WaIting for Jesus, part 22: and so she ate

He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!" And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. (Luke 8:54-55 NASB)

And so she ate. I'm sure she did, aren't you? Jesus "gave orders for something to be given her to eat".  That wasn't just a random array of words. He sent someone, probably her mother, to get something for her to eat with the expectation that she would eat it. That may not seem remarkable until you remember that this young girl had been terminally ill, had died, Jesus had called her spirit back, and He had brought her to life again. She had had a pretty exciting and difficult time of it. The natural inclination after that would be to prop up the pillows, lie back, and luxuriate in the joyful greetings of friends and loved ones. There would be a tendency to bask in the attention the situation and miracle would bring. 

That was not at all what Jesus intended. He didn't bring her back to life to lie in the bed. He brought her back to life to LIVE, and living would begin by regaining her strength. Regaining her strength would begin with proper nourishment. She had been back to life for just a few minutes and already Jesus was putting her on a "training program". It did not matter that she was not yet twelve years old. Living was what He intended, and living is what she would do. 

The thing we often forget is that LIVING is what Jesus intended for us, as well. He was very clear when He said, "I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) There is nothing about abundant living that involves luxuriating at our ease. The word translated as "abundantly" is  perissos.  Blueletterbible.org describes  perissos as "superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon".  That is exactly the kind of life Jesus came to give us, and it is the life He intends us to live. Imagine that! What Jesus wants us to do is live "superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon" lives, and when we do, our very lives will be like road signs pointing people to Jesus.

Is that the life you are living? Is it the life your loved ones are living? If not, why not? If Jesus came to give you a perissos life, and He did, why not live the way He intended? It all begins with nourishment, and perissos nourishment begins with the word of God. 

Dear ones, have a super extraordinary, surpassingly uncommon day, and do it because that's what Jesus said for you to do! 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/lessons-from-battlefield-part-18.html

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On this anniversary of 9/11 pray for those who lost so much in that tragedy but also pray for those who put their lives on the line daily to keep our nation safe from further attack. Pray that the efforts of those who would attack us would be thwarted. 

Waiting for Jesus, part 21: back to reality

He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!" And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. (Luke 8:54-55 NASB)

Her spirit returned. That means her spirit had left her body. We are not just a jumble of cells. We are physical and spirit, body and soul. In case you have wondered, every human on earth has both a body and a soul, (or spirit). Ultimately, those souls are under the command of Jesus, and one day they will receive direction from Him who cannot be disobeyed. This day, her spirit, just on its way to its eternal destination, was ordered back, and did exactly what it was ordered to do. The spirit returned to the child and she arose. 

This next action of Jesus always makes me laugh. He ordered her some lunch. Well, actually He told them to bring her something to eat. As a physician, when a patient tells me they are "eating better", I take it as a sign of significant improvement. More than likely, encouragement to eat was intended as an indication that her health and her life were restored. She was "real" and not a phantom or a ghost. She wasn't a zombie escaping the grave. She was a real, live girl. Their daughter was back. 

When we have waited through that dark night of our soul for the intervention of God in a desperate and difficult place, it is hard to believe when the answer, the intervention, finally comes. The grace of God is so amazing that it is hard to comprehend.  How do you respond to the truly miraculous? In this instance, apparently, they responded with food for the little girl. Nourishment. 

There are two important lessons from this. First is that, when God restores in a miraculous way, we still have to return to our "regular" lives, with the mundane tasks of living. In this instance, Mrs. Jairus had to leave the site of the miracle and prepare food.  We have to carry on while taking that miracle with us. We return to the routine, but we are to return permanently changed by what God has done. 

Second, when God restores our souls, nourishment should be uppermost on our minds. When Jesus called for food, you can be sure her mother did not bring dessert. She brought the most nourishing food in the house. So we, too, should be providing the most nourishing spiritual food possible for those whose lives have been restored by Christ, and that will come only from the Word of God. 

Perhaps it is a reminder for us as well. Nourishment is vital for both our physical and our spiritual health, and we should choose that nourishment well. What does your spiritual diet include? Do you have a steady diet of Bible study and quiet time with our Lord? There is a place for spiritual books, magazines, websites, and blogs, but nothing should replace the Word of God, the entree of Scripture. Everything else is a side dish or dessert. 

How is your spiritual diet? After her miracle, the girl needed nourishment to carry on, and we do, too. Let's make sure we get the spiritual food we desperately need.