Healing Declared: A SOAP Study on Luke 13:10-17

May 17, 2025August 26, 20251 Comment

**New excerpt from Juju’s book…**

In Luke 13:10-17, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath when he notices a woman with a disabling spirit. As she totters through the temple gates, Jesus calls the woman over, confirms her restoration, and heals her condition. No longer crooked, she glorifies God and prompts Jesus to criticize the religious leaders for their lack of compassion.

Digging into this summary, we find meaningful implications, especially where sickness and infirmity dwell. For starters, we must not deny those around us who are poor in spirit and health, desperate for Jesus in a way that extends past their margins.

As a NICU alum, I can boldly testify to this. Every day during Juju’s life, Lys and I entered a larger-than-life mystery box, a stream of unknowns where anything could happen. From what we experienced, the emotional highways were unending from dead-end hopelessness to confounding crossroads. In each situation, parents, like the crooked woman, were searching for anything their hope could cling to – comfort, healing, answers, you name it!

Yet, as challenging as that season was, the contrast in processing helped us understand the power within the presence of God. While there were moments when we sought the Lord because there was no other way, there were other times we sensed his call and responded accordingly. So, it was with our protagonist in Luke 13, who not only personified what it meant to be in the right place at the right time but saw her affliction as a catalyst for intervention.

Examining the woman’s transformation, we find some notable takeaways, particularly in v. 10-13, during which Jesus orchestrates his miracle:

1. In v. 10, Jesus sees the woman even though he was already teaching in the synagogue.
2. At the start of v. 12, he calls her over instead of continuing with his message.
3. By the end of v. 12, he declares her freedom before healing her disability.

While circumstantial at the surface, we can behold the intentionality within this order when we assess similar healings in the Gospels. Like the bent woman, Jesus repeatedly modeled his heart alongside his power, relating to the context of suffering even before his presence was recognized. This poses a powerful thought:

To the extent our faith activates when we sense God’s presence, it also stirs when we hear His voice. Like gravity, His Word summons the innermost part of our being in a way that compels us to move in his direction.
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No wonder the woman had no issue journeying to Jesus. the joy set before her resonating with the joy set before him.

Upon her arrival, note how Jesus reacts: He doesn’t immediately remove the woman’s iniquity but proclaims her victory! Again, this subtle progression is profound. Though some might question why Jesus would call his shot, the purpose behind his declaration wasn’t to simply highlight his divinity but to deliver salvation while proving his love. Had the purity behind the action lacked, the woman’s response may have reflected differently. But like many before her who battled long-lasting crippling ailments, the outflow of praise rode on the heels of the expectancy. In the end, it was all about Jesus, religious and wishful sentiments be da*rned.

For the griever and/or loved one stuck in the hospital, while our prayers have power and purpose, what we voice as expressions of hope yields the truth of who God is and what he wills from his nature. Ultimately, God is going to finish the good work he started in you (Philippians 1:6) as heaven meets earth in wonder-working fashion (Matthew 6:10). True, we will never have all the answers as to why we must endure in specific ways; however, when we remember how Jesus made space to heal a woman in the middle of a sermon on a day His Father set apart for rest, we can draw encouragement knowing God is always for us, even during the darkest and craziest of days.

Prayer: “Jesus, you told your followers, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, so believe in Me as well. Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives,’ (John 14:1, 27). We confess we need your peace, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding’ (Philippians 4:7) to guard our hearts and minds. We humbly come before you with our weary hearts and pray that you continue to show us fresh levels of love and grace as we go through this season of sorrow and transition. Help us to find peace in your presence. Wipe our tears, Lord, and carry us through this season of mourning and deep sadness. Help us to trust in your unfailing love and to fix our eyes on you, Jesus. As we lift our worries to you, we humbly ask that you lift up our hearts from what may overwhelm us. May your presence bring us joy and comfort as we embark on this journey of healing with you. In your most holy name, we pray. Amen.”

Cover photo creds: Sunflower Seeds

Staying the Course: The Epitome of Workplace Resilience

March 23, 2025April 5, 2025Leave a comment

One of my favorite times of the year occurs during this third week of March. If you’re a hoops fan, you know what’s up.

