The Sun of Righteousness Heals (2)
Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.—Jer. 33:6
By his Spirit he heals and enlightens our understanding, which by nature is dark, and so easily led astray to mistake light for darkness, and darkness for light. This he heals by his word, creating in us sound affections and judgments, by which we value things as they truly are.
He heals our wounds of conscience that Satan makes by his darts and sharp temptations, by which he makes us think that we are still reprobates, and that God is angry with us. Against these Christ strengthens our faith and trust in God.
The soul that hungers after comfort will find it; for Christ is a universal healer, healing both the bodies and souls of men, and healing them from all evil, from both blindness and deafness of the heart; the very dead heart he can restore to life. This should teach us to take notice of our diseases in time, and to go to the healing God, as he terms himself (Exod. 15:26), and lay open ourselves to him, and confess, as David did, 'Heal me, Lord, for I have sinned against you' (Psa. 41:4). What comfort there is for a poor miserable wretch, but to be well grounded in the knowledge of his Physician, and to be assured of his healing power, he who has cured innumerable souls.
We should also take heed of ignorance; for many, when temptations come, have not the least knowledge of any healing power in Christ, and so they go on until death, and they die like blocks. We should meditate on his commandments and promises; on his goodness and nature; on his encouragement to come to him, 'Come to me, all you who are weary' (Matt. 11:28). Christ has a medicine of his own that is able to cure any disease no matter how desperate, any person no matter how sick; Mary Magdalene as well as Paul; Zacchaeus as well as Manasseh; all come from him having been made whole. When Satan would tempt us to despair, we should call to mind that we have a merciful God that 'forgives all our sins and heals all our infirmities' (Psa. 103:3).
He heals our wounds of conscience that Satan makes by his darts and sharp temptations, by which he makes us think that we are still reprobates, and that God is angry with us. Against these Christ strengthens our faith and trust in God.
The soul that hungers after comfort will find it; for Christ is a universal healer, healing both the bodies and souls of men, and healing them from all evil, from both blindness and deafness of the heart; the very dead heart he can restore to life. This should teach us to take notice of our diseases in time, and to go to the healing God, as he terms himself (Exod. 15:26), and lay open ourselves to him, and confess, as David did, 'Heal me, Lord, for I have sinned against you' (Psa. 41:4). What comfort there is for a poor miserable wretch, but to be well grounded in the knowledge of his Physician, and to be assured of his healing power, he who has cured innumerable souls.
We should also take heed of ignorance; for many, when temptations come, have not the least knowledge of any healing power in Christ, and so they go on until death, and they die like blocks. We should meditate on his commandments and promises; on his goodness and nature; on his encouragement to come to him, 'Come to me, all you who are weary' (Matt. 11:28). Christ has a medicine of his own that is able to cure any disease no matter how desperate, any person no matter how sick; Mary Magdalene as well as Paul; Zacchaeus as well as Manasseh; all come from him having been made whole. When Satan would tempt us to despair, we should call to mind that we have a merciful God that 'forgives all our sins and heals all our infirmities' (Psa. 103:3).
Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Sun of Righteousness, Works, vol. 7, pp. 171-73
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.
Sun of Righteousness, Works, vol. 7, pp. 171-73
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.
Categories
Recent
'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — December 23
December 23rd, 2024
'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — December 22
December 22nd, 2024
'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — December 21
December 21st, 2024
'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — December 20
December 20th, 2024
'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — December 19
December 19th, 2024
2024
January
One Thing (1)One Thing (2)Our Thoughts and Desires Reveal Who We AreThe Christian's Desire for God's House (1)The Christian's Desire for God's House (2)What the Soul Was Made ForGod Makes the Heart TenderMaintaining a Tender Heart (1)Maintaining a Tender Heart (2)Maintaining a Tender Heart (3)Maintaining a Tender Heart (4)Test to See if Your Heart is TenderHow to Recover a Tender HeartBenefits of a Tender HeartKings Must Humble Themselves Before GodHow to Humble Ourselves (1)How to Humble Ourselves (2)How to Humble Ourselves (3)Proneness to PrideHumilityTrue versus False Humility (1)True versus False Humility (2)True versus False Humility (3)Both Outward Devotion and Inward AffectionWeeping for the ChurchWeeping and Rejoicing Mixed (1)Weeping and Rejoicing Mixed (2)God Hears Our Prayers--His PartWhen It Seems God Doesn't HearThe Privilege of PrayerGod Hears Our Prayers--Our Part
February
Death Is a Gathering (1)Death Is a Gathering (2)The Righteous Preserve their NationGod's Righteous JudgmentThe Importance of Knowing God Loves Me (1)The Importance of Knowing God Loves Me (2)Abundance Is Not an Accurate Sign of God's LoveRun to GodChristian UnityChrist In Us (1)Christ In Us (2)Christ In Us (3)Christ In Us (4)Christ In Us (5)Christ the Servant: the MediatorThe Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax (1)The Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax (2)The Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax (3)The Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax (4)God Knows Our FrameLittle at First (1)Little at First (2)Sometimes Tender, Sometimes Tough (1)Sometimes Tender, Sometimes Tough (2)Avoiding Unnecessary RulesThe Weaker BrotherExtend Grace to One AnotherThe Covenant of GraceThe Light of God Compared to Fire (1)
March
The Light of God Compared to Fire (2)The Light of God Compared to Fire (3)Temptation (1)Temptation (2)The Source of DiscouragementsResponding to Christ's KindnessVictory in Spiritual BattlesHis Power Not OursCourage Until the End (1)Courage Until the End (2)Our Hearts—God's TempleSin in God's PeopleSigns of God's Impending Judgment (1)Signs of God's Impending Judgment (2)Signs of God's Impending Judgment (3)Preventing God's Judgment on Our Nation (1)Preventing God's Judgment on Our Nation (2)The Ugliness of Sin (1)The Ugliness of Sin (2)Far but NearChrist's Dying Words of ComfortThe Wrong of Excessive SorrowSteps to Bring Comfort to our Hearts (1)Steps to Bring Comfort to our Hearts (2)Steps to Bring Comfort to our Hearts (3)When We Feel Our Faith Is Weak (1)When We Feel Our Faith Is Weak (2)When We Feel Our Faith Is Weak (3)Christ and the Holy SpiritChrist Is the Heart and Power of the Scriptures (1)Christ Is the Heart and Power of the Scriptures (2)
No Comments