CHECKUP TIME

...God has revealed them to us through His
Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yes,
the deep things of God.
I Corinthians 2:10

It is often suggested that we have a physical checkup yearly. Some folks do that in one form or another. One may have eyes checked yearly while many women have yearly mammograms. If a person has a chronic condition such as Diabetes, she may need to see the family doctor more than once each year. For the most part, however, people shy away from having regular checkups done. They are bothersome, sometimes nerve wracking, expensive or just frightening. Despite the reasons for not seeing a doctor, a checkup can often help a person avoid the terrible effects of an oncoming condition that might be treated successfully in beginning stages.

Although one's family doctor usually sees to the physical aspects of a patient, we as Christians also have our Great Physician. We don't have to leave home to see this Physician, nor do we have to pay Him anything out of pocket. He, the Holy Spirit, is in you and me. He is with us constantly and although He has power to heal physically, He diagnosis our spiritual condition on a regular basis as He speaks through His Word, bringing spiritual things to our recall. He also uses our circumstances to often redirect our steps. It's always good when our own family doctor gives us good news that all is well with our bodies. How much better, if the Holy Spirit can give the same report on our spiritual conditions. I love the following verses that speak of the Spirit's working in us.

EYES: We have perfect spiritual sight when we rely on the Holy Spirit. Every path is very clear by Him for our best...no glasses or contacts needed.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way
which thou shalt go I will guide thee
with mine eye.
Psalm 32:8

EARS: The Holy Spirit speaks in clear tones to you and me. Physically, an accumulation of ear wax can block our hearing process. The Spirit shouldn't have to speak through any blockage you and I have built up that doesn't please Him. Sin and things of this world have a way of dimming our spiritual healing.

But as it is written:“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
nor have entered into the heart of man the
things which God has prepared
for those who love Him.”
I Corinthians 2:9

HEART: The previous verse also speaks of the heart and all the Spirit wants to say to it. However, for a Christian, a huge danger can be that of a hard (stony) heart. God's people in Old Testament days had reverted back to their old ways. They were following the ways of the heathen, but despite their rebellion against Him, He made a promise He would clean them up as a nation. His procedure of bringing the people back to spiritual health was:

                                        I will cleanse you from all your filthiness
                                                     and from all your idols.
                                             I will give you a new heart and put
                                        new spirit within you; I will take the heart
                                        of stone out of your flesh and give you a
                                                                heart of flesh
                                                            Ezekiel 36:25b-26


LEGS: The Holy Spirit might convict us of the way we are walking with Him. Is our walk in Christ one that brings Him honor and glory or are there some things we need to change? Perhaps the Holy Spirit would have us walking in a different direction than has been our custom. Ezekiel also speaks to what God wants to do with our legs:

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my
judgments and do them.
Ezekiel 36:27

God's prescription isn't one we can purchase in a drug store. He simply wants His Spirit recognized and functioning in us enabling us to walk in obedience.

TASTE: Since having a serious fall about four years ago, resulting in a head injury, one major thing affected for me has been my taste. I can taste things, but there are some foods that are simply revolting to the point I can't eat them. My doctor has told me that my normal sense of taste may return, but it may not, so I eat most things that taste normal to me. Our great Physician has something in mind for our spiritual taste that He highly recommends.:

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8

BREATHING: In our day, many people suffer with breathing problems of some kind. Sometimes allergies of various types cause great suffering for people mostly in the fall or spring when there is an abundance of pollen in the air. Our ability to even breathe began with God when He breathed His very breath of life into man.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of
the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life; and man became a living being.
Genesis 2:7

You and I have the very breath of life in us because of God's breathing into that first man. Humankind has been breathing to live since that time. Living in a sin cursed world often causes disease that affects our breathing. The above verse from Genesis just reminds us of how dependent we are on our great Creator of life.

Physically we are wonderful beings. Only our God could create the human body with all of it's miraculous functioning. We also have this miraculous spiritual being within us that is made complete by the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit...the Spirit who leads us in wonderful, healthy ways.

In Him we live and move
and have our being.
Acts 17:28

Dear Father and Wonderful Creator...You have created us with so many intricate members of our bodies that all work together to make us whole, valuable and functioning. Help us to take care of our amazing body, not only physically but spiritually as well. Thank You for being our loving and caring Creator and Father. In Jesus' precious name...Amen