30 Thoughts prompted by Bones

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Thought 28

Jeremiah 23:9

[ Lying Prophets ] Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble. I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and His holy words.

Just in case we felt that the word in the previous thought was a bit extreme, we have confirmation here. The chapter begins with a sad report of what the shepherd’s of Israel are not doing, and continues with a promise that the Lord Himself will shepherd His flock.

The bad report affects Jeremiah’s health, and he is overcome with sadness for those to be reprimanded. Do we get so concerned for others, or do we think it has nothing to do with us. The Lord is asking us to pray so that everyone turns fully to Him.

Pray for the shepherd responsible for your church community to understand that the Good Shepherd looks after them. Pray for the Lord’s protection in all he or she undertakes. Pray for wisdom, revelation and discernment for him or her.

Praise God for His overwhelming love for His church, His bride.

Thought 29

Proverbs 15:30

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

In Thought 18 we saw that good words bring healing to our bones. Here is a verse for those who are too shy to speak! All of us can look cheerful, even if we can’t say anything encouraging! But what about sharing good news? How the media delights in giving us bad news! It seems that good news is not interesting. If we take the words we have read seriously, we can see that the media is killing us all slowly with it’s reporting. Maybe we should listen less to them and more to the Lord who brings us the good news of salvation and everlasting life.

Pray to be a bringer of good news and cheerful looks. Pray for the media to get a better balance in their reporting. Pray for the good things happening in the war-torn areas of the world to be made known.

Praise God for the good news of the gospel.

Thought 30

Proverbs 3:5-8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

We started this study with a recipe for happy relationships, and we end with a recipe for a happy healthy life. The only way to success in any aspect of our lives is to put the Lord first in everything we do. The same things applies to the church. Does your church seek the Lord in every decision it makes? Do you?

Pray for His help to make the right decisions today.

Praise Him that He longs for us to be healthy, happy, a blessing to others and to Him.

That brings us to the end of these thoughts prompted by Bones. We hope you have enjoyed the study and grown closer to the Lord through it.

We will be taking a few days off now before bringing you a fresh study next month. Be sure to bookmark this site and check back regularly for new studies. In the meantime, take a look at my books available through Editions de la Source.

See you soon, and God Bless You.

Anne ELMER