DEVOTION / When will we be better?

Did you hear all those people coughing in church today? It sounds like everyone is sick. When I was standing in line at the store, the family behind me was sneezing and sniffling like crazy. I sure hope our family doesn’t catch what’s going around…

Recovery takes time

Each year, it seems like the fall and winter season means some sickness or other going around.  It’s never fun being sick and having to miss school, church, work, or other activities. Recovery often is a longer process than we like.

When sickness strikes our families, we sometimes wonder if we are ever going to get over it. Thanks to our Great Physician and his healing power, we are normally blessed to recover and resume our active lives.

A serious illness

From colds to cancers, we are susceptible to many illnesses. Of course, there is a sickness that everyone in the whole world is infected with and is affected by. That is SIN. It’s the worst kind of sickness because it separates us from God.

Anything we think, do, or say that goes against who he is and how he tells us to treat others is sin. If we think of ourselves more highly than others, we’re sinning. If we ignore what his Word tells us to do, we’re sinning. If we speak unkindly of those around us, we’re sinning.

The Primary (and solo) Physician

Only one Physician offers the complete cure, and that is Jesus. Thankfully, unlike the high cost of medical care these days, He offers us the cure completely free of charge! He died for us on the cross to take away all our sins. When faith fills our hearts, and we trust Him as our Savior, our hearts are cleansed and our sins washed away.

When Jesus himself was asked why he associated with sinners, he stated this great truth: They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick (Luke 5:31). And since we know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), the need is universal in our world. Think of 316NOW as an emergency hospital where dreadfully ill sinners can be cured.

Indeed, sin is a spiritual sickness that infects every human heart and affects us all. We fall into sin daily – doing, saying, and thinking wrong things. What a blessing that we can come to our Great Physician over and over again to confess our sins! Only God has the cure. Go to Jesus. Trust in Him.  He cleanses our hearts of sin and gives us a healthy heart.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when will we be better? Only when You have forgiven our sins and given us a healthy heart.

by Dave Payne