I am reading through the devotional book Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler given to me by our former Women’s Ministry Leader. As expected, it is both enlightening and convicting. 

This week I am studying about Yahweh Rophe, the Lord who heals. Tuesday’s devotion began with the following verse:

If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you. (Exodus 15:26 NKJV)

Spangler went on to note how forward-thinking God’s laws of hygiene and health were: washing after contact with bodily fluids, quarantining, and dietary restrictions.

While the promise of “none of the diseases” was made just to the Israelites after they made their escape from Egypt, we would be wise to remember that God’s laws and commands are always there to keep us healthy.

We know that God lifted the dietary restrictions when the Gentiles started believing in the resurrection so that there would be no impediment between them and the disciples and to emphasize that holiness now came through the blood of Christ not adherence to law.

But good health can still be tied to good eating habits, and while the dietary laws might have been abolished, God’s laws for our spiritual health have not, and the truth of God’s Word— His guidelines and boundaries—is being proven over and over again to be key to strong emotional health.

For instance, Romans 12:2 tells us “not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” something science has now proven that you can do. The neurological pathways in the brain can be changed by a change in thinking. (Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf.)

Multiple verses talk about giving thanks for what God has given us and being grateful (Psalm 92:1; I Thessalonians 5:18)  and now research points to gratitude as one of the keys to a happy life (UCLA health).

The Bible commands us to forgive (Matthew 6:14-15; Ephesians 4:31-32) and once again secular science is proving that forgiveness is essential for good health (John Hopkins).

Many argue that the Bible is archaic and outdated, but according to current scientific research, it appears to be way ahead of the game.

Tomorrow marks the end of anther Olympics, and the one thing that has stood out to me more than anything else is not only how important perfection is if you want to earn a medal, but also how difficult it is to achieve it.

A few of my friends and I have marveled at how the events (which only a decade ago seemed so sedate and doable) have evolved into death-defying leaps, twists, jumps and speeds. In the effort to be better, the high-water mark of danger and perfection have been raised yet again. 

But there are no perfect performances. Some errors can’t be missed while minor flaws not visible to the naked eye require slow motion reviews.  But the flaws are still there, and it is often these minute missteps that can cost an athlete a gold, a chance at a medal, or even a personal best. And we have seen how devastating this miss can be for athletes who have trained years for this chance at glory. 

Sometimes it was just a caught edge or a small slip but other times it was the weight of expectations, the fear of falling, of failure.

To draw the spiritual parallel, if earthly perfection is impossible, then to think we can be admitted to heaven by our good works is laughable. We can never be good enough because we can never be perfect and even if we could, we couldn’t sustain it; and perfection is what is required in order to be acceptable to a perfect God.

I John 4:18 says that “perfect love casts out fear.” God’s perfect love and grace shown through the sacrifice of his Son saved us from having to earn our salvation by being perfect. And as His love is perfected in us, and we come to a fuller understanding of His love, then we can live without fear—of condemnation, of failure, of rejection—of anything.

Just as we see Olympians’ teammates and family rally around them after they fall, pick them up, give them a hug, and encourage them, when we fall, when we fail, God wraps his loving arms around us and helps us back up. No condemnation.

And just as those Olympians will be able to encourage others in their quest for glory or in their their failures, so we can extend God’s love and promise of salvation to others so that they too won’t have any reason to fear—anything.

I have written on this before, which means I have a problem. 

Like a recurring dream that just seems to plague the sleeper’s mind, I have a critical spirit that keeps cropping up. 

It started as soon as we walked through the door. The sanctuary was dark—too dark. I could barely find my way to my seat, but the stage was ablaze, highlighting the worship team, which made it easy to pick out the worship leader — whose hair was too long. Then the preacher’s attire was much too casual—jeans and a fleece jacket.

I went immediately into comparison mode. Our sanctuary has a bank of windows letting in beautiful light. Our worship leader doesn’t “seek” the limelight (my assessment of Mr. Longhair). Our pastor wears nice slacks and a Hawaiian shirt — always. More than appropriate.

By that time I was as far from worshipping God as one could get, but the Holy Spirit stepped in and reminded me that a critical spirit is toxic. It destroys and kills.

I was also reminded that nowhere in the bible does it mention the sin of a dark sanctuary or long hair or casual clothing. But it does mention both pride (the root of critical spirits) and the hypocritical focus on such trivial matters. 

According to Proverbs 6:16-17 there are six things the Lord hates and number one is Pride. I didn’t have to read far.

And then his warning to the Pharisees “Woe to you . . . You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:25. Hair and jeans were no match for a haughty spirit.

I love C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, his short book about the demon Screwtape instructing his nephew Wormwood how to keep his charge from having an effective witness now that he had been lost to the Enemy [God]. In letter 16 he tells him to make the man “a critic where the Enemy [God] wants him to be a pupil.”

Well, I went to school last Sunday, and God retaught me a valuable lesson. Hopefully, I learned it this time.

It was a revelation. And it only took seven of them.

I have agreed to help out one hour, one Sunday a month in children’s ministry. Last Sunday was my “observation” day, where all I had to do was sit in a chair and watch.

Well … let me tell you. I learned a lot about why we are called Children of God, and it only took seven children and one hour.

I will be a helper to the Children’s Ministry Director, Kristy, who, in my estimation is about 28, but she is probably older as the older I get the younger that age group looks. Let me tell you what I saw and what my takeaways were.

Let it be known that there was never a time where all seven were sitting and being attentive at the same time, and we went through six different ten-minute activities: craft, story, snack, craft, singing, bubbles.

As I watched Kristy deal with all seven, I thought of how God deals with each one of us individually. First of all, she praised each and every one of them in their efforts. She kept an eye on the youngest (3) who wandered off to play, knowing that sitting wasn’t his strong suit. She gave the oldest responsibilities to keep him engaged. She allowed a young boy to spend more time putting water colors into the water cup than on the paper, knew the attentive little girl who knew all the answers needed recognition, and the shy one reassurance. Two seemed content not to need any attention at all, but she was always nearby with a gentle touch. 

Watching Kristy made me aware that this is somewhat how God views and deals with his children. Keeping an eye on all, not requiring them to be lockstep, providing reassurance, recognition, and individuality, while having a loving hand nearby at all times.

And we? We are just like that group of seven. We wander, don’t pay attention, believe we know all the answers, are insecure, and yet God is patient with us and meets us where we are.

And here was one of the most encouraging moments of my morning. Even though the three-year-old was off playing, he would also stop and watch and listen. This should give us hope for the wandering Christian and the unsaved. Though each might appear to be uninterested or disengaged, they might not be. They might be watching and listening, and God still has an eye on them.