THE HEALING STREAM

THE HEALING STREAM

                         THE HEALING STREAM                 

Additional Scripture Reading:0
Mark 3:25 if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. (1)

Scripture Emphasis
“Psalm 110:1 “The LORD said to my lord the king
Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (2)

I borrow the title for this meditation from Charles Wesley’s (1707-1788) evangelistic hymn.

          “Jesus Lover Of My Soul”

‘ Plenteous grace with Thee is found;
Grace to cover all my sins
  Let the healing streams abound;
   Make and keep me pure within
Thou of Life the fountain art,
freely let me take of Thee.
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity.” 

Is there a more urgent plea since Jesus taught His followers to pray “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven? If in our day, the promised New Kingdom is to come, we must be true to His trust for us to rely solely on Him,and through Him build the promised New Land”.

Psalm 111:1 remains to this day God’s chosen way to assure victory to His people, who offer to do His Holy will in building His Kingdom. In Psalm 111, David informs his readers that “THE LORD”is always the one initiating the recruitment of human co-workers to further His Plan for all earth dwellers. It is David, steeped in the ways of this world, who hears a call from the divine: “Come and sit at my right hand”.

David was a humble shepherd boy when God chose to prepare him to be king over His people, Israel. David’s life experience so far appeared grossly insufficient for the responsibilities of kingship! However, that worldly-based opinion differs vastly from the WISDOM of God.

The opening dialogue of Psalm 111 demands our close scrutiny.

Therefore, let us  consider the exact translation offered in
“THE GOOD NEWS BIBLE” translation:

“The LORD said to my lord the king:
‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”  

There is a distinctive difference in the word usage in this introductory statement to this Psalm. In the first instance, the word’LORD’ in all capital letters evokes the sacred name of the creator of all that is. David’s use of the word ‘lord’ in lowercase letters is a common expression of ‘earth-bound creatures’ making decisions solely based on earth-bound intelligence. David’s lord, with whom he is most familiar, has the hallmark of earthly citizenship.          

“THE LORD said to my lord”. In our own present hour of worldly crises, it well behooves each one of us to review carefully the direction from which our intelligence comes. Our gods of earthly wisdom, selfish craving after worldly power, and divisions caused by race, creed and color are not the way to build ‘The Kingdom of GOD. Like David, we must learn by GOD’s grace that more than the god of worldly wisdom is required.

     ” Come, and sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”

This language is hardly the language of the New Testament, nor is it a quote from Jesus Christ. Yet, how enriched our efforts to bring the Kingdom of God to this world, if we spend more time at God’s right hand rather than listening to our god’s worldly solutions.

“Speak to Him, for He hearth, Spirit with Spirit must meet! Closer is God than breathing; Nearer than hands and feet”. (3)

And it is the antidote to foster our personal Healing! The haunting fears of old-age creeping upon us,our fading faith,and increasing loneliness.  No greater remedy can be found than spending more time in the company of the One who came from GOD’S right hand to heal us, and make us fearless conquerors; even Jesus Christ, our Lord.

David’s former work experience, as the sole keeper of his father’s flock, was no preparation at all to deal with the jealousy and hatred of hopefuls for the coveted title of ‘king’, his own brothers included.

That was precisely what unfolded in the saga that was to be David’s life. For slightly more than twenty years, David led his father’s sheep beside still waters and into green pastures. Now the young man is about to denounce the common everyday pursuit of worldly wisdom, and listen to the voice of One who silently indwells Everyone from birth. It is ‘THE LORD’ who rescues David in the present moments of his numbing trepidation. The familiar voice of ‘his god’ freezes for now, and GOD calls David. ” Come and sit at My right hand”. As“THE LORD” calls David, so the call to us remains, “Come and sit at My right hand”.

Then at the last, you may well expect to hear this pronouncement “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter Thou into the joy of your Lord!”

 

PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS MEDITATION

Father, You have made us each one for Yourself;
And, truly, we are restless while apart from You.
May our restlessness be the catalyst that awakens our spirits to realize, that here we find no mere challenge to try harder by adopting stricter resolutions, instead, may we experience a homecoming and a loving WELCOME by The Lord.
Teach us, O Father, that personal new beginnings neither begin nor end by human effort; rather, it is a return to what always has been, the everlasting truth of God living in us, as Spirit.
Forgive us, Father, that we have often permitted worldly wisdom to usurp the place of Heavenly grace, and to live as orphans instead of at the Father’s right hand.

When You hear a faint tap on Heaven’s door tonight, O God, I am sure that You hasten to open it, and embrace me as a Father embraces a child who has been dead but now is alive again.

In the name of The Shepherd who found us, we pray,
Amen.
HYMN:  I Feel The Winds Of God today

https://youtu.be/kaQoC_VW8YE?si=f2wxc0vHHtG5NJjN

 

NOTES

The photo is taken from our cabin’s deck in beautiful
Michael’s Harbor Newfoundland. This scene, just one of many beautiful sunsets observed there inspired us to name the place ‘SHALOM’

1. Good News Bible, first published 1978
2. The New INTERNATIONAL TRANSLATION
3. ‘ THE HIGHER PANTHEON’  Alfred Lord Tennyson