Proverbs 4:22 “for they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh”
You would think that it was a tough experience. And when you just look at the practicalities it could easily read like that. I was staying in El Progresso in Honduras, Central America. I was staying in this town with a beautiful family for around six weeks. They had three children and an “adopted” seventeen-year-old boy. And me. They lived on the outskirts of the town in a one-roomed house built onto the side of a small adobe church.
The reason I was there was to start to learn Spanish. No one spoke English at all, so to survive I had to learn Spanish. I slept on the floor of the church at night, usually from after the service finished (around 10.30 pm) until the ladies came for early morning prayers (around 4.30 am).
Some days I would spend the whole day in the church, pacing up and down, kneeling at the altar, reading and crying over scriptures and generally seeking God in His word. It came naturally, hours would go by as I poured over one verse and asked God to open it up to me, and He did.
But there were tough practicalities as well, I had a serious upset stomach for four of the six weeks with amoeba’s from the water and lost around twenty kilos in weight. I slept on the floor of the church and would barely get five hours most nights. I had nowhere to call my own space. I was exposed to violence and close proximity gunfire at times. Initially, I could not speak any of the languages. I had my first fever there. We lived on rice, beans and tortillas most days.
Oh but the joy! I would sit in a hammock some days surrounded by the local children as they helped me learn Spanish, I was like a seven-year-old, conjugating my verbs by rote as they laughed and teased me for hours. I would make up ridiculous sentences with deliberate mistakes to make them laugh.
I played soccer on the beach at Tela with the family and had fish and chips (Honduran style) for my 40th birthday. The older boys slept on the floor of the church with me at nights and we would tell stories and laugh till our stomachs were aching.
We would go on noisy bus journeys together, with the crazy Latino loud music and people hanging from the sides of the bus at times, young children pushed bags of frozen flavoured milk towards us on sticks at every dusty stop.
We went on adventures to the mountains, and to other midnight services in the shanty towns nearby. We prayed together for hours at a time and became like a band of brothers, often lying against each other on the small sofa in the one-roomed house. We packed into the back tray of pickup trucks (I remember twelve of us and a pig once) as we bounced around over unmade roads on the way to a church service in another village.
Life is not always found where we think it should be.
KNOWLEDGE
If we have a true desire to know the fullness of life, to see and experience the healing work of God, then his words and sayings should be like a drug to us. His word will sustain us when all else fails, His word will heal us when doctors are proclaiming no hope, His word will lead us into the fullness of life, beyond anything we can imagine or consider. Here we have the wisest man who ever lived, sharing his God-given wisdom with us, and there is such a prophetic edge to this scripture, there is so much power harnessed in the scripture, there is so much potential unlocked through this scripture, and there is such a releasing of God’s goodness through this scripture.
We could easily read this and pass over it to the next scripture without much thought. But this scripture is not one to pass over, it’s one that points to the pass over, the lamb of God. In Genesis 1 we read – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then in John in his opening moment echo’s Genesis, and points to Jesus, when he says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.
Jeremiah adds his thoughts when he says [29:13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jesus the living Word of God brings it home as he points to his Father with the words {6:33] “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”.
The decision sits with us, to seek or not to seek – on that decision rests the potential of our days.
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word for “life” in Hebrew is pronounced “hay” and appears 140 times in the Old Testament. In the ESV this word is translated into English words such as life; living thing; beasts; animal; alive; creature; lifetime; raw flesh; appetite; vigorous; green; flock; maintenance; gladdens life; and, freshwater.
In our verse above the implied meaning is physical life, that God’s words sustain our physical life, [as well as perhaps our immortal life – Easton}
Wisdom: What is your life empowered and enabled by today?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Achiever and Context as a Theme Dynamic. You learn as you go, and you grow as you learn.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [they keep you alive as you continually search for them [God’s words], and they are medicine, a remedy and deliverance to my actual body and self.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Please help me to value always your words, and to seek always your presence. Thank you.
I so love feedback – please do scroll down and use a few moments to bless me?
I can empathise Allan, I had amoebic dysentery when I was 16 and living in Botswana. I am really loving these powerful verses that remind me to hold His promises and life giving scriptures close to my heart. I know well the comfort they have provided in very dark and stormy times. Right now, in a time of such division, chaos and fake news everywhere the life giving Truth is my compass.
The Word of God is powerful and sharper than a two edged sword yet few read it and yet fewer apply it.
You have an amazing journey and Hid has a wonderful plan for you. Praise God.
The Word of God is powerful and sharper than a two edged sword yet few read it and yet fewer apply it.
You have an amazing journey and He has a wonderful plan for you. Praise God.
I wished I could have accompanied you in your journeys
So faith filled and inspiring
Learn as you grow grow as you learn
Is a one liner filled with gold
I truly wish that I’d have “learnt” a bit quicker before growing
If hindsight were a thing
Through your “stories” I’m growing and learning more about me
So thank you
Pastor Alan, your life is soooo packed with adventure and that unknown journey that u lived for a long time, it seems that everything u hav done u can see God is present on this remarkable journey, I can jus imagine this Big Scottish man with a broad Scottish accent learning Spanish ( no wonder the kids were laughing 😂), what great fulfilment to see u doing what God called u 2do pastor Alan & continue to sow good seeds in people lives, may u go from strength 2 strength & glory 2glory pastor 🙏🏿👍🏾
The Word is progressive as He meets us where we are at and together we journey through life therefore I grow on a daily basis. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and is still dwelling as we saw today. Thanks
Gods word so powerful.
His word promises new life to us.
Brings healing physically ,spiritually and emotionally.
My prayer today would be to keep my eyes fixed on him and press forward to all that he has in store .
Thanks Pastor Allan for further insight into your incredible journey of life!
As you say from reading this verse we need to treat God’s Word like we’re addicted to it as a drug to give us life giving nutrients to sustain our well being. Intentionally applying it in our daily living brings so much freedom & peace of mind to our emotions physical & mental health. There is never anything greater than to experience God’s love kindness & protection in a world full of twists & turns & unpredictable events. He is Our anchor when the storms hit & we have no where to turn. His Word brings so much comfort & brings perspective in the light of our eternal destiny & in the backdrop of eternity. What a privilege to have God’s Word so readily available to us in our world when you think about the persecuted church who literally stake their lives on it. So the responsibility lies with me to dig deep into the Word & find out what treasures & secrets it holds for me to live the best life I can.
Ps Allan there is so much Gold in the knowledge section. This stood out to me was this – then his words and sayings should be like a drug to us. Wow!
So encouraged by your story in Honduras.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us all.
Amen!
Life is not always found where we think! Wow!!
God’s word will sustain us when all fails – Amen!
His word will heal when doctors are proclaiming no hope. His word leads us into fullness of life and beyond anything we can imagine or consider. AMEN !🙏
Hi ps Allan ;?that right the words of God is powerful; I still don’t believe how story in ur life is amazing; how humble u was in Honduras unfortunately that country is poor and glorified God there.
Thx u again for God words.
This is a powerful message, reminding us of God’s promises— treasures that never fail to strengthen, nourish and heal us when life looks bleak and lonely and we long for a strong shoulder to lean on. Our Heavenly Father who created us, knows what is best for us. He is always there when we seek Him, understand and learn His Words of wisdom.
His word will sustain us when all else fails – Amen. He will never let us down.
Love how you learnt spanish and the story of the children helping you.
Love this line – Life is not always found where we think it should be.