It’s 7:35 am. I’m starting the day putting God first. It’s gotta be that way. I read and then pray Bible verses over all my acquaintances.

I hope that anyone who reads these words, doesn’t just have a good day, or a great day or even a blessed day. Let it be that you have a HEALED day. Jesus is the ultimate Healer. He heals in every way. Most importantly, He heals us from our sin that separates us from God. May He invade your day (and every day) and heal you in every way.

I love to scour over the stories of Jesus healing people. They are found in the four Gospels. Jesus still heals today just like He healed the man with the withered hand in Luke 6 ~

⁶ On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching.⁷ The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

⁸ But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward.⁹ Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

¹⁰ He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! ¹¹ At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him.

Why do eat and drink with such scum?

Way back in the day…when I was in high school if there was someone that was known for being disgusting, when gossip went around we would call them scum. The most disgusting, offensive kids were known as the scum of the earth.

Jesus loved the scum of the earth. In fact, Mathew, also known as Levi (if I remember correctly) and a disciple of Jesus, threw a party. He had been a tax collector. Many people despised tax collectors because they were well known for cheating others out of money. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were aware of the party so they asked Him why He hung around such low life. Jesus gave them a thought provoking answer.

Luke 5:

²⁹ Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?^[a]”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. ³² I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Trust God everyday to provide for you. Live for Him everyday and throughout the years even moment by moment sometimes. He will provide because He cannot lie.

Psalm 65:

9 You take care of the earth and water it,
    making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
    it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
    for you have ordered it so.
¹⁰ You drench the plowed ground with rain,
    melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
    and bless its abundant crops.
¹¹ You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
    even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
¹² The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
    and the hillsides blossom with joy.
¹³ The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
    and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
    They all shout and sing for joy!

Jesus healed people of demons. The demons were afraid of Him.

Luke 4:

³³ Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon—an evil^[a] spirit—cried out, shouting, ³⁴ “Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

³⁵ But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.

³⁶ Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!”³⁷ The news about Jesus spread through every village in the entire region.

I woke up with a song bumping all around the walls in my brain. It was an old song for young people but it’s a worthy classic. It was  by aChristian singer, Rich Mullins ~ the song, Step By Step. And to my surprise, when I read Psalm 63 this morning, there were the words in the first verse! I love when that happens. I’m in tune with God. And I love that so long ago the man who was a man after God’s own heart, penned those words in the Bible. David was the songwriter and musician of the Old Testament. Rich Mullins made his words famous again a few decades ago. I’m glad that song is a song that gets stuck in your brain. Over and over the Word of God plays in your mind and your heart hears it and your life gets better!

Psalm 63:

I never want to forget how Jesus dealt with temptation. He absolutely did not yield to the enemy and quoted the Bible. The devil misused Bible verses and quoted them back but Jesus said, “No!” and was (is) the victor. As Christians, with Jesus, we study and copy all He does!

The three verses Jesus used against the ultimate adversary of our soul…Memorize!

Luke 4:

4 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,^[a]2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.

³ Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”

⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’^[b]”

⁵ Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. ⁷ I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

⁸ Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say,

⁹ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! ¹⁰ For the Scriptures say,

¹² Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’^[e]”

¹³ When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.

I agree with David and the words of Psalm 63. God is our…rock…salvation…fortress against all of our enemies! And He’s even more! Today and every day!

Psalm 62:

5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken.
⁷ My victory and honor come from God alone.
    He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
⁸ O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge.

John the Baptist was a preacher. He told people to stop doing wrong. He was preparing those around for the coming of the greatest preacher of all…Jesus!

Luke 3:

1 It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler^[a] over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler^[b]over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. ² Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. ³ Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. ⁴ Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,

⁷ When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? ⁸ Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. ⁹ Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ The crowds asked, “What should we do?”

¹¹ John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”

¹² Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”

¹³ He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”

¹⁴ “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.

John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

I find this interesting and challenging. Pop your comfort bubble!

Jesus was a humble kid. As a child He grew in every healthy way.

Luke 2:

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.⁴² When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual.⁴³ After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first,⁴⁴ because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

⁴⁵ When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. ⁴⁶ Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.⁴⁷ All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

⁴⁸ His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

⁴⁹ “But why did you need to search?”he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”^{[a] 50} But they didn’t understand what he meant.

⁵¹ Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

⁵² Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.