SHARPEN OUR SCALPELS

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

“Do not recite words just to prove to yourself and others that you know and love God; for he already put his breath and light inside you. Instead, put TRUTH in your every word and action…” - Kazzam

 

I was in Shelby Ohio last night.  And before you say “where is Shelby Ohio”, it is in RICHLAND COUNTY near Mansfield.  I was there to support the Attorney General’s team and their community by introducing/offering Refuge Ohio and WOODHAVEN as possible solutions for their addicted and hurting.

 

And because he lives in a neighboring county, my friend Jerry stopped into the event. 

He is uniquely gifted man. 

 

He suffers from severe dyslexia, but his KNOWLEDGE of the written WORD, the Bible, is astounding.  He has persevered through his affliction thanks to creativity and a truly remarkable wife who will tireless READ the WORD of GOD and other teachings to him.  And equally remarkable is that GOD has gifted Jerry with a photographic sort of memory. 

 

So, when HE consumes the WORD of GOD, it STICKS!  And I will tell you, Jerry is then QUICK to wield and LEVERAGE that WORD in scalpel-like fashion in his ministry and in the face of his critics and challengers. 

His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word – Hebrews 4:12 (MSG)

 

Jerry and I are in collaboration on several projects.  He helps me engage the CHURCH in our efforts against addiction, he is a part of a new cooperative to provide sober options down the I-71 corridor, and he has offered me his connections and conduit to some of the now highest positions in our government. 

 

Yet as he and I were wrapping up last night, he was sharing the progress of an initiative to open a “hub” of opportunity and recovery in Holmes County. 

That plan is being met with some intense resistance. 

And as Jerry described the adversity, I started to feel myself becoming a little incredulous toward his opponents, but Jerry was QUICK to share THE WORD of GOD with me. 

He pulled from the precedents set by folks like Nehemiah. 

He reminded me of the teachings and processes Jesus employed when He faced opposition; guiding me to remember that JESUS was never deterred from His mission to, “seek and save the lost” – Luke 19:10 (NIV) regardless of roadblocks or myopic thinking.

 

That is what I admire so much about Jerry. 

I admire that he navigates his life with scalpel ALWAYS in hand. 

It seems that everything he encounters or every thought that he entertains is ALWAYS processed through the filter of the WORD of GOD. 

He exercises its TRUTH continuously; in every WORD and ACTION!  

And that allows him to remain patient. 

That allows him to persevere. 

That grants him the supernatural wisdom and insight to “keep the main things in life”, the main things.

 

And that challenged me today.  When I am faced with life’s challenges or its opposition, am I quick to consult “THE TRUTH” or do I instead lean on my own understanding?  I know I am not “supposed to” (Proverbs 3:5).

Am I quick to see today’s circumstances through the lens that says there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9) and that GOD’s PURPOSE will prevail! (Proverbs 19:21)

 

My friend Jerry does and he does it well.

 

So, the question for today is clear. 

Do WE KNOW the WORD of GOD well enough to WIELD it with confidence and clarity? 

Have we used it to equip us effectively for the trials and opposition we will face?

 

Perhaps it is time to sharpen our scalpels!

 

 

I love you all.

Have a blessed day!!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE