Jesus Sighed

By Tawna Wilkinson

                                                                                                 

                                                                         JESUS SIGHED

 “And He took him aside from the multitude, put His finger in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” (Mark 7:33, 34 NKJV)

Prior to this verse, Jesus had gone to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Having arrived there, He goes into a private home wanting “no one to know.” But, it says, “He could not be hidden.” For a Gentile woman, having a demon-possessed daughter, found out where He was and persistently begged Him to heal her; cutting short His privacy. (Mark 7:24, 25 NKJV)

Now He’s traveled back through the region of Decapolis, where previously His fame exploded where in the midst of seeking solitude and rest, the multitude pursued Him and He wound up spending the entire day healing and feeding 5000 plus people.

Now, while looking for space again, He has yet another multitude hot on His heels begging for healing. He heals. But in the midst of it, when they bring a deaf/mute to Him, He curiously “took him aside.”

Why? 

According to Matthew’s account this wasn’t the only person with a similar issue. What was different? Why the unusual treatment?

And why does Mark’s record add that after Jesus spits and puts His fingers in the man’s ears, He looks up to heaven, and sighs?

The word sigh in this passage means: to make, or be in straits; to murmur; to pray inaudibly, with the connotation of grieving or groaning. It’s the same word used when it speaks of the Spirit’s groanings in Romans 8:26:

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Here’s what I think.

Jesus is tapped.

He’s dog-tired and doesn’t know how to pray for this one, even though He’s been healing many to this point. Once again, rest and the need for quiet have eluded Him.

He’s had to deal with power going out of Him during ministry; and He’s weak and speechless. And in that place, Jesus looked up to heaven, and breathed a groaning prayer: He sighed, and the man was healed.

What an encouragement!

Although I haven’t been in the place of administering healing to thousands, I have given of myself, been past tired, and in need of solitude, just to have it interrupted, time and again.

And my Jesus, being 100% human when He walked this earth doing all He did, says to me in this passage, “I completely understand weakness and the need for solitude. Keep following Me. And when you are worn out, and have no words, look to heaven, breathe a sigh, and watch what I will do.” 

Be Strong and of Good Courage

By Tawna Wilkinson

“Be strong and of good courage…do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9 NKJV)

During my most recent visit in this passage of Scripture, the timing of the command jumped out at me. That prior to Joshua chapter one, the phrase had only been given twice: The first being, when the twelve were sent to spy out the Promised Land, Moses simply commanded them to, “Be of good courage." (Numbers 13:20)

And the second was in his last words prior to his death, as the children of Israel were preparing to enter the Land. There Moses repeated it three times, and added the words: “Be strong.”
(Deuteronomy 31)

Then, in Joshua chapter one, while on the verge of possessing the Land, the Lord reiterated it to Joshua – again, three times.

It got me thinking. Why would God save this specific command for the Promised Land? Why would the children of Israel need to present this kind of muster?

God promised He would give it to them, already rife with everything they would need, or want. And not only would it be given, but He promised after they were there, He would be with them, prepare their way, and give them instruction as to how to they were to proceed.

So why be so emphatic regarding strength and courage?

For one, there were giants. Real giants. And those giants, along with the other people groups, being heavily armed, weren’t going to simply hand their properties over without a fight. And two, the cities were seriously fortified, having thick impenetrable walls. Like Jericho, the city they would first encounter. Its walls were said to be 25 feet tall and 10 feet deep.

Those two reasons alone were enough for God to have to rally them with the command. 

However, I believe He saved this particular charge for a deeper purpose. Although He would keep His promise of giving them the Land, His modus operandi of giving was not theirs. They had an important part to play in the conquest.

After hearing His instruction, the children of Israel were to carry out every detail precisely as God said – such as silently marching around the 25 foot walled Jericho for a week, then yelling and blowing trumpets on the last day.

Then there was the time He gave the order to simply sing and praise Him, while standing by and watching, three allied forces annihilate themselves instead of attacking Israel as threatened.

Or another time, while being thoroughly outnumbered, again, He commanded them to merely break a bunch of clay pitchers and do some more hollering.

Or, and in my opinion, this being the crème-de-la-crème: on more than one occasion, God charged them to obtain favor from their enemies by “just” praying.

No wonder He saved, and repeated: “Be strong and of good courage.”

But what’s that got to do with us now?

The truth is God has given each of us a “Promised Land” – individually and collectively. And just because we don’t see the giants and fortified places with our physical eyes, does not mean they are any less real, dangerous, or formidable. Scripture speaks of us wrestling with evil and powerful forces. And it states clearly, the devil is like a roaring lion and thief desiring to devour, rob and destroy the abundant life God promised.