Of course, I’m talking about March Madness and the bracketology insanity sweeping the nation. Nothing like a barrage of action-packed, down-to-the-wire basketball games highlighting a stretch that sees winter doldrums fade into early spring crazes.

Yet, amidst the signs of seasonal transition, I’m taken back by a certain notion, one often unpopular despite its ~99.9% success rate. That take in three words? Stay…the…course¹.

Perhaps I’m inspired by honest charges rooted in athletic and battle-cry themes. Perhaps I’m getting older and have lived long enough to see the directive verify. Regardless, I wouldn’t be writing this if my motivation lacked potential impact, relevancy, and most importantly, Scriptural ties.

As always, let’s dive in…

In the Word, one can find many examples of what staying the course looks like, both directly and indirectly. For today’s purposes, we’ll concentrate primarily on New Testament themes. Starting with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5), we find a series of entrust statements from Jesus at the Mount of Beatitudes (I.e. “Blessed are those who are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth, blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”, etc). Taking the mean of these eight veracities, we find powerful tropes with eternal implications. While many derivatives can be gleaned, one in particular stands out: You are blessed when you stay the course, walking with God steadily on the road revealed by God while making every effort to seek Him in gratitude.

As Paul testifies in Acts 20:24 and 2 Timothy 4:7, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” All spoken with utmost intention as bedrocks for hope, righteousness, and in some cases, the fulfillment of ministry. The problem for some of us lies in how we conditionally apply and abide within any discipline requiring vertical dependence.

Starting out on any journey, our aim is to anchor what we believe into what we practice.
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In every way, in all we say, we aspire to honor God in the culture and community He’s placed us in.

How then do we cope when not everyone is on the same page as to what following God looks like? What if the mission is pure but the roadmap leading there is potentially riddled with fear, compromise, even complacency? What if our loyalty and commitment aren’t acknowledged or matched by those around us? How can we stay the course when the environment around us is harsh, in decay, or forgets we’re playing a part in making the dream fly?

For starters, we must remember any form of faithfulness we exude is a gift from God and a ‘yes’ to following in Christ’s likeness. While we honor our authorities, leaders, and governing principalities, we achieve this through the overflow of surrender unto God for all He has done and continues to accomplish. This is why daily dying to our preferences John 3:30 and 1 Corinthians 2:14-style is crucial to not giving into our anxieties and fleshly desires. Often, we take inventory by way of our shoulder. We pull back, hesitate, and withdraw due to what’s not working, what’s being missed or even the fear of these things happenings; however, as valid as our occupational concerns may be, we must not automatically synonymize them to the satisfaction of our own needs. After all, when we consider Paul’s example, we note true strength is not only relying on God but realizing His desire to mature us through adversity. Accordingly, we shouldn’t assume God is lifting His hand or readying an audible when the presence of pressure or partisan hits. Rather, in those moments, we should see the immediate prompt to recommit our ways and recast our cares, repetition be darned.

Granted, I understand this is easier said than done, especially when transition seems constant; however, as one who has seen his fair share, I implore you: Do not embrace offense when you see people making choices you wouldn’t make or when any form of health is inadvertently withdrawn. As much as we crave peace of mind, we shouldn’t let a temporary lack prevent us from championing the peace of Christ as far as it be with us (Romans 12:18). And hear me, friends, I get the disorientation that comes when traction and stability are moving targets. I understand how hard it can be when you’re waiting years for due diligence and the dust to settle. But at the end of the day…

We can’t move on as God intended without putting ourselves in position for God to reveal His next best steps for us.
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For when we’re actively communing with God and relinquishing the entitlement to make sense of our surroundings, only then will we recognize the epitome of resilience, which in vocational terms, is enduring with integrity and humility even when what is right and necessary are concealed.

