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Trusting the Word to Heal Your Soul

The Lord is really stretching His people in this season, praise God. Personally, one of the areas I’ve been tested in the most is trusting in the Lord. I suspect that I’m not the only one going through this right now. Specifically, do I trust God to deliver me from all of my enemies; to heal me of my wounds and, ultimately, bring me into salvation?

As Paul says to the church in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” All the times in my past that I’ve been let down by loved ones, family members, friends, teachers, etc., and trust has been broken, has impacted my soul and manifests in ways like not trusting people and wanting to control every aspect of my life. Because of this, I have realised lately that I have a really hard time trusting the Lord. 

A really simple measure that the Lord showed me to see if I trust Him is: when my wounds and hurts come to the surface or I’m in the midst of a trial, is my view one of defeat or of expectation? If I feel defeated, that is a sign that my confidence is in my flesh and my own understanding, not trusting God. However, if I have an expectation of deliverance, that’s a sure sign that my hope is in the Lord and that I trust Him to deliver me. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Paul, speaking about the thorn in his flesh states “So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength],” (2 Corinthians 12:10 AMP).

Throughout this time that God has been revealing these wounds and areas of distrust in me, He’s also been showing me just how much power is in the revelation of the Word of God, even at the most foundational understanding. As Apostle Mike and the early church teaches, even the milk of the Word has the power to nourish our souls. It’s only when we stay on the milk and don’t progress that it becomes an issue (1 Corinthians 3:2). So much of my study time has been spent looking for and expecting ‘some big revelation,’ yet lately, the Lord has been showing me that every time I learn even the right meaning of a word in scripture (i.e. the Hebrew understanding), that is still an unveiling of a part of Christ that I haven’t seen before, because He is the Word (John 1:1). The word ‘revelation’ means to ‘unveil’ and ‘remove the covering,’ so even the smallest revelation is the necessary beginning for the manifestation of His nature in us. 

It can become a cliché, even in the church that we say, “the word has the power to heal.” I personally was one that would say those words “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32) but not really understanding how the Word has the power to heal me. 

Now then let us hurry to receive the heavenly manna, for in the mouth, that manna takes on the taste each one wants. For listen to what the Lord says to those who come to him: “Be it done for you as you have believed” (Mt 8:13). And you too, if you accept with full faith and devotion the WORD of God which is preached in the church, the WORD itself will become for you whatever you desire. For example, if you are troubled, he comforts you saying: “A broken and contrite heart, 0 God, you will not despise” (Ps 51:17). If you are rejoicing in hope for the future, he heaps up your joys saying: “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, 0 righteous” (Ps 32:11). If you are angry, he calms you saying: “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath” (Ps 37:8). If you are in pain, he heals you saying: “The Lord heals all your diseases” (cf. Ps 103:3). If you are being eaten up with poverty, he comforts you saying: “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Ps 113:7). This is how the manna of the WORD of God puts in your mouth the taste you want. (1)

Above, Origen, an early church father, explains how the Word comes to each one of us based on our individual needs. In God’s unfailing love and mercy, He gives each of us the exact measure for healing in the specific area of our soul. Our souls are all so different; we all came from different backgrounds, circumstances, family lineage, etc., which has shaped and moulded us. What hurts or affects one person may differ from the next, based on the experiences they’ve had throughout their life, just as the remedy we each need is going to be different to the next person. 

Now as regards the nature of the WORD, just as the quality of food in the nursing mother changes into milk according to the nature of the infant, or is modified by the physician according to what is beneficial for a sick person, or is prepared for a stronger person of greater vigor, so too does God change, according to each one’s needs, the power of the WORD which has the function of nourishing the human soul. . . . And the WORD is by no means false to its own nature when it becomes food for each according to the capacity of each. It neither misleads nor deceives in so doing. (2)

Again, Origen shows us here that the Word comes to each according to the state of our soul in the area that God wants to heal at that time. It is such a beautiful realisation to see how intentional the Lord is with each of our healings and the care and providence He has for each of our souls. If He knows every hair on our head (Luke 12:7), we truly can have no doubt that He knows every wound and hidden place in our soul and knows the exact remedy we require. The Lord requires us to surrender all disbelief and doubt to Him, recognising that we cannot change in our own strength. We have to believe He knows where we are all at individually and that He knows what “dose” of the Word each of our souls need to bring healing and ultimately bring us across the finish line into the fullness of what He’s called us into. 

We have to believe He knows where we are all at individually and that He knows what “dose” of the Word each of our souls need to bring healing and ultimately bring us across the finish line into the fullness of what He’s called us into. 

They who believe in the WORD do “the works of God” (Gn 6:28) which are “food that endures to eternal life.” And “my Father,” he says, “gives you the true bread from heaven; for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” Gn 6:32-33). True bread is that which feeds the true human being, the one made in God’s image who, upon eating this bread, also comes to be in the likeness of the Creator. (3)

Origen explains here that when we receive the Word of the Lord, and are diligent to walk it out, we are coming into the image of God! This is often a very hard concept for today’s church to grasp, because we’re not taught that we can be perfect, although Jesus instructs His disciples that they are to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). Us coming into the image of God should not be an unachievable, far-off concept. The Word says every seed produces after its kind (Genesis 1:11). We see this everywhere in nature; an orange seed produces an orange tree, an apple seed produces an apple tree, the seed (sperm) of a lion produces another lion, etc. Jesus said in the parable of the seed and the sower (Luke 8:11) that the seed is the Word of God. God’s word is likened to a seed that when planted in good earth (us), it will bear fruit after its kind, that is, bearing the nature of its creator, the living God. If we are diligent to receive the Word of the Lord in our heart and we are intentional to walk it out, allowing the word to change us, it will. The Lord’s Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). The revelation of the Word has the ability to change our inner man, and it will change us, if we allow it. God is not a man that He should lie (Heb 6:18), so, if Scripture says the truth will set us free, then we need to believe it. I pray this has encouraged you. All praise and glory to our Lord, Abba Father.

References:
(1)  Origen, Spirit & Fire “Transformation of the Nourishing Word” 
(2)  Origen, Spirit & Fire “Transformation of the Nourishing Word”
(3)  Origen, Spirit & Fire “Spiritual Nourishment”
All scripture references are NKJV unless otherwise stated. 


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