But again, I believe God gives us the charge today, for the same deeper purpose He did Israel. Although the Land’s been given, God’s method of giving is not ours. We have an important part to play in the conquest, as well.

We also are to listen to God’s instruction then carry out every detail precisely as He says. And it may well be things like: silently marching, or breaking a bunch of pitchers, or singing and praising, then standing still and watching; or dare I say, “just” pray?

With commands like these and engaging an enemy we cannot see, it's no wonder we will have to present the same kind of muster.

So, “Be strong and of good courage.”

Oh yeah, and “… do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Good words then. Good words now.

One Small Formula?

By Tawna Wilkinson

Lately, the Lord has been bringing up II Chronicles 7:14 a lot. So I’ve been thinking about it and mulling each phrase over. As I have, some questions have suggested themselves. And, I went on another treasure hunt looking up each phrase. The following is my discovery:

The questions:

     Could this small verse be the formula for affecting real change?

     Does this small formula God laid out really work?

     And if so, why have I not administered it?

The verse:

 “…if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV)

My discovery:  

   

“If My people, who are called by My name...”

    “If My people, who are called out; addressed by My definite and conspicuous position; My      

     individual mark; My honor, authority and character…”

Wow, Lord! Do I, or have I ever realized what this single phrase is stating?

“Will humble themselves…”

     “Will bend their knee...subjugate themselves…”

Ouch! Subjugate? Do I really bend my knee?

“And pray…”

     “And mediate, arbitrate, adjudicate…intercede…”

The ramifications of this action are bigger than I know. Help me consciously listen to You regarding only what You want me to effectively pray.

“And seek My face…”

     “And search out; strive after, by any method, specifically in worship or prayer, My face (the part   

     of Me that turns and goes before)…”

Do I? Will I?

“And turn from their wicked ways…”

     “And turn back, retreat from their bad, evil trodden road; course of life; or mode of action…”

Will I choose to deconstruct the highways I erected, and start bulldozing Your new roads?

“Then I will hear from heaven…”

     “Then I will hear (intelligently)…I will give attention from heaven…”

I don't even know how to respond to this phrase.

“And will forgive their sin…”

     “And will carry their offense; their habitual sinfulness, its penalty, even them…”

I absolutely have no understanding of the depth of love You have for me, Lord!

“And heal their land.”

     “And mend (by stitching); cure their land.”

Wow, even the dirt will be healed.

II Chronicles 7:14, a simple formula, penned and preserved for me to clearly see the way You, Lord God will stretch Your mighty, intervening hand.

I Prayed (Part 2)

By Tawna Wilkinson

                                                                 

A few weeks ago, I wrote a very short piece entitled “I Prayed.” It was in regards to the manner in which Jesus operated during His earthly ministry. The way He began, and the way He continued:

“I prayed.

Heaven opened.

He descended.

I heard Him speak.

He filled and led Me.

Then I returned in His power. Amen.”

Since writing it, and sitting with this truth, another realization has emerged. This wasn’t just the way Jesus operated on earth. This was a poetic and relational dance He had with Father and Holy Spirit.

And while admiring the ease and rhythm of it, He showed me the two most important elements that book-ended their dance:

“I knew and believed the love.

And…I glorified His name.”

Check it out.

Jesus’ motivation to “dance,” with Father and Holy Spirit, came from the love they shared. Their beautiful, uncomplicated movements were fueled only from Him knowing and believing the love.

With love intact, it was then that Jesus prayed, communing with Father and Spirit. It was then that heaven opened; that Holy Spirit descended on Him marking and sealing Him; that His ears were opened to hear Father speak. And it was then that He received Holy Spirit’s filling, leading and power to “dance.”

All their poetry and rhythmic relationship was released only because Jesus knew and believed the love. And because of that, the remarkable automatically took place: Father, Spirit and Son were glorified.

“I knew and believed the love.

I prayed.

Heaven opened.

He descended.

I heard Him speak.

He filled and led Me.

Then, I returned in His power.

And…I glorified His name. Amen.”

And because Jesus was the Son of Man…fully human, He not only led the way, but gifted us with this same poetic, relational dance. However, the “steps” remain the same: 

We also, are only to know and believe the love. Then the “dance” will follow. But more importantly, the remarkable will automatically occur: All…Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and we, sons and daughters called by the name of the Most High God, will be glorified. Amen.

I Prayed

By Tawna Wilkinson                               

I prayed.

Heaven opened.

He descended.

I heard Him speak.

He filled and led Me.

Then I returned in His power. Amen.

Love,

Jesus

My Psalm 23 Prayer

By Tawna Wilkinson

                                   

Ten years ago, during a very dark night in my life, Psalm 23 came to me in a breathtaking shaft of light. The truth is that “common” scripture I memorized as a child, and heard over and over, literally saved my life in those moments of terror. It gifted me with a strange peace I was extremely thankful for.

