Healing through Jesus Christ

"He personally bore our sins in His (own) body on the tree (as on an altar and offered Himself on it), that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed." I Peter 2:24 (Amplified Bible) Healing has been an intense theme in my life since I was in my early twenties. I sought God out for healing from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, adhesions, bladder and kidney problems, hemophilia, a brain aneurysm, broken relationships, infertility…the list goes on. But truthfully I am no different than most women. We are each broken vessels that need to be healed. We were born into a sinful world, not of our own doing, and as we walk the path with Him or away from Him, healing is what most people seek. We may call it other things, such as: striving for success, seeking financial freedom, longing for love relationships or reaching for the stars but when it comes down to each of these things, what our heart cries out for is fulfillment through spiritual, emotional, mental or physical healing. If we feel the need to be better, greater, more fulfilled, then we must surmise that we are unfulfilled - empty or broken - in one or more of these areas. God’s Word tells us that Jesus died for our iniquities. He died for the places inside us that are broken. He died to heal the inner-most parts of who we are that feel broken and hurting. Out of those hurts we attempt to fill ourselves up with things of this world. Many of these pursuits involve sinful tactics and selfish actions to achieve a desired status or recognition. And from that selfishness we need forgiveness. But fear not, because if you seek Him you will find Him. If you ask for forgiveness, He will give it. And more importantly, you’ll have healing and fulfillment like you’ve never had before. Before you can truly be fulfilled or filled up to overflowing with God’s abundant life, you must first have your broken parts healed. A cup that has cracks in it won’t hold anything for very long, especially joy. For more inspiration, check out the book "PMS ~ Praising My Savior" A 28 day devotional for women. To schedule Karen for a speaking engagement go to www.womaninspired.com

Rejoice always?

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) I remember reading this scripture thinking; ”Seriously? As I’m doubled over in pain, the only think I am overflowing with is water retention, not joy! My ankles have now made my size 11 feet the equivalent to something Michael Jordan wears on the court and God wants me to be joyful over it?” But the more I focused on this scripture and prayed, the more I realized that God isn’t asking me to be thankful and jump for joy over bloating and mind-boggling cramps. I’m allowed to be unhappy over the fact that my ovaries feel like they’re being hung on a bulls-eye for target practice at a shooting range. Happiness is vastly different than joy. Happiness is frankly about what’s ‘happening’ at the moment, whereas joy is about what’s inside your heart and soul. Even during difficult PMS or menopausal hot-flashes, what’s deep inside of me is the love of God and His strength. Monthly hormones or lack thereof doesn’t take that joy away. And, naturally, the more I’ve prayed and meditated on this scripture the more I realized that when I’ve read it in the past I’ve usually glossed right over the “pray continually” and “give thanks” portions. Praying and giving thanks are natural ways to increase your endorphins, which in turn helps you deal with physical pain more easily. The answer was staring me in the face all the time. It just took looking beyond my ovaries for the meaning to sink in! I encourage you to pray regularly, consistently and fervently (with all your heart, mind, soul and body invested) and give thanks for His presence no matter what you’re going through on this day. I’ve never heard of one person who later said they regretted doing so. For information on how to schedule Karen to speak at your upcoming event, go to: www.womaninspired.com Today's blog is an excerpt from Karen's book "PMS ~ Praising My Savior, A 28 Day Devotional For Women" Join WomanInspired on FaceBook.