There is a cure for that pain in your neck!

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 9, 10, 11

Deuteronomy 10:16-21 (NIV)
16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lord your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name. 21 He is your praise; He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

Good morning!

Having a stiff neck can be an excruciating malady. Have you ever fallen asleep while riding in a car, an airplane, train or bus? Upon awaking from your nap, it becomes immediately apparent that you must have turned your head in an awkward position while resting. That sharp, shooting neck pain we feel can actually be debilitating. It radiates pain to other parts of your body, causing muscle spasms in your back, stomach upset and migraine headaches. The pain compromises your ability to turn from side to side, or to look up and down. Have you ever experienced a miserable pain in the neck?

When our youngest son David spent time in the hospital, there were nights when the best I could do was sit with him in bed and hold him while he tried to sleep. I had a stiff neck the entire time we were there, holding my three-year old while trying to cat nap. David’s favorite movie was E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. We watched that movie over and over again. It seemed to be the only thing that would take his mind off the pain he was feeling. For two solid weeks in the pediatric ward, David and I memorized almost every line in that film. The wonderful volunteers from the gift shop downstairs took a real shine to our son. In their display window, the shop owners hung a movie poster about E.T. in their window. Occasionally, I would take David for a ride in one of their hospital bed wagons. He wasn’t able to get up and walk with all the paraphernalia he was hooked up to, so I would pad the wagon with blankets and pillows and pull him around the hospital when he felt well enough to ride. He loved that picture in the gift shop window. Whenever we would stop in, he would point his little finger up to the sky and say, E.T. Phone Home! One day, the shop owner stopped by David’s room. They had taken the poster down from their display and hung it in his room. That was the best gift ever, and our little boy was thrilled! We took that poster home with us, and it stayed next to his bed for years.

David didn’t smile much during his hospital stay. I remember one time when the nurses had to change his dressing, and I was holding him on the bed to keep him from flailing around. David looked at me through teary eyes, and screamed, “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” I knew he meant it. I was his mother, and I was allowing these people to come in and inflict pain on my son. Even though I knew the dressing had to be changed, I couldn’t help but feel absolutely horrible. I looked at my child with tears rolling down my face, crying, “I’m sorry son. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Sometimes we find ourselves hating God for the pain in our neck. Maybe your pain springs from a physical or emotional illness. It is possible that the pain you feel today is generated by the thoughtless words and acts of another person – maybe it is someone you truly love. Or, maybe the pain in your neck radiates from your own negativity and sinful behavior. When you choose to sin, do you get a pain in your neck? Do you ever feel like an alien, standing outside the circle of God’s love, not understanding how He could possibly love you enough to take you in, after all the poor choices you’ve made in the past?

There is a cure for that pain in your neck. God told Moses that if His people would simply hold on to Him, choosing to serve and honor Him with their life, showing respect and reverence in obedience to His law, the Lord would be their sustenance and deliverance every day. The people were to pray and praise Him, lifting God’s holy name high. He wanted His people to set aside their petty differences and stiff-necked views, and seek Him out in every aspect of their life. He wanted their trust and love and total devotion, more than anything else.

Give God your stiff neck this morning. Let Him heal your pain, once and for all. He has the capacity to soften and melt even the hardest heart when we relinquish our defenses, tear down the walls, stop making excuses and blaming others for our lot in life. Get down on your knees and ask the Lord to help you. He has the power to circumcise your heart if you are willing to follow Him every day. We may be aliens in this world; yet, we are never too far from God’s reach. He sees you. He hears you. Cry out to the Lord today. Even if you find yourself screaming, “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,” stop and listen for His still-small voice. You will hear Him say, “I’m sorry, dear child. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: grace and mercy! The Lord came to heal the sick and save the lost. He loves you so much more than you know. Let Him remove the pain caused by your stiff neck, so you can turn around and see Him face to face. Will you let the Lord heal your heart this morning?
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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