The Big Sneeze
Paul Dailey

God bless you. Bless you. Gesundheit. Salud. Make sure you wipe that up when you’re finished. For every person there is a different response to the common sneeze.

It’s difficult to outline the roots of why we feel a need to say anything at all. Most likely, though, it comes from the ancient Romans. The Romans held the belief that when someone sneezed, that person was expelling evil spirits from his or her body. In reply, others would invoke some sort of blessing to wish the person luck in ridding himself or herself of the evil.

I started thinking about this today when a co-worker of mine sneezed and I instinctively said, “God bless you.” Those really are some powerful words. Do I realize what I’m saying when I ask the God of the entire universe to bless someone?

Well, it got me thinking about the whole sneeze thing, so I did some research just to make sure I had my facts straight. What a thing to research! I found out that, according to the dictionary, the act of sneezing is an attempt by the body to expel air to get rid of the irritating bodies (i.e., dust, pollen, strong perfume, etc).

This new vein of research follows directly on the heels of some especially forceful prayers of mine. I’ve been asking God frequently for a revelation of the cross of Christ. I keep expecting to have a dynamite, soul-shaking experience, but instead I’m finding that it comes little by little in a hundred different ways.

At this point you may be asking yourself, what in the world does sneezing have to do with a revelation of the cross? Let me explain.

When God fashioned Adam and Eve, they were absolutely sinless. Then within a short amount of time, Eve was deceived, Adam disobeyed, and sin sprang into the picture. Essentially, God now had this dreadful irritation to deal with. What was God’s solution? God’s answer was to send His son, Jesus, to die on the cross.

II Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us….”

Remember the definition, that the act of sneezing is an attempt by the body to expel air to get rid of the irritating bodies? Mark recorded the following concerning Jesus on the cross: “With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last” (Mark 16:37). There on the cross, having become the essence of God’s irritation, Jesus blew our sin away.

Then think about another aspect: doesn’t it feel great when you stop sneezing? Your head seems a little clearer and your whole body just feels good -- even if it is just for a moment! It’s a purifying act. Because of the cross, we have been purified, times of refreshing come from God, and we embrace the cross and repent.

Peter preached to the crowd shortly after the day of Pentecost and implored them to do this very thing:

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19).

So the next time someone near you lets go with one of those ogre-ish sneezes or even a dainty “sneezelet”, rather than merely doing your social duty, stop and pray that the Lord will open their eyes to see what Jesus accomplished for them on the cross. Take the opportunity to pray that they will repent and turn to God so they can know those times of refreshing.

And the next time you sneeze, remember to thank God for the real blessing, salvation purchased by Christ’s death and resurrection.

cbn

Today's scripture is John 15:17

"These things I command you, that ye love one another." In Luke 6:47-48, Jesus said:

"Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock."

That's probably a familiar scripture to you. But today I want you to do something new with it. I want you to put it together with what Jesus said in John 15:17:

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Love. That one word sums up all Jesus said for us to do. If you'll build your life on it, even the most violent storms of this world will be unable to shake you. It will make you solid in every area of your life. If you'll build your family on love, you can win back those the devil has stolen from you. You can win them to Jesus with the love of God. If you'll build your business on love, you'll prosper beyond your wildest dreams. I had a friend who did that. He went into a television and radio business in his church. He wanted to buy a station from a Jewish man and he offered such a good price for it that the owner was stunned. "Why would you offer me such a wonderful price?" asked the Jewish owner. "Because the Word of God says that if I will bless
you, God will bless me. So I'm going to see to it that you get the better part of this deal," answered my friend.

Before it was all over, that Jewish station owner had made Jesus Lord of His life. He and my friend ended up prospering and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ together on the radio.

When love rules, prosperity can flow!

Commit to living the life of love today. Commit to building your house upon the rock. Then when the storms of life begin to blow--at home, at work, or in any situation--you can enjoy the solid security of knowing that love never fails.

bibleshack

God's Portrait of My Life
Marsha Brickhouse Smith

I dreamed one night after I had prayed about so many things in life that were troubling me; after I had cried and asked the Lord the questions most of us ask during those horrid times ... "Why?"

I dreamed I was sitting beside a large covered canvas and the Lord stood before me. Slowly He lifted the canvas from the painting of my life as He spoke these words:

"My Child, I have heard your question of why. I would like to show you what I have been painting on the canvas of your life. I know you thought I did not hear your prayers, but I assure you I heard each word, for I was there with you. You see, I was painting on the canvas of your life. I saw each tear, and in each of those times I painted on the canvas of your life."

"You see, I took the times in your life when you hurt so much and painted a sapphire blue, the color that I love so very much. I took the times in your life when you felt all alone and painted a crimson red. I took the times in your life when you knew such joy, and painted a golden hue. I took the times in your life when you ran into My arms, spending much time with Me and I painted a vivid violet."

He held up the portrait and I caught my breath, for as I beheld the canvas of my life -- He had painted a rainbow of such splendor I have never seen. And it was then I realized He had been there all the while in my life, through all the times, using each of them to make the portrait of my life into a rainbow of promises fulfilled.

He used all those colors ... all those times ... each one of them He had been in, right beside me, causing them all to work together for my good. And out of that, He had created a rainbow of such splendor my eyes could not take it all in.

Then I awoke from the dream. Never again would I doubt such a love. And somehow I knew that in all the times to come I would remember the rainbow, and God's love, always...

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to whose who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

cbn