A few weeks back, a circumstance presented itself – just one more, in a long line of challenges since the death of my dad 15 months past. I had a bout with appendicitis. Although the intensity of the experience was not nearly as dramatic as my “dark night”, or the death of my dad…. it was tough.

And on one particular night while still in the hospital, I hit a point of deep discouragement. And the Lord brought me back to Psalm 23 in an intriguing form of encouragement. He invited me to say it to Him, in my own words, as a prayer of thanksgiving; as if my life was already complete.

This is what I prayed:

“You Lord, were always my Shepherd. Throughout my life You caused me to lie down, repeatedly in soft, green pastures. You led me beside peaceful, still waters. And You lovingly and gently stored, and re-stored my soul.

Papa, all of my life You led me in Your sweet paths of  righteousness, for the sake of Your holy and beautiful name.

Even though I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, I have feared absolutely nothing, because You are still with me.

Your rod and Your staff, although hard, comforted me many times. As I knew that those whom You love You discipline.

More than once You laid out a feasting table for me to sit at in the very presence of the enemy of my soul. 

Over and over, You abundantly anointed my head with oil; my cup overflowed.

Surely goodness and mercy did more than follow me all the days of my earthly life. I not only lived on this earth in Your presence. But am now living in it with You, forever.”

The comfort I was absorbed in as I chose each word was profound. To thankfully pray my version of Psalm 23 to Him as if I had actually entered eternity gifted me with another breathtaking shaft of light. He shed peace on my past, recent past and future. And He filled me once again, with a quiet calm regarding my present situation.

Hurry Up and Wait

Life is a series of "hurry up and wait" moments strung together with pieces of fine twine, blown about by circumstances and held in place by faith.

Our days begin a rush. Commuters, travelers, students all in a hurry.

Even vacations begin in chaos. Up early, get to the airport early -- wait in line for luggage, security and of course coffee.

A mother's life is especially defined by these Waiting Moments -- 

Waiting for Conception. For Delivery. For Crawling. For Potty training. For School. For Graduation. For moving out. For the call home.

The promises of God can seem like that too.




Hurry --- Pray. Fast. Seek. Listen. Hear from God 

Wait --- Him to answer and His Word to be fulfilled.

The Children of Israel knew this very well. 

They received the promise of a deliverer and waited generations to see a Savior.

Rulers came and went. Nations rose and fell. Dictators came into power and disappeared. Captivity, deliverance, freedom,  captivity. . .

They did not let the Promise die. Through pain and suffering and waiting, they believed God would not lie.

Wait.

We live in a fast-paced world. The drive-through generation. Pizza in 30 minutes or less. Banking on our phone. Groceries delivered to our house. Information delivered to our pocket.   

Our entertainment comes in bite-sized pieces. Media presents life's tragedies and solves them in 30 minutes, 2 hours or 15 weeks depending upon the attention span of the audience.

We want God to do the same. To hear, promise, and deliver in 30 minutes or we get our money back. 

Like David, we cry, 

"Remember your word to your servant, 

for you have given me hope," 

Psalm 119:49.

When an accident broke my back, my mother prayed and God healed instantly. When I pleaded with God for a child, He took 5 years to fulfill His promise of a son.   

Our daughter came as beautiful surprise blessing. Yet after her stroke, God never said He would heal her but He did promise to walk with us every single day. Sometimes God has delivered her out of situations and healed a complication. The cerebral palsy remains. The movement disorder remains. Our faith remains.

Not every prayer has a promise - yet. Not every promise has been fulfilled - yet.

Some days I wonder if He has forgotten me - then I remember all the other answered prayers and my faith grows in His sovereignty and Goodness.  

Numerous are the cries God has yet to answer, even after years and even decades of faithfully bringing them before His throne.  

His answer remains --

"Don't let your hearts be troubled. 

Trust in God - Trust also in me,"

John 14:1 (NLT).

Hurry up and wait - God's way
           How do we wait for the fulfillment of His promises?

1.  Hurry

    - To God in Prayer 

     "Never stop praying, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (GWT).


2.  Wait

    - Humbly
     "Be humbled by God's power so that when the right time comes he will honor you." 
          1 Peter 5:6 (GWT).

   - With Expectancy
     "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly," Psalm 5:3 (NLT).

   - Always Remember
     "Take these words of mine to heart and keep them in mind," Deuteronomy 11:18 (GWT).
   God told the Children of Israel to remember His promises to them, to write them down and teach them to their children."
       
What has God promised you that you are doubting? Write down the promise. Put it where you can see it and read often. Remember He is Faithful.

