Hail Omnipyschologist!!!

HAIL OMNIPYSCHOLOGIST!!!

Story time folks!!! Let’s board a time machine and visit the era of English theatres and circuses’. A psychiatrist had a patient suffering from a severe bout of depression. And the wise Doctor’s prescription after examination! “Go and entertain yourself, by seeing the famous clown Grimaldi performing in the circus in the town today, his antics are bound make you laugh…you sure would find some relief”. Instantly the patient broke down much to the astonishment of the mind Doctor. The psychiatrist could barely hear his patient muttering “Doc, I am Grimaldi”. Talk of "masking" the GRIM sentiments even while making people laugh. Honestly, Grimaldi went to a wrong doctor. He ought to have visited Dr. Jesus, the omnipyschiatrist, ever willing to give ABUNDANT LIFE, WITH EVER-FLOWING JOY OF THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT (John 4:13-14/10:10/Galatians 5:22-23).

While, we have praised God always for being an omnipotent, omnipresent and an omniscient one (sorry, Mr. Google, you can never compete with Him, who knows everything about everything!), have we ever praised God for being an omni-psychologist, also? If not, it’s time we do, as there are enough examples in His Word, of He conditioning the human mind, like a seasoned psychologist does.Yes, He addresses and meets the deep needs of the spirit (filling the spiritual vacuum in our hearts, as it were with His joyous presence) besides working on our minds too. If feeding Elijah by using “unclean” Ravens (Leviticus 11:13-15) as stewards, was a case of preparing His servant “mentally”- in Old Testament days- to stay in “an unclean” gentile home (that of widow of Zarephath-I Kings 1:17) for 3 years, then was not the case of vision to Peter as recorded in Acts 10:9-16, Almighty’s distinctive way of conditioning His prejudiced servant’s mind to visit an unclean “gentile home”- in New Testament days? Yes, it was. No second thoughts on this score, please!

Hey, there is other side of the coin too. He can build-up His dear ones’ mentally, even while mentally disintegrating His enemies. In order to substantiate this point, let’s board a time machine once again (God’s Word by creative study is to be enjoyed thoroughly, mind you it’s sweeter than honey-Psalm 119:103) and visit the Israelites camped on the other side of River Jordan, waiting under the leadership of Joshua to launch the “Conquest of Canaan” (Joshua chapter 3) AFTER INITIALLY CROSSING RIVER JORDAN.

To completely comprehend the nuances of this subject “the Conquest of Canaan”, we need to consider two aspects. Firstly, while on Joshua’s generation lay the daunting responsibility of annihilating the strong inhabitants of Canaan and seizing the Land flowing with milk and honey, which God had promised to their forefathers (Genesis 12:6-7), the picture becomes complete and lucid only when we focus on the second aspect that is the terrible spiritual state of the Canaanites, at that point in history. The impending extermination, which loomed before the wicked Canaanites was actually a just punishment for their horrific sins (ripe for punishment now-Genesis 15:16 ) which amongst others included sacrificing of the innocent babies to loathsome idols, homosexuality, having sexual relationship with animals etc (Leviticus 18:21-28). The latter observation (the imminent just punishment of the Canaanites) leads to a subject within a subject. Can God punish the heathen, who do not have His written law and as such may not be bound by it? The Bible answers this question with an emphatic YES, since “God’s laws are written within the hearts of everyone (Jew or gentile)”. Does not the inbuilt divine alarm piece within every human being (conscience) immediately start ringing, the moment anyone does anything wrong in violation of God’s moral code of conduct (Romans 2:12-15)?

Turning to the event of CROSSING RIVER JORDAN (Joshua Chapter 3), we come across four truths laden with insight (spread out like rich fare on a generous table), which we shall aim to study under the following sub-headings

I. When the biggest, brings out His best

II. Do the possible, leave the impossible to Him

III. When the distance guaranteed His presence

IV. First in, last out

I. When the biggest, brings out His best :

Honestly, the great miracle of Jews crossing the miraculously parted River Jordan has some parallels with astounding miracle Jesus did in raising the dead Lazarus (John 11). Remember Jesus made a move to go village of Bethany (where Lazarus stayed with his two sisters), only after Lazarus had died and not when he was sick, for only in raising a dead Lazarus would more of God’s power be manifested.

In this account of parting of waters of River Jordan, do not we see a similarity? God chose the time, when the River was in spate overflowing its banks (verse 15a) DELIBERATELY to perform the great miracle of parting it, so that this miracle would leave none in doubt about His great power. Oh how Joshua and his men needed this MENTAL BUILD UP as they were about to launch themselves-equipped by His power- into a daunting task of conquering Canaan!