Bible – Page 5 – Spirituality & Healing

Inspiration for the future

Published on June 8, 2018June 7, 2018 by lindseybiggsLeave a comment

One of my favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

What I love about this passage is in the original Hebrew language it uses the word “shalom” to describe God’s plan. Shalom is one of those words that is packed full of meaning. It means peace, welfare, goodness, prosperity, total and complete wellbeing all in a single word. Imagine that! God’s will for you is goodness, welfare, peace, prosperity, complete and entire wellbeing. “God’s will” is a verb — it’s an action word. So, God is enforcing goodness, health, and wellbeing in your life.

When Jeremiah, the prophet, spoke this message to the people of Judah who were exiled in Babylon, it was a much needed message of hope. After the tumultuous events of 587 BCE including the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the Babylonian conquest of Judah, God’s promise was that God would restore the land and abundance, God would return the people to their home and out of exile, and there would be joy and celebration. It didn’t look like there was peace, but this message assured them that that was indeed God’s plan and so it came true.

This message is true for you, too! One time when I was feeling anxious about the future, I remembered this passage and God’s promise. This reminded me that God is in charge and God’s will is only good. God didn’t cause me to feel anxiety or doubt about my future, and I could overcome these thoughts by trusting God’s presence and power. I felt such a sense of peace and an assurance that God, good, was with me.

So the next time you are tempted to doubt or despair, know that God is not out to get you. Instead trust and remember that God’s plan for you is shalom — goodness, joy, peace, health, prosperity, and wellbeing, and God is willing this in your life!

Inspiration from Bible text

Published on November 2, 2017November 1, 2017 by lindseybiggsLeave a comment

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”… God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.

Genesis 1:27, 28, 31 NRSV

This Bible text has new meaning for me this week. There is the literal interpretation of the text “be fruitful and multiply” meaning to procreate. But what about if we can’t procreate, if we are beyond our child-bearing years or we just don’t want children? Does the text not apply? How about if we look at the text from a spiritual interpretation?

“Be fruitful” can signify fertility, but it can also have a larger meaning. Be useful. Be effective. Be constructive. Be worthwhile. Be helpful. Be beneficial. Be rewarding. Live a life that is well-spent. God is calling us to be productive, valuable, and rewarding.

This doesn’t mean be busy bodies.

Rushing around smartly is no proof of accomplishing much.*

It’s really about acknowledging the productivity that is already part of your day. It is already established. We are just awake and responding to it.

Success in life depends upon persistent effort, upon the improvement of moments more than upon any other one thing…If one would be successful in the future, let him make the most of the present.*

This reminds me of a time when I was seeking additional employment. I was looking for more expansive ways to use my talents as well as for additional financial income for my family.

I wrote down a list of all the spiritual qualities I felt I expressed naturally. Some of these included creativity, discipline, organization, attention to detail, energy, activity, love of community, etc. You could say I was writing a spiritual resume and becoming more aware of my spiritual identity. I called a friend who lived in another state and inquired if she knew of anyone hiring within our church organization. She informed she did know of someone, and they had just brought up my name as a possibility. When she sent me the job description, it included all of the qualities I had listed on my spiritual resume. I knew it would be a perfect fit. I interviewed for the job and was able to work remotely from my home. I started just a few weeks later. This work continued to be a blessing over the next few years.

The last part of the Bible text states that God saw everything he made and it was “very good”. This “very good” text is particularly noteworthy. Good means beneficial and useful. So, we are beneficial and useful to God, and we are beneficial and useful to the needs of society today.

20171030_210802 — This is a poster I passed by one day. Credit belongs to someone besides me.

Messages of worth and love

Published on April 28, 2017 by lindseybiggsLeave a comment

You are loved.

You are needed.

You have a holy origin.

You are made in the image and likeness of God, good.

You are special. God delights in you. She rejoices that She made you.

These are the messages that matter.

Wouldn’t it be great if instead of advertisements of sexuality, violence, and disease that run rampant in today’s media that we are instead reminded of our inherent worth as God’s image and likeness? Wouldn’t it be nice to receive reminders and affirmations to love one another and see the child of God in each of us? Just as we treat children with such tenderness, we can also nurture the child within each of us that hopes for and desires the eternal love of an all good Mom/Dad, that Jesus called “Abba”, Daddy.

You are sinless, you are eternal. Reminding ourselves of how our Creator makes us and sees us enables us to be a healer everyday, whether we are participating in larger actions of restorative justice or simply being faithful over the little things we can do each day.

We are made to heal because we reflect the heart of God. We are made to bind up the brokenhearted. We are made to wash each others feet with our tears.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Isaiah 61:1 ESV