The Chiropractor & the Nazarite

My 10 year old son, Justus, likes to go with me on my trips to the Chiropractor.  He then insists on demonstrating the spinal manipulation he learned from watching...on me!  He then announces that he will be able to save us so much money due to his seasoned knowledge and skills he has suddenly acquired and quickly refined. Although, his intentions are admirable I think I will stick with the professionals.

I have been battling neck and shoulder issues over the last few years but never so severe as what hit me this summer.  I knew I had a mixture of degenerative disc problems, slight scoliosis, and damage from the hanging (story found in previous blog) so frequent bouts of pain were not unexpected. It felt like something had just kinda clicked out of place this time; thus causing pain and irritation to shoot down my shoulders and a good portion of my back.  I remember thinking if I could just get a little adjustment, a little realigning then things would be ok.  That's when it hit me.  I felt, right then,  like God needed to take me through some spiritual adjusting and realignment. It was gonna take some exercise, physical therapy, and medication, i.e. prayer/meditation/confession/repentance/worship...you get the idea. So the physical and spiritual work for the next several months began.  God began spiritual surgery, and I began avoiding neck surgery...through chiropractic care, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, and lots of ice!

The way of the Nazarite fascinates me.  A Nazarite took a special vow for a certain period of time to consecrate himself to the Lord.  They said no to the world's pleasures by abstaining from grapes/wine as a means to rely only on the joy of the Lord as their strength.  They  accepted worldly shame by not cutting their hair and refused to bury their own family members if one died during the vow.  Sound familiar?  Follow me...let the dead bury the dead...the world will hate you.  I wonder if we're supposed to live as Nazarites...priests unto the Lord.

I do believe with all my heart that the path of the Nazarite is the only path to true triumphal procession and victorious living in Christ.  The warfare is ever-increasing. The onslaught is crushing.  The prince of the power of the air has declared all out attack through every means he has available...the mind, the media, the emotions, desire, disparagement, fear, and on and on. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!  Even Jesus insisted the disciples pray for themselves so they would not fall into temptation.  The days of "riding the fence" are no more...in fact, impossible.  Complete consecration unto Him is of the absolute necessity!  Follow Him intensely or experience the intensity and the defeat of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

I believe over the last few months God has, in a sense, been inviting me to the Nazarite vow.  As I worked with Dr. Hicks, the Chiropractor, on my physical ailments, I worked with the Father on my spiritual ailments.  I remember so distinctly on the day I woke up with the neck problem, God began revealing deep areas of pride, vain-glory, jealousy, and covetous desire.  I thought I was doing "ok", then I let Him dig a little deeper.  He can find it if you let him.  Hence the spiritual surgery. Like any other surgery, it is painful. My friend, Kari, just shared with me a great quote to use as healing salve for these times of going under the knife..."for every look at yourself take ten looks at Christ". Whew!  Thankful for that one! 

As God has been inviting me to these deeper times of adjustments, I have been learning to gaze more deeply into His beauty and His magnificence...always praying may I decrease Lord, and may you increase in me.  After all, there is no beauty in me apart from Him.  I am hopelessly lost and completely unable to redeem myself at any level.  I fall into His embrace longing to live as the Nazarite, completely fixed on the lover of my soul.  

"Thus says the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a humble and contrite spirit".

My only longing is to go deeper into the heart of Him who gave His divinity to me that I might simply love him in return. God's word says that no one knows the thoughts of God but the Spirit of God.  That same Spirit lives in me through His blood shed on the cross so shunning worldly pleasure, accepting worldly shame, and placing my affections on Him high above all else seems a small cost compared to knowing the unsearchable riches of Christ.  

I believe that taking the vow of the Nazarite means partaking of Christ, tasting and seeing that He is good, leaning upon His breast, allowing Him to shape and mold and break us, beholding the fire, beholding the holy, beholding Him, and walking this earth as anointed ones completely consecrated to Him, peering into the unknown, and diligently awaiting His return.