My friend walked in the door looking much shorter than usual. In fact she couldn’t stand up straight. “This is the only way my back doesn't hurt,” she said. “If I stand up the pain is terrible.”
She’s seeing a chiropractor on Monday and hopes the manipulation will clear things up. “The trouble is I have a ton of other back issues…I hope he doesn't make it worse'” she moaned.
I thought of that other doubled-over lady in Luke 13:11, who spent 18 years in that terrible position.
Luke 13:11-And there was a woman there who for eighteen years had had an infirmity caused by a spirit (a demon of sickness). She was bent completely forward and utterly unable to straighten herself up or to look upward (AMP).
It surely must be hard to make spiritual progress if a person can’t look up or for that matter, forward. Is there any hope visible to someone like that? No, nor help either. They barely see past their noses to their feet. Those feet probably need a wash too, but they can’t do it themselves and no one else offered.
But when Jesus intervenes…………
Luke 13:12-13- And when Jesus saw her, He called [her to Him] and said to her, Woman, you are released from your infirmity! Then He laid [His] hands on her, and instantly she was made straight, and she recognized and thanked and praised God (AMP).
Jesus did the straightening. All he asked her to do? Come to me!
We don’t have to have a physical problem to be in that kind of shape. How often have we been unable to straighten ourselves up from our sin, or even look up at the One who can?
When Jesus calls us to him, he straightens out our spiritual kinks. We straighten up and begin to recognize him for who he is. We start thankfully praising God, because we are looking in the right direction. Up.
Prayer: Lord, twist us into any position that glorifies you. We trust you never to make it worse……Amen.
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