"And I Should Heal Them"

Hey howdy hey all! It's been a while- I hope all is well with you! I can't believe I'm saying this- after what feels like a life time- I have finally finished the Book of Acts! I'm still working on my goal of reading the New Testament cover to cover, so I'm getting there, slowly but surely.
The other day, my study was focused in Acts 28, where Paul experiences a few fun adventures, such as:

• Surviving a shipwreck on his way home
• Being bitten by a snake soon after said wreck with no trace of poison
• Healing the Chief's father, and soon after, many others of the island he is staying on
• Preaching to more peeps

As you can see, God's got Paul pretty dang busy this last little while. What struck me as I read this chapter, is that the focus all comes back to Christ's ability to heal. In the first story, Paul is telling of his adventures to the islanders, who welcome him and his surviving shipmates, no questions asked. However, in the middle of his story, Paul moves some firewood around and is bitten by a venomous snake! As soon as his hosts observe what has happened, they feel that his misfortune must mean that he has done wrong and is being punished for his transgressions. Expecting his death, they are all shocked to see that the snake's venom did not kill Paul.

The next instance of healing occurs later in his visit with the islanders, when the Chief's father falls seriously ill. Paul is able to heal him in the name of Christ, and in turn, many other islanders are healed through Paul's ministry. Paul and his fellow crew members are able to leave the island with the respect of those who have come in contact with them and part with the necessary items they require for their return journey.

Finally, when Paul is preaching to a different group of people later on the chapter, he quotes the Old Testament prophet, Esaias, saying, "For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." (Acts 28:27) Paul indicates that Christ has the ability to spiritually heal these people if they are willing to open their hearts, minds, and entire selves to him, otherwise, they are blind and deaf to the healing of the gospel of Christ.

So what do all of these stories have in common? They all talk about the healing power of the atonement of Christ. Quite a great theme to reflect on as we approach Easter, I must say. The story that really stuck out to me was Paul's encounter with the snake bite. Paul has had an extremely rough couple of years since converting to the gospel and spending his life sharing it with all those he meets. Since starting his ministry, he's been mocked, beaten, unfairly accused and tried, thrown in prison, shipwrecked, and now, bitten by a poisonous snake. My goodness- if I were in his shoes, I'd probably let that be the final straw! I can't imagine going through all of these hardships, and I am amazed that Paul not only survived each one, but he grew closer to the Lord because of his trials.

In the instance with the snake bite, I'm sure Paul still felt the impact of the bite. He was not spared the pain of his experience- and some even blamed him for what happened, assuming he must have done something wrong to bring so many terrible things into his life. Although he was physically hurt by the bite, he was not poisoned. He lived. Similarly, we all have painful experiences or trials we face while in this life. From this story, we learn that although we may feel pain, and even bear scars from those past experiences, they do not have the power to poison us if we rely on the healing power of the atonement of Christ. What a beautiful message!

I know we all have so many different experiences here on earth- some great, some painful, some that leave us feeling broken beyond repair. Whether it's damage caused by our own mistakes, weaknesses, or the imperfections of others around us, we have the opportunity to be healed through Christ and not let these past experiences poison us. Christ was asked to drink a bitter cup and suffer for each one of us, but did not become bitter from his suffering. Because he did that for each of us, we have the ability to have our burdens eased, our pain lightened, and the strength to make it through anything we experience in this life. I know that this is a very special week to focus on the healing power of the atonement of Christ. I love him for all he's done for me in my life and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to continue to grow closer to him.

Hope you have a great week!

Love,
Emily