Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable and pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my (firm, immovable) rock and my Redeemer.

Father of Medicine said two very interesting things. He said “all disease starts in the gut” and that the human body had an innate ability to heals itself.

“All disease starts in the gut” – Hippocrates

“The natural healing force within each of us is the greatest force in getting well.” Hippocrates

What an amazing piece of God’s handiwork we are. God created this body so uniquely that with the proper care it can heal itself. I believe that this “natural healing force”  is the very essence of God. The Word tells us in Ecclesiastes that the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman—-

Ecclesiastes 11:5  As you know not what the way of the wind, or how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you know not the work of God who does it all.

Let’s thinks about this. The spirit comes to the bones of an unborn child. The bible tells us that the Lord knew us before we were born. He breathe life into us in the womb. As we have been studying, the bones( which contain the bone marrow) produce all our blood and immune cells. The bible also tells us that “life is in the blood”  (Leviticus 17:11). Furthermore, the Lord tells us that His Words are Spirit and life. So it makes sense that when we meditate on His Word it brings life to all our flesh because it is He who breathe life into us. Even more intriguing, is that he has “planted eternity in the hearts and minds of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) or a sense of divine purpose that can only be quenched by Him. I believe this eternity is the spirit placed in us in the womb. It is our divine purpose from the beginning that is played out as we draw near to the Lord. It is our choice to love Him or not.  We all have a sense that we were created for a purpose and that purpose is fulfilled in divine communion with our creator who loves us passionately. Proverbs 4 clearly tells us that if we pay attention to the Words of the Lord and keep them in our heart that we will find life and health to our bodies.

Proverbs 4:20-22 

My son (daughter), attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.

As we have been studying all along, there is a connection between the brain and the gut. Messages between these two system are ongoing all the time. Stress, diet, and negative thoughts and feelings can affect our physical bodies. Physical manifestations of stress and negative thoughts include heart racing, constipation, sweating, chest tightness, tingling in the hands and feelings of light-headedness. Stress related diseases include fibromyalgia, heart disease, obesity and inflammatory bowel diseases just to name a few. The gut is the first line of defense for viruses and other bacteria. Stress, negative thoughts and feeling affect the GI tract causing diarrhea, stomach ache, and or constipation.  As stated in an earlier blog, more than 87% of illness is stress related. I believe that stress and diet lead to increase permeability of the gut or what many are calling Leaky Gut Syndrome. Increase gut permeability leads to increase inflammation in the body. We know that inflammation is the root of Arthritis, Asthma, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Irritable Bowel Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Heart Disease and Crohn’s Disease. Even diabetes and obesity are inflammatory conditions. I found a study that compared different diets in regards to inflammation. The study found that diets high in sugar, red meat, and fried foods increase inflammatory blood markers. I believe that the key to living a healthy life is to learn to deal with stress, eat right, and exercise. We have all heard this over and over but I tell you the true key to health is a personal relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord said that His words are “spirit and life” and that through His son Jesus we can have the abundant life. Meditation on the Word of God brings life to all our flesh. Let’s look at Proverbs 3—

Proverbs 3:1-2

My son(daughter), forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandants; for length of days and years of life (worth living) and tranquility (inward and outward and continuing through old age till death), these shall they add to you.

Prayer and meditation connect us to God. It is in the place of communion with Him that we find inner peace and joy. He is the only one who truly loves us and knows us. He is the only one who will never leave us once we have asked Him into our hearts. Prayer is simply talking with God but meditation is mulling over His Words, thinking and speaking them over our lives. Meditation is filling our minds with the Words and promises of God unlike Eastern meditation which is emptying the mind. Meditation is the renewing of the mind that transforms us (Romans 12:2).

Job 22:28 You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light (of God’s favor) shall shine upon your ways.

By meditating on the Word of the Lord and decreeing or speaking it over our lives, releases the favor of the Lord to shine upon us. God’s Word is so powerful. Meditation is remembering or bringing to mind the goodness of God. It is a way of practicing His presence throughout the day. A 8 week study that appeared in the Journal of Neuroscience Research, found that targeted rumination or mulling over something combined with exercise greatly reduced symptoms of depression in men and women. If meditation without God is effective how much more shall it be with Him and His Word! Meditation also includes thanksgiving or graditute which I believe is the key to the blessings of God.

Psalm 50:14-15 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High. And call on Me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you and you shall honor and glorify Me.

Psalm 50:23 he who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his ways aright (who prepares the way that I may show him) to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God.

Did you know complaining is a sin. The Israelites complained in the desert and were not able to entering the promise land. What we speak has the power of life and death. It is so important that we learn to get in the secret place with the Lord. I have included a video that I hope will help you learn to meditate and worship the Lord. Your time with the Lord does not have to look like mine but it is just an example of how to engage the Lord and to meditate on His Words.

May the Lord bless you and watch, quard and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His (approving) countenance upon you and give you peace(tranquility of heart and life continually). Numbers 6:24-26