As Vince Lombardi, Thomas Edison, and many a Chinese and Biblical Proverb have stated, in this life, many will quit prematurely, forge pathways to greener pastures, and manufacture their own resets. Many will find what they’re looking for but in the wrong way. But as for us, regardless of how we’re feeling, our foundation must be God and our call to follow Him. Consider the Psalmist in Psalm 119:1-8 (ESV/MSG):

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who stay the course, who seek God with their whole heart…and walk in His ways! You have commanded your pathways to be kept diligently. Oh, that my ways may be steadfast in keeping [them]! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn of your [next step]…”

Stay tuned next time when I’ll discuss the right ways we can seek transition from a current employer as a ‘part 2’ to this post using Exodus 33 as a guide. Until then, be blessed, stay classy, and don’t give up.

Selah.

Graphic creds: iStock

Footnotes

Or “stand by your ground“

Springs Within You: A SOAP Study on Psalm 85-87

March 8, 2025March 8, 2025Leave a comment

Well, folks. The weather outside is finally changing. You know what that means…

Fire up ‘severe weather mode’ on Flash Weather.
De-winterize the house.
Compose another SOAP Bible study!*

*For those who don’t know, Lys and I are huge fans of this practice having implemented it during our youth pastor tenure. While our time in student ministry is long gone, in recent years, we’ve efforted to tailor these studies towards vocationals as part of our His Girl Fryday initiative; hence, why the legacy lives on.

Today, we’ll examine Psalm 85 and Psalm 87 in the context of Israel’s exile. While these selections may seem random at first glance, my hope is you’ll know why I chose these chapters by the end.

As always…

Observations: If you’ve studied the Psalms in detail, you know the book is composed of 150 chapters broken down into sections. With Book 3 (Psalm 73-89) focusing on the tragedy of Israel’s uprooting and downfall of David’s family, one might think the tenor of Psalm 87 is out of place; however, this is partly due to how the sons of Korah¹ constructed their songs. Anticipating transition, Psalm 87 represents a confident foreshadowing, specifically Israel’s restoration and relationship to other nations.

A precursor to Psalm 87, Psalm 85 establishes the following tropes, all essential to our spiritual walk:

God is faithful to bring a foundation to our footsteps, especially during seasons of adversity (Psalm 85:13).
God draws near to those who fear and revere Him, who anticipate His voice and glory to manifest (Psalm 85:9).
God’s love and faithfulness aren’t mutually exclusive as they’re intertwined within the same flow (Psalm 85:10-11).

These realities set the stage for Psalm 87, in which the privileges of God’s people are recognized and celebrated. Although the chapter is relatively short, the song lacks no exclamation given the holy tribute and 3:1 ‘verse-to-selah’ ratio. The general gist is straightforward and simple: As salvation comes forth from Zion, God takes note to what He can foresee.

But perhaps my favorite part of Psalm 87 is the final verse (v. 7): “All my springs and sources of joy are in you.”

While the ‘you’ is a cite to Jerusalem, given the polysemy of the Psalms, one could deduce this refers to something more than the city itself. Again, we must discern the tone and style of the author. For instance, the sons of Korah tended to ask questions they knew the answers to but framed anyway.

Will God do ‘x’? Why, God, do you ‘y’? How long, O Lord, will you ‘z’?

In almost every case, the resolution comes in the conclusion and inspires a modern-day practice. No matter, how dire, how challenging, how impossible a situation might seem, God, in both His Word and Way, is everlasting. Even if we seem far from the promised land we seek, God’s sovereignty is constant and His love is steadfast. Knowing this, the concerns we have should not interrogate God’s nature but inquire how we must journey with Him to see greater character, intimacy, and fruit result.

As for us, there may be an uptick in storms in the weeks and months ahead, literally and figuratively. but spiritually speaking, why not let the word picture of ‘spring’, both the season and water source, refresh our inner man? As Psalm 85:10-11 and Psalm 87:7 encourage us, why not receive the fullness of God’s springs and assess our return flow? After all, every good and perfect gift is from above. All we are or hope to be, all we have or ever hope to have, all we attain or ever hope to attain is from Him. Let the people of God acknowledge this and praise Him for it.

