Soul Poultice

From childhood I remember Aunt Ava – she wasn’t really my aunt but that’s what we called her – could concoct some of the most vile-smelling and nasty-looking home remedies.  We loved Aunt Ava, but we were not excited when she came to help us get well. There was no arguing about whether her concoctions were effective; just do as she said and no would get hurt!

 

If you will, allow me to share an excerpt from Mark Meadows’ historical Old Testament fictional story, The Shepherd King: Solomon’s Bride. Meadows does an incredible job of describing the tenderness of The Creator to mankind.  “And all of this grew from seeds, seeds that were in God’s first creation: medicinal herbs, oils, oral and topical medicine, and aloes … It shows that our loving God was not surprised by the fall of man, for He had already placed in the soil remedies to the curses before there ever was a fall … In fact, I am almost prepared to believe that there is a natural remedy for every ailment that may come upon man, hidden somewhere in the earth if we can but find it … Every ailment, save one, that is … death, of course … That one would require divine intervention … But if He foresaw all of our other needs, I am inclined to believe He did not overlook the most important one … Someday, He will reveal to us the remedy to death also .. Yes, something for almost everything – aloes for pains, coriander for indigestion, black cumin and calamus for colds and coughs, henna for fungus and infections; even the sweet perfumes – myrrh for infections, spikenard for epilepsy, saffron which sedates and helps the stomach … But all their goodness, such things treat only the body, the lesser part of man … The heart has ailments too: aches, complexes, lingering pains from childhood. God has prepared remedies for these also of course, for a Creator Who would so lovingly care for the body, would certainly not neglect the soul.”  When I read this, I remember what Pastor Tony used to say, “Nothing ever occurs to God,” and it’s true – He’s never blindsided or caught off-guard. How gracious is The Father to us!  We know, of course, at the given time God revealed the remedy for death in the Person of Jesus Christ Who took upon Himself all the sin-guilt of man.  Overcoming death Himself, we live in Newness of Life through the Risen Christ.  We should be thankful for remedies for the body – Aunt Ava and all – but oh how sweet the Poultice of the soul!