The theme for today is rapha and yada.
Just can’t quite leave Psalm 46. How can you without touching on “Be still and know that I am God?”
So, I learned some Hebrew. And I want you to as well. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. And easy. Two words: rapha and yada.
Rapha. Be still. Rapha means to let go, be weak, be feeble, be vulnerable. In short, it means to surrender.
Not exactly the be still we think it means. Rapha is much more than sitting quietly, meditating, and napping. It’s much more than a quiet walk in nature. It’s more than getting away from the noise, clamour, and busyness.
Rapha is surrender. Rapha takes humility. Rapha takes courage and trust to be weak. It jolts us into admitting (and being OK with!) the fact we don’t have it together. We’re not as strong as we think we are. We’re not in control. We’re not OK. We’re not fine. Stop pretending. Start surrendering. Rapha! So liberating!
Rapha is freedom. The more you get the ‘rapha’ part down pat, you’ll receive ‘yada.’ Rapha takes you to yada.
Yada. Not ‘yada yada yada.’ But yada. To know. Yada is to know God personally, closely, and intimately. No time to get into the birds and bees here, but it’s the same word you read in Genesis – Adam ‘knew’ Eve.
To know (rada) God, is like a marriage. A bonded unity. A deep relationship. More than just a general acquaintance. More than just the odd check in. To know God is to share with God. Every longing, every fear, every tear, every hope, every failure, every sin, every joy is to be shared. Shared with our loving father. He wants us to know Him deeper, to know Him in the same way He knows us. Yada is relational. Yada is personal.
Rapha and yada will help Zach, and all of us, to run the race. Rapha leads to yada leads to Jesus.
Today’s Updates:
Today Zach had another procedure. They inserted a “PEG tube” in his stomach for longer term tube feeding. Previously he’s had feeding tubes in his mouth or nose, so now with the PEG tube, Zach finally doesn’t have any devices on his face! It is nice to see Zach looking more like himself.
Zach’s lungs continue to slowly improve, but he failed his breathing trial again today. They’re going to trial taking him off the ventilator again tomorrow.
Everything else is about the same as yesterday. Please pray especially for Zach’s brain to recover fully. Thank you for joining us in casting our anxieties on the Lord, who cares for us.
“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)