Application:

Prayer: Lord, as the winds of change surround us, we thank you for being at hand. As we worship you in Spirit and Truth today, we’re reminded how grateful we are that you are Lord of all, the God who sustains our help and gives us everything we need for goodness and godliness. No matter what tomorrow holds, we pause now to reflect on your love, your faithfulness, and how we can allow your currents to purify the rhythms in which we believe and operate. To what needs to be surrendered, convict us with grace so we may properly deal with our baggage. To what needs to be received, we ask you to not only revive us to taste you in full but to broaden our capacity to trust your truth in an increasingly compromising world. Help us not be overly discouraged by where abandonments are occurring. Rather scale our faith to see the grander scheme unfolding and how we can partner with you in victory. Give us this day and season as bread so we may feed your sheep as fed. In your holy and precious name. Amen.

Footnotes:

The sons of Korah were Levites, from the family of Kohath. By David’s time, they served in the musical aspect of the temple worship (2 Chronicles 20:19).

Cover graphic creds: Wallpapers.com

Real-Life Habits: A Practical Example to Transform Your Life

February 13, 2025February 20, 2025Leave a comment

Written 11/26/24 for our latest MercyTalk podcast…

Back in April 2018, four months removed from a seven-year youth pastor assignment, I had a revelation that produced a habit I still practice to this day. As a state employee working in a stale environment, I sensed my walk with the Lord was starting to wane. For so long, motivation and inspiration overflowed naturally courtesy of 50 students and an opportunity to mature leadership in a liturgical setting; however, once I released the calling, I realized how much of my identity had become baked into my influence. Without youth in my life, I felt lost. Apart from my family, there was little to no accountability to guide my relationship with Jesus. Needing a spark, I knew my internal compass needed a reset.

So, I decided I would not only have daily quiet times during each morning commute but record them on my iPhone. With my weekly commutes averaging out to 6.5 hours, I figured I might as well talk and pray with God as I battle the banes of Nashville traffic. The decision turned out to be a game-changer as not only did the practice settle my spirit each day before work but allowed me to hear the mix of truth and lies roaming within. On some days, conviction came by declaring God’s Word out into the open; on others, I found grace simply in coming to Jesus as I was. In either case, my quiet time commutes were my happy hours during which I took thoughts captive and replaced them with holy perspective.

Fast-forward to October 2022 and I’m a month removed from losing my daughter, Jubilee, who took her last breath in my lap after a 393-day fight with chronic lung disease. For weeks I had been stone cold, flooding the pavement with tears during my workouts. Yet, everywhere else, the frozen numbness of grief had overtaken me. That’s when I returned to the practice of recording my quiet times on drives to work. During Jubilee’s life, the habit had faded to back-burner status through all the hustle and bustle. While there were times before Juju’s death when I felt as if I was walking on water, I sensed the sinking heading into 2023. If there ever was a time to rekindle the rhythm, this was it.

Like five years prior, I found myself pressing the red record button in my Audio app more frequently. With vulnerability on blast, there was never an intention of sharing the files with anyone. I simply needed to feel a connection with God, to feel His presence and listening ear calming the choppy waters of my soul. Occasionally, I would stumble upon an ‘ah ha’ moment, an epiphany with content-creating potential; however, the end goal was always to make room for God to invade my space and to catch Him doing it so I wouldn’t forget.

Having reached 400 records as of 11/20/2024, I can confidently say this habit has proven effective in stabilizing my mind, emotions, and walk with God all in one swoop. I especially recommend the practice for those in seasons of chaos in which they want to declutter or ‘spring clean’ their heart to hear the Shepherd’s voice more clearly.

Cover photo creds: Medium

Let Your ‘In Christ’ Be at Work

February 3, 2025February 3, 2025Leave a comment

Last December, I was taking inventory of my New Years goals and resolutions when the following revelation occurred to me: Why is it we’re more comfortable being for Christ than in Christ? Why does the thought of ‘in Christ’ intimidate us?

For many of us, we trust God and His Word as irrefutable truth, our belief a banner we wave and a root system anchoring our thoughts and behaviors. Like many Christians, we can wrap our minds around Christ in us by way of salvation and sanctification. Yet, even though we know God is infinitely greater, even though we can generally comprehend the life He facilitates, we sometimes struggle to grasp our lives 24/7/365 in Him and accordingly struggle to scale the challenges in front of us.

