A plumb line not a pendulum
by David Cross
We recently held a weekend course at Ellel Glyndley Manor, looking at the subject of alternative therapies. There are hundreds of medical treatments being offered these days which claim to bring restoration to body, mind and spirit. Unlike the science-based treatments normally available through the doctor, the results of these alternative therapies are rarely quantifiable or repeatable. They are very often referred to as ‘holistic’ treatments, recognising the healing needs in the whole of our being.
Many involve the diagnosis of our spiritual condition, looking at the unseen ‘energy flows’ in and around the body. The Bible would call these practices, which sometimes use devices like pendulums, divination. They are based on ancient occult techniques. The diagnosis is followed by a variety of procedures which aim to bring balance to the spiritual disorder within us, in turn bringing healing to our physical disorder.
In one sense these practices are along the right lines. We do have a problem with the spiritual condition of our lives. Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:3). The problem is that none of these alternative therapies recognise that the sin of mankind is the root of the spiritual disorder. Throughout the Bible, God shows His people that their problems are the result of being out of line with His laws and commands. God uses the picture of a plumb-line to illustrate how He views the distortion caused by sin.
Doctors do amazing work in bringing relief to our physical bodies. Praise God for all that medical science has given to us. However, if our spiritual condition truly needs restoration, I suggest that there’s only one safe person to go to for both diagnosis and treatment. His name is Jesus. Our spiritual condition is best viewed with the plumb-line of God’s Word, not with the pendulum of the occultist.
Prayer: Lord I ask that you will forgive me for any times when I have not looked to you for the right spiritual answers to problems in my life. I am grateful for the plumb-line of your Word and that I can always trust what you say and do. In Jesus, Amen.
David Cross David is part of the Executive Leadership of Ellel Ministries, with particular responsibility for the Ellel centres in Western Europe. He is married to Denise and they have three grown up children and eight grandchildren. David has been a civil engineer and ski-touring instructor in the Highlands of Scotland. He is passionate about the teaching and practice of the healing and deliverance ministry of Jesus and has written several books: Soul Ties, Trapped by Control, God’s Covering, The Dangers of Alternative Ways to Healing(co-authored with John Berry), an A to Z Guide to the Healing Ministry, What`s Wrong with Human Rights? and, most recently, God`s Way out of Depression. You can follow a daily thought from David on Twitter: @dmcross62
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.
