We (my wife and sweetheart Karen and I) just returned from four days at Duke Medical Center taking care of my father. My dad is 83 years old and He had been very mistreated by some doctors at another hospital. My friend it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of our healthcare system without God and your family. My father has been put through the ringer and yet through it all he has maintained such a wonderful attitude and spirit even to the point of allowing God to speak to me through him. He has now been in the hospital for 23 days. Every time the medical and nursing staff tells him to do something he said yes sir or yes ma’am. When asked how he is doing my dad replies, nothing could be any better. He is a man who understands discipline and authority, his 30+ years in the military seeing brutal combat, great devastation, and of course great loss of life in World War II, Korea, and Viet-Nam has served him well in developing his attitudes and perspective.
As I look at my white haired father (along with the IVs, foley catheter, and the two drains draining bile and pus from his liver bed and abdomen) I see faithfulness, devotion, and great dedication, but also I see the scriptures being fulfilled. Scriptures such as; “Because all flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away, 25and the saying of the Lord doth remain—to the age; and this is the saying that was proclaimed good news to you.” (1 Peter 1:24-25) My friend this process of growing old is a process God has ordained in our life. This is the process God has chosen for us to ultimately be with Him. This also is the process God has ordained for our spiritual growth and development. Not too many Christians are really concerned about spiritual growth and maturity, but everything God has created grows and must develop or it will prematurely come to the end and purpose God has planned. Many Christians are more concerned about be delivered, this is the heart cry of most in the church today, God deliver me from my troubles and sicknesses. Well my friend no where in the Bible did God deliver anyone. Daniel went into the lion’s den, the three Hebrew children went into the fiery furnace, and even Jesus was not delivered from the cross. Oh no my friend, Jesus was not delivered from the cross. And yet through these troubles they were developed, even Jesus. Because He humbled Himself and endured the cross He was given a name above all names. Spiritual growth and development, God’s major goals in our lives, comes our way through troubles and problems not by way of singing songs, waving flags, and speaking great swelling words about each other but, in silence and brokenness of spirit and of heart. Silence where God has stilled our words, desires, and thoughts. A broken heart is the real sign of God working in our lives, not fame, riches and wealth as the nominal church of today teaches. We often fail to come to God’s best for our lives when we depend on our abilities and strength and when we depend on the strong arm of our flesh. How can we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) when we depend on something that, “all flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away?”
Sadly time and time again we often depend on our skills, God-given talents and abilities to strengthen us enough to get to God, where real life is found. Jesus said, He came to give us life (the life of God) not to make us something wonderful, special, rich, famous or take us all to heaven. When we lean on our strong arm of the flesh we miss the mark and fall out of the eternal way God has purposed and planned for us. Jeremiah gives us the right direction and hope, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:5-8) The way of yielding fruit and God blessing us is by trusting in the Lord. Only as we trust in God will, “be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green.” This is the place of the life of God, but this too is the place of growth as a root digs down (rooted and grounded in God) and as the young shoots grows upward, “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. 8I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: 9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: 10Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: 11To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.” (Job 5:7-11) This my friend is the place of spiritual growth and development, this too is the place our strong arm of the flesh is dealt a death blow unto life. And this is the place we can also see God walking with us in the valley of the shadow of death were God walks alone with man. Written by David Stahl
As I look at my white haired father (along with the IVs, foley catheter, and the two drains draining bile and pus from his liver bed and abdomen) I see faithfulness, devotion, and great dedication, but also I see the scriptures being fulfilled. Scriptures such as; “Because all flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away, 25and the saying of the Lord doth remain—to the age; and this is the saying that was proclaimed good news to you.” (1 Peter 1:24-25) My friend this process of growing old is a process God has ordained in our life. This is the process God has chosen for us to ultimately be with Him. This also is the process God has ordained for our spiritual growth and development. Not too many Christians are really concerned about spiritual growth and maturity, but everything God has created grows and must develop or it will prematurely come to the end and purpose God has planned. Many Christians are more concerned about be delivered, this is the heart cry of most in the church today, God deliver me from my troubles and sicknesses. Well my friend no where in the Bible did God deliver anyone. Daniel went into the lion’s den, the three Hebrew children went into the fiery furnace, and even Jesus was not delivered from the cross. Oh no my friend, Jesus was not delivered from the cross. And yet through these troubles they were developed, even Jesus. Because He humbled Himself and endured the cross He was given a name above all names. Spiritual growth and development, God’s major goals in our lives, comes our way through troubles and problems not by way of singing songs, waving flags, and speaking great swelling words about each other but, in silence and brokenness of spirit and of heart. Silence where God has stilled our words, desires, and thoughts. A broken heart is the real sign of God working in our lives, not fame, riches and wealth as the nominal church of today teaches. We often fail to come to God’s best for our lives when we depend on our abilities and strength and when we depend on the strong arm of our flesh. How can we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) when we depend on something that, “all flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away?”
Sadly time and time again we often depend on our skills, God-given talents and abilities to strengthen us enough to get to God, where real life is found. Jesus said, He came to give us life (the life of God) not to make us something wonderful, special, rich, famous or take us all to heaven. When we lean on our strong arm of the flesh we miss the mark and fall out of the eternal way God has purposed and planned for us. Jeremiah gives us the right direction and hope, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:5-8) The way of yielding fruit and God blessing us is by trusting in the Lord. Only as we trust in God will, “be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green.” This is the place of the life of God, but this too is the place of growth as a root digs down (rooted and grounded in God) and as the young shoots grows upward, “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. 8I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: 9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: 10Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: 11To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.” (Job 5:7-11) This my friend is the place of spiritual growth and development, this too is the place our strong arm of the flesh is dealt a death blow unto life. And this is the place we can also see God walking with us in the valley of the shadow of death were God walks alone with man. Written by David Stahl
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