“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”
–Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV
Imagine that a sickly tree is uprooted from its home outside the sewage system of the slums, and it is replanted in a lush forest along the stream of a pure river flowing from a mountain glacier. The [adopted] son of the ranger who moved that tree was skeptical about the sickly tree’s potential.
That little boy was confident that this tree would remain sickly and die prematurely. “That tree’s condition is incurable,” said the little boy smugly. His dad, the ranger, had seen many sick trees flourish once they were removed from their old environment and planted by the streams of fresh, pure water. However, his little boy had a know-it-all attitude.
After the first two days that the sickly tree was replanted, the boy said, “See! That tree is still dead and withered. There is no hope for that tree along this river.” The father, however, just smiled to himself. He had seen trees in similar condition which came from the slum sewer system grow into healthy, strong trees that bore much fruit.
But this father knew that such a transformation wouldn’t happen overnight. Sure it only took a mere moment to load the sickly tree onto a truck in the sewer system as it was transferred to the life-giving waters. That did occur overnight. (See Psalm 3:2ff; Colossians 1:13)
However, the father knew that the growth process would take time and patience. As long as the sickly tree’s roots would abide in (or remain connected to) the fresh waters and would not recoil from such nourishment (that it originally had not been used to receiving), that tree would begin the healing process.
All the tree had to do was to continually receive the nourishment from the living waters, rather than recoiling its roots away from its new source. Then the root system of the tree would no longer retain the toxic elements from its old environment and way of existing, but would grow rooted and grounded in healthy ways. (See Luke 13:6-8; John 7:37-39; 15:1ff; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 3:14ff)
Confessions are statements that “say the same thing as” what God says in the Ancient Writings. Conforming our belief systems to God’s belief system will take time and patience. When we first read such Scriptures that seem so far from and foreign to our experience (e.g. if/whenever we eat gluten if we are battling Celiac disease or gluten intolerance), we will think that such statements must be either false or (more likely) taken out of their full context in the Scriptures.
For how can we be healed by Jesus’ stripes if we have a disease and all the symptoms and diagnoses thereof? Both facts cannot be true at the same time; therefore, healing cannot be a part of the atonement (what Jesus paid for on the cross), right?
But what if there is another explanation? What if our healing truly is paid for by Jesus’ stripes at the Roman whipping post 2,000 years ago, yet there is something else that must come into place so that our healing can manifest?
Dr. Bill Bright has used some fitting examples to explain this principle concerning our relationship with God (the Spirit-filled life). There was once a man in Texas named Mr. Yates, who was living on government welfare in abject poverty. One day, a seismic crew arrived at his doorstep wanting to drill on his land in order to test for oil. The crew discovered a massive oil reserve on Mr. Yates’ property, and Mr. Yates became a millionaire after the discovery of the oil that had been there the entire time.
Mr. Yates was a “millionaire living in abject poverty.” He owned that oil the moment he had bought the land, but he was “perishing for lack of knowledge” of what he truly had available to him within the land (see Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6). As Dr. Bright has said, I can’t think of a more fitting example concerning the Spirit-filled life. (1)
Jesus came in order that we would have abundant life, but it is possible for us not to experience it when we don’t understand what we truly have and who we truly are in Christ. (see John 8:31ff; 10:10)
Allow me to use another example. Imagine that I am morbidly obese, weighing 300 pounds. One day, I decide that my unhealthy lifestyle is going to kill me unless I make some drastic lifestyle changes. So I buy a set of dumbbells to exercise with daily.
After two days of exercising with the dumbbells and eating healthier, however, I still am morbidly obese. I throw up my hands in frustration, complaining, “Diet and exercise doesn’t work! Good health is not for me today. Anybody who thinks differently is an arrogant, health-and-wealth, name-it-and-claim-it, Pollyanna, mind-over-matter, prosperity gospel heretic who is totally insensitive to my pain!”
Consequently, I remain stuck in my mindsets of self-pity, self-contempt, bitterness, complaining, and other toxic mindsets that are sabotaging my health (physiologically) and my interpersonal relationships.
Like the arrogant little boy whose “know-it-all” attitude kept him from seeing any hope for that sickly tree, so also in the above hypothetical example, my skeptical, self-righteous theology and opinion about losing weight would keep me in bondage to my former unhealthy mental and behavioral cycles.
Although Jesus did pay for my healing as the Great Physician, I still have to follow His directions in submission to His knowledge and authority in order to reap the benefits of His expertise. Like the sickly tree, I have to learn how to remain in a bonded, connected posture towards God’s grace, love, nurture, wisdom, knowledge, instructions, and compassion.
The truth will make me free, but it is my responsibility to believe in the Truth rather than continuing to believe the lies that would physiologically keep me in sickness. A doctor can prescribe the medicine to treat his patient, but if the patient doesn’t take that medicine or follow the doctor’s instructions concerning the medicine, then the medicine’s benefits may not manifest in the patient’s health. Healing may not occur overnight, just as I can’t lose 150 pounds overnight, or the sickly tree may not bear healthy fruit overnight.
It will be more of a process (what the Bible calls “sanctification”). We may receive our justification (or salvation from the powers of hell) overnight, just as it only takes a moment for a bride to enter into a marriage covenant with her husband. But the sanctification process (of growth and maturity) will take time, just as the newly-weds will need to exercise time and patience with each other when it comes to cultivating a healthy, intimate marriage.
The attached PDF document is a sample list of “confessions” to “get the ball rolling” on the process of being transformed by the renewing of the mind when it comes to gluten intolerance. Feel free to read it if that is of interest to your journey.
DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this article, attachment, and all other posts on this website is for informational purposes only, and must not be construed or mistaken for professional medical advice, nor should these resources be seen as a replacement for professional medical treatment. Please consult your doctor for any changes regarding diet, medication, etc. The author is not a healer nor a licensed medical professional and is not responsible for the cause, prevention, or recovery of any disease or syndrome. There is no guarantee that any disease will be prevented or cured. It is solely up to the reader to analyze and apply the information as they see fit under the supervision of trusted medical professionals.
PDF Confessions addressing Gluten Intolerance
- https://www.cru.org/car/en/train-and-grow/transferable-concepts/be-filled-with-the-holy-spirit.5.html
For more information on this concept of “confessions” or coming into agreement with what God says about you, see the post “Practicing Mindfulness” here.
To learn about entering into a personal relationship with God, see “Would You Like to Be God’s Personal Slave?” (Don’t worry; it’s not as bad as it sounds!) 🙂
