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“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.” – (Proverbs 4:20-27 ESV)
A godly life is a rewarding life. Godliness or holiness of the heart is not a major focus of much modern-day preaching. It seems that being culturally acceptable is our goal instead of counter-cultural discipleship. But God has always called his people to walk the ‘narrow road’ which requires us to ponder the path we are currently on. The right path requires spiritual discipline – not legalism. We must learn to focus our thinking on “things above.” Thinking spiritual thoughts produces peace and joy but requires grace empowered effort. Our thoughts and words help form who we are and influence our behavior.
True spiritual transformation only happens by the power of the Holy Spirit. After his accession to heaven, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to teach us God’s word, will, and his ways. And God’s ways are always holy.
If we are pursuing wisdom and instruction from our Teacher we must pay close attention to his words. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Pursuing God’s wisdom and healing should go hand -in- hand.
Dr. Michael Brown makes the point that healing in Proverbs 3:8, 4:22 doesn’t just refer to spiritual healing but also our physical bodies. These verses indicate holistic healing. “Godly living and the fear of the Lord were expected to produce tangible results.” Brown quotes W. McKane saying, “Longevity and physical and material well-being…are important aspects of the man who keeps the words and saying of the teacher.”(1)
God is sovereign and we know that not every godly person is always healed in this lifetime, for a variety of reasons. But, that shouldn’t deter us from pursuing spiritual, mental, emotional and physical healing. King David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Psalm 103:2-3 said: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases..”
(1.) Israel’s Divine Healer, page 162.