Lessons from the Journey

What do you think when you hear news like what I listed below?  Unfortunately life happens every day and people are forced to deal with these sorts of questions.  My friend Jared Trumbo, one of my groomsmen for those who attended the wedding, is Tyson's uncle and wrote some thoughts on this issue that I thought were both incredibly true and fair to the internal struggle we all face in life.  Instead of attempting to improve upon something that is already so well written I have stole it from Tyson's facebook group and pasted it below.

indulge me here folks, i am just trying to process out loud.

My nephew Tyson was diagnosed yesterday with a brain tumor. He is 9 months old. Doctors will attempt to remove the tumor from his 9 month old brain in two days. If the tumor is found to be “aggressive” they will remove what they can and then treat what remains with radiation and chemotherapy. They can do chemo on a 9 month old?

This type of situation causes one to do two things. The first thing one does is spread the word through whatever means possible to as many people as possible so that the prayer base will be as strong as possible. The next thing one does is question those very prayers. We pray for healing - does that mean God is going to heal? Does it not happen every day that sick infants who have been bathed in prayer die? We try to get as many people to pray as much as possible - because God is more likely to decide in our favor if more people are praying? 

In Romans 8:26 Paul tells us that we “do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” It is in times like these that this concept is understandable. I do not know how to pray but somehow I do it anyway - and the Spirit takes over. Last week I was teaching our college Bible study group about worry. We talked about Philippians 4:6 which tells us not to be anxious about anything. We also talked, of course, about Matthew 6:25 where Jesus tells his followers not to worry about their lives and goes on to make us all ashamed by juxtaposing our position against that of birds and flowers. Obviously neither Jesus nor Paul were ever told their 9 month old had a brain tumor or else they would not have been able to utter these words. Right? 

As I have been cluelessly praying these last 30 hours the Spirit has directed my thoughts to an answer that I gave to a question at last week’s Bible study. The students know that worry is something that I have a good handle on (I have plenty of spiritual weaknesses, but this is one of my strengths) and they asked me what the key was. I did not realize at that time that my answer would be exactly what I would need to hear just 5 short days later. My answer was that we must follow Paul’s advice in Philippians 4 and offer everything (especially worry and anxiety) to the Lord in prayer, but that we do so trusting Him even if the outcome is not what we desire. We need to seek first His Kingdom and trust that he will provide - but even if he does not provide we are continue seeking and always trust. 

I used the biblical example of Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22. I do not believe that Abraham set out on the three day hike knowing that the Lord would provide a ram in the thicket. As he bound his son and sharpened the knife I don’t believe that Abraham was stalling, hoping that God would intervene. I have to think that as the tears streamed down Abraham’s face (it doesn’t say that in the text but you know it happened that way) and he rose the knife to kill his promised son that he was not looking around for the animal that would take his son’s place. I believe that Abraham completely trusted in the Lord, had hoped he would not have to slay Isaac, but trusted in God even if the angel would not have intervened at the last second. Abraham was prepared to kill Isaac because he trusted in the Lord. 

There are two other examples in Scripture of this exact same idea. When Daniel’s friends were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow to the King’s image (the most powerful pagan king in the world no less) they told him, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). They trusted in the Lord completely - not that He would save them, but he was God even if he did not. The other example is from the hellish story of Job. Job lost it all, his wife told him to curse God and die (2:9), and Job is trying to discover the unchartered territory slightly beneath rock bottom. He gives us the answer to what if God doesn’t... He says what Abraham was saying at Moriah, what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were saying on the threshold of the furnace, and what I say today - “though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (13:15).

I trust in the Lord not because I believe He will heal. I trust in the Lord because I know He can heal, and because even if he does not - He is God alone. 

Lessons from the Journey

Sacrifice was modeled by ALL of the early church leaders and should be today.  However, many of us in western Christianity have to battle against convenient living as it clashes with Kingdom priorities.  For most of us it is not intentional but rather comes natural in a culture that celebrates convenience (fast food, 711's, Walgreen's, pizza delivery, microwaves, etc.).  

I am certainly not advocating an abandonment of all things of comfort as I am a creature of comfort but I am encouraging an inspection as to how deep this desire for convenience has penetrated our spiritual decision making.  Sacrifice is the foundation of the church and is resisted in many parts of our lives.  I truly believe that nothing of eternal significance will ever be accomplished apart from sacrifice!  This may be why Christianity is at an all time low in influence in the US and is thriving in most other places in the world.  Is it possible that our spiritual decision making is influenced greatly by our pursuit of ease?  Below are some Scriptures that have pushed me into inspecting my lifestyle in comparison with God's expectations for His children...

• Luke 9:23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 
  
• 2 Timothy 3:12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
  
• 2 Corinthians 11:21What anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22Are they Hebrews?  So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
  
• Acts 7:54When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Thank"full" prayer?

Prayer is always a challenge.  There is a reason why it is classified as a "spiritual discipline"; it is a part of my spiritual life that I am constantly challenged.  The most recent investigation of my prayer life found that I have become very request-based and lacked in the area of thankfulness.   I know there are so many things to be grateful to God for in my life however I was not expressing them to Him.  I can only imagine what that must seem like to God to have given all for a relationship and all He hears is how I want more from Him.  So because of that revelation I have spent today and will continue over the next several days dedicating all of my prayer time to giving thanks.  This has been a highly refreshing challenge for me as I have been forced to think on all of the many blessings that go unappreciated every day.