This post contains truths that are little explored, vastly powerful and that the flesh/carnal mind most likely won’t want to hear. It is written for those who are humble, meek and seeking the Lord to become more fruitful and faithful in their walk. I pray for eyes that see and ears that hear and a heart to understand and submit wholly to God and His Word as you read these verses. In Jesus Christ’s precious name.

Mark 7:13 King James Version “13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

Ok, So none of us want to hear that there is something that we do, even a few things that we can do that would make even the Word of God of “none effect” and yet the Bible tells us that we do “many such like things” and that we can deliver these same traditions to others.

This means that erroneous traditions and frankly bad teaching can actual block the working of the Word of God.

Some common traditions that I have had to reject whilst learning to walk in health and the promises of God:

• everything my parents taught me about what to do when I feel a symptom coming on including bed rest, foods to eat and avoid, etc (remember I come from a non-religious background). I will all too likely offend someone if I list them as these are enshrined in our cultural experience and frankly sources of deep comfort to us in times of distress.
• various mythologies and sayings about things that have the power to make people sick
• relying on and regularly using supplements, medicines and natural remedies as central props in my health and recovery from sickness
• giving the reports of doctors and specialists more clout than God’s Word in considering my prognosis
• the need to self coddle, to desire compassion and caretaking of others
• the belief that I am in a way a victim of sickness, instead of a victor over sickness in Christ

The renewing of my mind, the exposure and expunging of the traditions of man have been central in my own walk with the Lord and in establishing abundant health, in withstanding sickness and in walking in victory.

Proverbs 4:20-24 English Standard Version

“20 My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.”

Revelation 12:10-11 English Standard Version “10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

We overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony”. If we do not understand the significance of the the blood of the Lamb or if our testimony is corrupted with lies and half-truths, we concede the victory.

Psalm 149 KJV ” 4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.”

The high praises of God are when we praise Him by quoting scripture back to Him in worship and thanksgiving.

James 4:2-4 English Standard Version “2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

As we are capable of asking wrongly, surely we must take care to find out how to ask rightly and seek the Lord’s instruction and correction.

We tend to try to take great comfort in assuaging that little niggly feeling that we might have something to do with why our prayers are not being answered or why we are not seeing abundant Kingdom fruit in our lives. Scripture is blessedly not silent on the whys of why this happens and for those who are willing to humble themselves and seek the Lord’s direction even here, all things can be made perfect in Christ.

Proverbs 25:25-27 English Standard Version “25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. 26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. 27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.”

There are many dangers in compromising with unrighteousness

Titus 1:15-16 English Standard Version “15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”

Unbelief is surely one of the most overlooked and predominant sins of our time and renders a person “detestable, disobedient and unfit for any good work”.

This post is incomplete.. I hope to come back and develop it more but will publish it in draft form as I think the truths here are powerful and perhaps contain scriptural keys for people to walk in health.