A young man came into my office with a large infection of the right side of his face. It was about half the size of a tennis ball and the skin over it was red. The paperwork on his chart indicated he'd been in the emergency room the night prior and was given a prescription for an antibiotic so I asked, "Did you start the antibiotic last night?" "No. I didn't fill the prescription." the man replied with a look of guilt.
What!! A man was in pain, swollen, and afraid. He drives to the ER looking for help and receives a prescription.
The definition of "prescription"
1) a medicine or remedy that is prescribed
2) a recommendation that is authoritatively put forward
The man leaves that place of help with the prescription in hand then doesn't take the medicine.
Isn't that just like us:
"God help me!!" God gives us his Word, his commandments, his call for repentance, his call to love, his call to forgive, his call to worship, his call to be holy, his call to trust . . . . . Jesus. Then after we receive the prescription in hand we look at it, set it down somewhere and go about our lives sick, broken, scared, and possibly eternally dead. We are that man!
In 2 Kings chapter 5 we read of Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, Naaman was a "valiant soldier" but he had one problem. He had leprosy. There was a servant girl taken captive from Israel who served Naaman's wife. This young girl urged Naaman's wife to send him to Samaria to see a prophet she believed could heal him. Naaman, with his king's blessing, a note from the king to the king of Israel, and a boat load of gold and silver went off to find his cure. Naaman shows up at the door of Elisha but when he knocks he only gets to see Elisha's messenger who delivers this message (the prescription):
"Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
So what did Naaman do? Well, I would hope after this long trip and with this great desire to be healed he would RUN to the Jordan and do as the man said. But, instead he went away angry saying,
"I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, waive his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better that all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in then and be cleansed?"
He didn't like the cure. The water was too muddy. The prophet didn't meet him at the door. He actually had to DO something not just stand there and receive the cure. Dip SEVEN times!! Why not once? Thankfully, at the urging of his servants, Naaman lowered his pride, walked down to the muddy Jordan and dunked himself in seven times. Out he came after number seven, his skin "clean like that of a young boy."
Today, if you are in a place where you know you need God's help (that should be everyone who is reading this), take the prescription God has given you and receive healing. "What is that prescription?" you ask.
Well it might be a number of things but I know the first one is the same one given to the jailer who asked "What must I do to be saved?":
Rx - Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.
After that, God may give you any number of different prescriptions for your predicament.
"Be holy because I am holy" 1 Peter 1:16
"But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always." Hosea 12:6
Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:39
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37
Whatever prescription the Lord puts in your hand, please don't wad it up and set it aside. Get it filled and take it as prescribed. Sometimes it tastes bad going down and it may be very expensive but it will ALWAYS accomplish the cure that the Lord desires to bring to you.
Peace in Christ, David
Awesome!. Was just thinking about this blog the other day and praying you would share again. Thanks fir this good word!
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