Germs

This winter has brought its fair share of germs.
Colds, coughs, fevers, achy-ness.
Getting rest, drinking fluids, washing hands more often is mandatory.
Germs will find you when you least expect it.

Having five children, I remember when everyone seemed to get sick at the same time.
Sometimes a few would be sick at once, but often it went down the line…one after another.
As a mother, I always felt as if I wanted to open every window in the house.
Let the fresh air in…and the stale air out.

Cover your mouth.
Sneeze into your elbow.
Get a tissue.

There was always a special blanket wrapped around them when they were sick.
Resting on the sofa was always a treat…reading a book…watching a favorite movie.
Cups with lids and colorful, bendable straws were the order of the day.

I remember a time when all five had strep throat.
I literally had to make a chart to keep track of their medicine and their fevers.

I don’t care how old you are…there is still that little boy or girl inside when you are sick.
There is still the desire to be home…to be taken care of.

Germs are insidious.
You can’t see them…but they are there.
We are especially vulnerable to them, when our resistance is low.
During a flu epidemic, special care goes to the young and the elderly.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:10-13)

There is another type of insidious “germ”.
It is called sin.
We can’t see it…but it is there.
It makes us sick…though often we don’t even realize it.

We are especially vulnerable to sin when our resistance is low.
Our resistance is low when we have not spent time in God’s Word.
Our resistance is low when we do not pray.
Our resistance is low when we do not have fellowship with other believers.

That is when we are most vulnerable.
We are left unprotected.

Jesus caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the mute to talk.
Jesus healed the sick.
So many times, people only wanted the physical healing.
Jesus desired that they be completely healed.
Jesus desired that they want Him!

The Pharisees investigated the healing of a man born blind.
If they decided that a false teacher was in their midst, a ban was put on the town.

Jesus healed this man born blind and then left.
The Pharisees wanted to know where He was, but the man did not know where Jesus went.
Probing questions were asked of the man and his parents to verify that this was their son.

“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. (John 9:20-22)

They were so afraid of the ban that would be placed on them.
It would be similar to a shunning…banned from the synagogue and Jewish life.

The man born blind insisted that Jesus was from God.
Who else could have healed him of his blindness?

“To this they replied,”You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when He found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is He, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me, so that I may believe in Him.”
Jesus said, “You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.”
The man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him. (John 9:34-38)

Jesus’ healing is complete.
It is not just the physical healing.
It is the spiritual healing as well.

Did you notice that Jesus found the man?
Jesus is always the One who initiates the call.

We are plagued with the insidious disease of sin.
We are really too sick to do anything for ourselves.
We need the Great Physician to come to us with His tender loving care.

He gives us the Gospel.
He pours Living Water for us to drink.
He feeds us with the Bread of Life.
He wraps us in the blanket of His Righteousness.

There is still that little boy and girl inside each of us that wants to go Home.
The little boy and girl that want to be taken care of.
What we need most…is what He gives us.
T.L.C.
THE LIVING CHRIST.

 

2 responses to “Germs”

1. Gina,
   This was another “WOW” one for me. Most of our grandchildren have colds right now, and I think they are old enough to understand that they can be physically sick but also sick in sin (doing something that makes Mommy/Daddy/Jesus sad). Thank you, again, for such a timely message.
   Linda Perry

   Reply

   • Linda,
     There are colds and coughs in this house, too!
     It amazes me the way God’s Truth can be seen in everything!
     I am delighted that this message was so timely for your family.
     I hope your grandchildren begin to feel better.
     Gina

     Reply