“I will heal them.” Jeremiah 33:6
I live on a remote cattle ranch in Oregon. I don’t own a television, so when I climb in the pickup after irrigating or chasing cattle or feeding them hay, the radio is always on, to keep me company if nothing else. Today I caught Dr. Dean Edell’s “Medical Minutes.”
Instead of hopping out right away to close the gate I’d just driven through,I sat still with the door half opened, riveted to the broadcast. His topic was the healing benefits of spirituality.
According to medical reports, folks who have a deep, abiding faith suffer from less stress than the faithless person. Stress causes depression, hinders healing and can shorten the human life span. The doctor’s conclusion was further research studying spirituality as a stress reducer could be a great advantage to the health and well-being of Americans, who are ranked the highest users of antistress/antidepressant medication in the world.
I’ve already seen this in my own life. The more I turn my troubles over to God, the less I worry. The less burden I have to bear, the freer I am. I’m healthier, happier and more energetic.
God isn’t there to keep me from trouble in this world; God’s there to help me when I’m in trouble. God’s a shoulder to lean on when I’m in a jam. And believe me, in ranching, I’m up to my eyeballs in jams. I hope Dr.Edell can stir up interest in a study pertaining to the healing benefits of spirituality. Wouldn’t it be great to hear our doctor tell us, “Say two prayers and call me in the morning”?
As long as You have my back, Lord, what on earth can trouble me?
