delivered from it. (God had a higher purpose for him and he may for us also.)

Here’s what Paul wrote after having a profound, heavenly experience: “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”²

By way of interest, it was because of Paul’s profound spiritual experiences and responsible position that God allowed a messenger of Satan to torment him. If we are not truly committed to and faithfully serving God, it’s not too likely Satan is going to torment us for something that we are not experiencing or doing!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, here are the symptoms in my life (name them). Please confront me with any area in my life where I am not acting responsibly, and any unresolved issues in my life that may be a cause behind my symptoms, and lead me to the help I need to resolve this so I can be healed. Help me to know what to do and, if it is in harmony with your will for me, please heal me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NIV).
2. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV).

Click HERE to return to Part 1 of Divine Healing.

A Daily Encounter reader asks: “I would really appreciate it if you could shed some light on an issue that I’ve been struggling with. What are your views regarding divine healing? I was reading Andrew Murray’s book, Divine Healing, where he states that Christ Jesus died both for our physical and spiritual lives. He goes on to say that every sickness is inflicted by Satan (the devil). Hence, we, as sons of God, can find healing in Jesus.”

Far be it from me to disagree with the above-mentioned distinguished author, but while Satan is a direct cause of some problems, he is not of all. Sometimes we blame the devil for far too many things (and give him too much “glory/attention”). I once gave a talk on the following subject: “The Devil Didn’t Make Me Do It—I Can Foul Things Up All by Myself.” True, Satan is the originator of all that is evil and bad, and while he is a powerful being, he is not omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), or omnipresent (all present). These are characteristics of no one but God.

We sin because we are sinners, not because the devil made us do it! We also get sick because we live in a broken, sick world. To blame Satan for every sin I commit, for every problem, and every sickness can be a handy excuse to hang on to if I don’t want to accept reality and responsibility, and grow up.

When it comes to sicknesses … some are caused by germs, infections, and viruses; by eating contaminated food or drinking germ-laden water; by not washing one’s hands before eating; by being bitten by a mosquito, and so on. It is impossible to avoid some of the sicknesses caused by these things. However, by practicing healthy hygiene (and having loving relationships), we are able to avoid some, if not many, of them.

While I believe in divine healing, I also believe in living responsibly. Also, we sometimes get sick and open to infections and viruses because we don’t get enough rest and exercise, or eat a well-balanced diet. So will God heal us when we act irresponsibly? I have my doubts and wouldn’t plan on it.

Then, too, many of our diseases are DIS-EASES which are caused or greatly aggravated by things that are troubling us emotionally—such as unresolved, supercharged, repressed negative emotions of guilt, resentment, hatred, jealousy, worry, anxiety, an unforgiving spirit, and so on. Stress, too, is a “killer.” And some ulcers, for example, are caused not by what we eat but by what is eating us as are many other ills.

I don’t believe God will ever heal us from our symptoms if we fail to face and deal with the cause/s. If he did, he would be keeping us immature and irresponsible. This is why James says that if we are to find healing, we need to first confess our sins and faults—this includes dealing with and resolving any and all unresolved emotional issues, including deeply buried super-charged negative emotions which cause many and varied sicknesses.

Speaking personally, when I learned to admit and resolve my buried grief and anger, I was healed of distressing hay fever and bursitis. But I didn’t resolve my grief and anger overnight. It wasn’t a quick fix/healing, but rather a process of working through and resolving these deeply buried negative emotions. Only when I did, was I healed.

To be continued … Click HERE for Part II.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to fully understand your divine principles for healing and adhere to them faithfully, so I will find deliverance from and healing for every ill—spiritual, emotional, relational, as well as physical—in my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 5:14-16 (NIV).

FedEx CEO and founder, Fred Smith, first developed the idea for an innovative airfreight company while he was a student at Yale University.

His professor was less than impressed. The paper Smith submitted outlining the concept earned him a C. Thirty years later, FedEx is the world’s largest express transportation company, with 128,000 employees and more than $7 billion in capital.

Smith’s shortsighted professor didn’t take a few things into consideration. One was Smith’s persistence—he refuses to give up. Another is his resourcefulness—when plan A doesn’t work, there is always a plan B to put in motion. Most important, however, was Smith’s ability to recruit others to his vision.

People want to be part of what he is involved in—even to the point of sacrifice. In the early days, for example, his pilots often refueled company jets with their own money. Sometimes they sat on paychecks for months to help keep the company afloat.²

Can you imagine what would happen if every Christian had that kind of attitude in wanting to be a part of God’s plan and what he is doing in the world today—and was willing to make that kind of a sacrifice to follow Christ and accept his commission to take the gospel to everyone everywhere?

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, in the words of the song writer: ‘Oh Lord please light the fire, That once burned bright and clear, Replace the lamp of my first love, That burned with holy fear.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Mark 16:15 (TLB).
2. Adapted from Coy Wylie, TX, www.cornerstonebc.com

The author of an article in U.S. Catholic magazine tells of the time when he was not ready for the opportunity of a lifetime. Like many young men, he dreamed of playing baseball in the big leagues but never really thought the opportunity would come his way. Suddenly, it materialized as he was scanning the want ads for a summer job. The Toronto Blue Jays were having tryouts in his hometown. His baseball cleats were rusty and his pony league uniform was layered with dust, but he decided to go for it! Why not!

After arriving at the tryout site, his anxieties soared. “How long ya been practicing for this?” one hopeful asked another.” “‘Bout six months. Wished I started sooner,” he moaned.

Our would-be big leaguer had already struck out. He knew it and it was too late to do anything about it.² He simply hadn’t prepared for his day of opportunity.

One of the things I learned in the Boy Scouts many years ago, something I’ve never forgotten, was their motto: “Be Prepared.”

Other mottos I’ve never forgotten are these: “It’s better to be trained and not called than to be called and not trained,” and “Opportunity comes to pass—not to pause!”

It’s extremely important that we prepare ahead of time for this life including the following: getting an adequate education to prepare for meaningful life work (and preparing for a second and even a third profession if necessary in our rapidly changing world) …as well as training for marriage … parenting … and for old age.

It’s even more important and critical that we prepare now for the hereafter. In Bible times King Agrippa had the opportunity of a lifetime when the Apostle Paul invited him to believe in and accept Jesus as his Savior. As far as we know he never did do this and he missed not only an opportunity for a lifetime but for all eternity. “He was an Almost Persuaded.”

Don’t be an “Almost Persuaded.” If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, be sure to do this today as this is a day of opportunity for you. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”³

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to see that life is full of opportunities—opportunities to serve you in a myriad of ways—opportunities to reach out and help others. Help me always to be ready and use these opportunities to glorify you. And above all, help me to be sure of my salvation and not end my life as an ‘almost persuaded.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

2. From www.sermons.com.

3. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV).