"Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life."
- Proverbs 4:23

120 / 80.

Those are numbers I love to see.  

No, they aren't the combination numbers to a safe loaded with money.  They aren't the number of days until the Lord is going to rapture us all out of here.  120 / 80 doesn't represent some mysterious code to unleash the secret to life.

120 / 80 simply is a "optimum normal" blood pressure reading.

I'll say it again, those are numbers I love to see!

You see, one of the leading causes of heart attack, congestive heart failure and stroke is high blood pressure.  High blood pressure forces the heart to work harder than normal, placing it and arteries under greater strain.  Ultimately this weakens and destroys, oftentimes leading to disability and, in many cases, death.

Fortunately, high blood pressure is treatable.  (Praise Jesus! ;-)

And so is "spiritual high blood pressure."

What is "spiritual high blood pressure?"  Glad you asked...

..."Spiritual high blood pressure" is a condition in which our anxieties are greater than our trust in Christ; when our fears are greater than our faith; when our worries overshadow our confidence in the Lord Jesus.  It occurs when there are added strains and pressures on our spiritual hearts.  And I wonder...

...how many are afflicted among the brethren?

Fortunately, "spiritual high blood pressure" is likewise treatable.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5 to "Trust in the Lord with all thine HEART; lean not unto thine own understanding."

You see, trust  is the treatment for "spiritual high blood pressure."  Faith is the cure for our doubts and our fears.   Confidence and assurance flow from the arteries of a healthy spiritual heart.

Have you ever done this?

You pull into your favorite grocery store or department store, park your vehicle, get out and then you realize...

...that you are parked in a "No Parking" zone!

Has that every happened to you?

Is most certainly has happened to me.  In fact, on several occassions.

Now, when this happens, we have a choice to make.  The choice is ours, no one can make it for us.  We  can do one of two things.  We can either:  (a) Leave it parked there, which is asking for trouble.  (b) Do something about it, namely move the car to where it should be parked.

You know, if we would take the time to look around us we would see "No parking" signs in many places.  Oh, I'm not talking about physical places where we shouldn't park our vehicles., although there are many of those signs out there.  No,  I'm referring to spiritual places where we shouldn't park our lives.

You see, Jesus has strategically placed "No parking" signs in those places where, well, we just ought not to park.  Take sin, for example.  You know the one I'm talking about.  The one that just seems to keep troubling you.  If you look, there you'll find a "No parking" sign.  Don't park there!  It raises your "spiritual blood pressure." Just keep on going, don't even  slow down to see if the space is available!  For heaven's sake don't even think about getting out there...just keep moving!

Then, there's fear and anxiety.  You guessed it.  There's a "No Parking" sign there also.  Jesus just doesn't want us to park at places like that.  I know there's a lot of space there and it's easily accessible and everybody else is parking there, but you and I just need to steer clear of those places!

And what about doubts and worry?  Big "No Parking" signs!  Christians ought to never park their lives at such places.  Good grief, the place is so crowded already with people worried about one thing after another.

Despair?  No parking!
Discouragement?  No parking!
Hopelessness?  No parking!
Unbelief?  No parking!

If we would look to the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit, then we would find many places throughout our daily lives that we shouldn't park at.  In fact, we ought to not even head in their direction!

When we see these spiritual "No parking" signs, we have those same to options awaiting us.  Again, the choice is ours to make, no one can make it for us.  We can either leave it parked there...which is asking for trouble!  Or, we can move our lives to where they ought to be parked.  

My friend, Jesus wants you encouraged today!  He wants you to have faith and hope to stand firmly upon.  The Lord desires for you to be filled with confidence and assurance in Him for all of your needs.  And so, whenever you find yourself facing worry or fear, doubt or anxiety, despair or hopelessness...whenever your "spiritual blood pressure" is on the rise, remember...

No parking!

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown
\o/ Praise Jesus!