Philippians 4:4-7:- Rejoice in the Lord always; again
I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is
at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
After this time of high stress business, I went
self-employed to gain a better work/life balance. This left me with time to help
being a youth worker. We regularly had a large group at my local Church of
England church.
The youth needed God, and apparently so did I. God was
leading me into His presence, one step ahead of them, as my co-leaders and I
helped them to grow away from the mores of the Eighties humankind, and into a
safer place in Jesus’ salvation.
My internal pain persisted, so my doctor sent me to
hospital to have a barium meal scan, for suspected ulcers. One of the lads was a
gifted pianist, so on the morning of the scan, I went around to his house for a
time of prayer and praise together, seeking God’s hand on my life, before I
went.
As I sat there awaiting my turn on the radiographer’s
bench with a shopping basket on my knee full of my clothes, I prayed for God to
be there with me as He promises to be. In this state of meditation and much to
my surprise, the Holy Spirit arrived and touched my body with a sensation akin
to a deluge of warm water being poured over me.
There was no noise or fuss, but I was aware of God’s
touch on my life for good. So I sat there with nothing on but a smile and thin
cotton cover with a drafty exit! The radiographer arrived to see me beaming
away, like a small child with candy floss, and she even looked at me
quizzically. Who knows what she thought!
The outcome for my body was that the doctor told me
there were no ulcers, no nothing, and I have not had any pain since.
The outcome for my faith was the understanding that
the verses from Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV), put to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams,
which I used to sing as a choirboy, were significant:
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Jesus Christ.”
I can still sing it today, if in a lower key!
However falteringly, I am growing in understanding
that God loves us to take Him at His Word, and to read His Word. This is because
He longs for His people to grow in our understanding and relationship with Him
in Jesus! Ok, this time, He had healing for me; another time there might be a
different outcome. There definitely will be, one day, but this will not change
His promise. Always there will be “the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding” available to all, wherever they find themselves, who call on the
Name of Jesus.
Prayer: Lord, thank You so much for Your faithfulness
shown towards us, despite our lack of courage, understanding and faith. Thank
You, too, that, no matter what the outcome for our bodies in this world, Your
peace is always available, even to ones like me who are intimidated by our
circumstances. Please increase our faith in Your love for us, In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Rod Marshal
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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