High cholesterol.
The diagnosis was rather surprising considering my husband was only in his thirties. This discovery had far reaching implications since plaque is the main cause of heart attack and stroke in America. Almost immediately, Mark decided to prevent the disaster that loomed in his future. After all, keeping blood freely flowing through his arteries was vital to his overall cardiovascular health.
Over the last several weeks, the Father has been speaking to me about my overall spiritual health. Could I have a clogging of my spiritual arteries?
Within my spirit, I am healthy. God has given me a new spirit and sealed His very own Holy Spirit within mine. But, the artery joining spirit and soul had become dangerously clogged. Worldly thoughts and emotions have caused a build-up in my ability to freely understand His spiritual reality. Information from my culture obstructs a smooth flow of His peace and attitude into my soul.
So just where is the key to victory?
“The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12).
Piercing from the soul (my thoughts and emotions) into the spirit… From the outside in, His Word is what unclogs my spiritual arteries!
When my thoughts and emotions are infused with His life-giving Logos, this build-up between soul and spirit is pierced through to reopen my access to Truth. His Word is the statin of my soul. A watered-down version of someone else’s teaching won’t do, but only the “pure milk of the Word” can unclog our build-up “against the knowledge of God” (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Corinthians 10:5).
He is not only the Living Word active within me, He is also the Written Word, open before me. This double-edged sword pierces from the outside in, penetrating all the way to the “division of soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12).
His Living Word in my heart works in tandem with His Written Word in my lap, keeping thoughts and intentions healthy. No matter the situation around me — a distressing health report, a dismaying family circumstance or a disturbing political situation — I can have peace with both God and myself through my Lord Jesus Christ.
“O Blessed Father,
Thank You for Your Word — the Logos Christ — Who is available both within and without. I know that “it is the Spirit Who gives life”, but how often I entertain the flesh, although it “profits nothing” (John 6:63). Draw me back to Your Written Word, Father. Despite my many distractions, help me to “hold fast to the Word of Life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain” (Philippians 2:16).
Flow freely from within me, as I make a steady diet of the pure milk of Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
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