I Send...I Call

By Tawna Wilkinson

                                                          

Who I send, I enable.

Who I call, I am with.

My Word does not return to Me void.

When I send, I accomplish.

When I call, it is for now.

My Word does not return to Me void.

Where I send, I supply.

Where I call, I am there.

My Word does not return to Me void.

How I send, cannot be figured.

How I call, does not make sense.

My Word does not return to Me void.

Why I send, I love the lost sheep.

Why I call, love must be satisfied.

My Word does not, cannot, 

and will not return to Me void.

Are You Invoiced?

By Tawna Wilkinson

Putt-sing around my house a few months ago, I was wrestling with a dogging question: Should I or should I not help an individual with a genuine need, which in this case happens to be close to me? When I heard: “Bear one another’s burdens…” And…“for each one shall bear his own load.” (Galatians 6.2, 5)
 

A familiar frustration rose in my spirit, for in times past I had grappled, without resolution, with these exact phrases and specific words.

“Lord,” I said. “In one breath You command us to bear another’s burden, and in the next You seem to contradict commanding the exact opposite. I don’t know what to do or how to be.”

“I know,” He replied. “Look into it.”

So I dropped what I was involved with, went to my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, and looked up the words and phrases I felt Him emphasize.

To my chagrin, in both instances, the definition of bear was exactly what I thought: “to remove, lift, endure, sustain, receive, etc.” However, I was surprised to find where its meaning was derived….from the base of the Greek word basis which means “to walk; a pace (‘base’) i.e. (by implication) the foot.”

Immediately a picture came of two people walking side by side, one was carrying a large burden while the other, walking in pace, was helping alleviate some of its weight, but was not taking the burden from them.

Intrigued, I dove into the definition of load, and was even more startled at its meaning: “an invoice (as part of freight) i.e. (fig.) a task or service.”

“Wow, Lord…an invoice?”

“Yes, an invoice. I assign to each an invoice; a task; a service to join with Me. If I have not invoiced you to walk side by side with another, yet you choose to, you are in fact sabotaging their relational footing with Me. And, by carrying all, or some, of another’s burden I did not invoice harms our walk as well. Be watchful, child. Do not disrupt your, or another’s, relationship with Me by carrying what has not been invoiced you.”

Sweet release washed over me shedding light on my present situation, as well as evaporating that unresolved and dogging question. For I had many times, out of guilt, shame, or condemnation, whether self-inflicted or imposed by others, helped carry, or carried all of another’s burden never invoiced me. And the results were damaging to the cadence of each relationship.

So, when another’s need arises, I am now inclined to stop and ask, “Have you invoiced me to come along side, Holy Spirit? Or is this theirs to join with You, alone? 

Stand

By Kim Beach

  “Stand on your feet.”  

                                                             Daniel 10:10

I am a soldier. I am part of an eternal army. The Commander says, "Go!" I go.  And when He says,"Stand," I also obey. 

Standing gets wearisome. My muscles ache for action. The sword gets heavy. My biceps long to stretch out and lash the air. My thighs struggle against the weight of my body, longing to spring into action and sprint into battle.   

The small of my back seeks to stretch, bend, push against the weight of the world. My arms quiver under the weight of the shield. The helmet of truth is hot and heavy and my tongue pushes against my teeth, longing to shout out in a righteous war cry. My feet are wrapped in readiness to run into battle.

But I stand. Fully dressed. As the Commander as decreed in the Battle Plan of Ephesians 6:13, I take my stand.  

Silent. Fighting against my will. My flesh. Battling the very nature that the Commander has placed in me; He requires self control.  

The enemy roars.

From his battle line he paces, spewing vile defamation. Accusations. Curses against my leader. Baiting me to battle.

I stand.

The enemy draws closer. I can feel his spit on my brow as in desperation he curses me.

I do not move.

The enemy begins to tremble. The tried-and-tested tactics of the Bully do not work. I am not baited.

I wait for the Battle Commander to blow his trumpet! With sweat in my eyes, the iron taste of blood on my tongue, muscles primed to strike, I wait for the enemy to draw near.

For the Commander is nearer still. And His whisper is greater than the shouts of the accuser.  

Nothing frightens the enemy more than an army he cannot predict, manipulate or conjole.

I stand. Ready. The enemy will be defeated in the timing, on the day the Commander decrees if I obey His battle plan.

The enemy I fight most resides in my helmet - my mind. That tells me I am alone. Everyone else has fled. No one stands with me. My vision is obscured from my helmet but I dare not look left or right. I steady my mind with this firm resolve - I will not run from battle nor will I run before I am called.

I am a soldier in the army of the my Lord. I do not stand alone.  

He stands with me.