Often, we settle into rhythms, patterns, and mindsets where faith exists at their core. Still, I can’t help but wonder how they would change if we saw the ‘abiding in Christ’ potential in them. As to how we connect the dots, I submit we start by considering not only what does it mean to be ‘in Christ’ but how do we let our ‘in Christ’ be at work?

First, we must discern what it means to be ‘in Christ’. To be in Christ means we’re unified with Him personally and corporately. In Galatians, Paul talks about our new ‘in Christ’ identity by way of putting our hope and faith in Him. For many, we hear the phrase during baptisms and communions when we identify with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection. Where the Cross has power, there we can abide in Christ as we walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4-5), which defined one way, is resurrection applied to every thought, pattern, belief, decision, temptation, all facets and modes of life.

While ‘newness of life’ can seem like a lofty phrase, one can always translate this to the surface through basic affirmations, saying ‘yes’ to ‘I’m loved by God’, ‘yes’ to the Cross and Jesus purchasing us at a price, ‘yes’ to leaving our sinful pasts behind, to ‘It is finished’, if you will. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we embrace a new identity as children reconciled to God and our part of one body, the family of God, in which we abide from victory, not for it. 

In Christ we find deliverance and healing, victory and life, goodness and godliness. Colossians 3:3 says we have died and our lives are hidden with Christ, notable as this also reflects how we’re to store His Word after spiritually ingesting it.

Effectively, to be ‘in Christ’ means God sees the righteousness of His Son operating in and through us.
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But how do we exactly walk in this? For starters, we must position ourselves to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. While many recognize this opportunity as a gift of accepting Christ’s sacrifice as payment for our rap sheets, unfortunately, not all believers allow their minds to be renewed as spiritual walks fatigue and, in some cases, become compartmentalized. Sometimes, the hindrance is due to offenses that have matured to doubts, fears, bitterness, and resentments. When we tolerate these love-forsaken realities, our spiritual accounting becomes off-balance, where the cost of following Christ becomes almost equal to not following Him; hence, why many grow weary and stagnant. Over time, we become like vehicles wanting to hit the road yet are too scared about the fluids required to get there. Eventually, we stomach enough to reset and ramp onto new pathways, but with limited containers of health.

This leads me to another critical point…

When we take stock of our walk every new year, we must understand ‘reset’ and ‘renew’ are not the same.
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With a reset, you take your plate to God where grace is received through humility and rest is received by the surrendering of your will in the moment, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, one must be daily dying in the context of vertical intimacy. Take it from one who’s failed in this time and time again: It doesn’t make sense to reset our walks, and by proxy, our vocational and spiritual trajectories, if we don’t intend to renew our minds, respond to conviction, and invite God into our brokenness.

Again, the obstacles are many but with them comes a challenge we must relish: In our aims to be equipped and effective, from knowledge base to spiritual growth, in our desire to experience greater wholeness, we must open ourselves up to be healed in our emotions. How we tend our broken hearts corporately cannot be swept under the carpet of mission, in the call we have to lay groundwork for holy repair. In the context of heaven meets earth, we may genuinely desire effectiveness; however, if we’re not acknowledging God in all our ways, if we’re not grasping our ‘loved-by-God, in-Christ identity’, our reach, the authenticity of our influence, will be capped.

So, my hope for us this year is at the least two-fold:

That we release any inhibitions in fully surrendering our lives to God.
That we give God more room to invade our space in all areas of life.

Not just at church, on Sundays, in our quiet times, but in our offices, the phone lines, conversations, yes, even the secret thoughts we have about each other. For if we’re not committed to being in-Christ, then our pride, anger, fear, self-centeredness will remain relevant, hinder our transformation, and prevent our minds from being renewed as God intended.

In summary, to be ‘in Christ’ is more than being content under the shadow of His wings, more than being grateful on account of sovereignty and grace, even more than our redemption. To be ‘in Christ’ is to be so united to Jesus by faith, so in awe of the Cross and the ministry of reconciliation that our dependence detaches from anything that could make it conditional and the transformation by the renewal of our minds become an overflow of discovering God as He pursues us.

May our ‘in Christ’ be at work, always and forever, even as we heal, even as we’re desperate, on and off the clock.