WHEREEVER WE ARE ... JESUS IS THERE TOO! (A Walk in Faith)
At the age of 84, Ross found himself in Intensive Care. This is not a place Ross would have chosen to go but God used surgery and his stay in hospital to show him many life-changing things … peace … power … faith.
I found myself in Intensive Care
One of the places where dark and negative thoughts can easily find us is in the Intensive Care Section of any hospital and that is where I found myself on March 15th 2005. This was the start of an extended stay in hospital that involved major abdominal surgery and an adventure with God that refreshed my spirit and by which He taught me many things. In hospital, nurses and doctors consciously or unconsciously, show the love and compassion of God and the patients experience varying degrees of anxiety and pain. The Holy Spirit of God is there waiting for an open mind willing to listen to whatever wisdom God lovingly offers, and He never misses an opportunity to reach us.
The wisdom of King Solomon
One of the first thoughts to register in my mind was "Stop looking inside yourself. Imagination always makes pain feel many times worse than it really is. Look outwards and listen." The words of King Solomon then came to mind and it was obvious that wisdom does not change in 2,500years; after all, human nature has not changed. Take the words from Proverbs 23:7 and put them into modern English and they carry the impact of an out of control semi-trailer. "As you think, so are you." These words tell us that with God, we can control our thoughts, and through them, the quality and direction of the spiritual areas of our lives.
Peace … a promise from Jesus
Jesus provides this power-filled promise to us: "My peace I leave with you, it is my own peace I give you. I do not give you the peace the world offers. Don't let your spirit be troubled" (John 14:27). These words are affirmed by saying, "Father, I accept your words by faith and open my life to the power of the Holy Spirit".
God … a changer of hearts
We do not necessarily get it right the first time we step out in faith, so we keep on until we break through into unity with the mind of Christ and His presence is real and His gifts work in life changing power. After much perseverance on my part, the gift of peace descended; the oppressive atmosphere of the hospital faded and uninterrupted sleep filled the night - which is just as well, because what God had planned for the next day was some 'ego slaying' and 'changing of attitudes'.
The branches can do nothing without the vine
Breakfast consisted of chicken soup, lime flavoured jelly and black tea; the digestive system is not up to steak and eggs after a major abdominal operation!
When all was quiet, God introduced His first 'block-buster'; "Without me you can do nothing."
In John 15:5, Jesus gave these words to the disciples in the Parable of the Vine where Jesus tells them that He was the vine and they are the branches. They (the branches) must stay attached to Him (the vine) because without the vine the branches can do nothing. No doubt the disciples needed to be told this as much as we do, because the human ego is forever ready to take credit for things that are really God's doing.
God held nothing back
It is so easy to kid ourselves that we can do a lot of things in our own strength. I started to mentally list my 'good works'. But that line of thought was suddenly brought to a halt with some blunt questions.
"Can you, by exerting your will, make yourself a more patient and lovable person? Can you, by good intention, get rid of selfishness? Can you, by great determination, become a person known for their compassion?"
We cannot change the fundamental things of our character one millimetre without God's help. Jesus stands in front of us, reaching out in love saying, "If you give me yourself, I will give you myself". God was in Christ. He holds nothing back. In giving us Jesus, He has given us all that He has to give. Without Him we can do nothing; surrendered to Him we are more than conquerors.
Be still!
The lesson moved on with the words "Be still and know that I am God". These words were said with authority. "Enough! Stop your frantic activity and get the right balance in the physical, mental and spiritual areas of your life."
It is so easy for life to be dominated by the things that need immediate attention. But the important thing is the foundation of a well-balanced life. The 'urgent' things can push to one side the important things that build in us the Christ-filled life.
The problem will cease when it is accepted that God is far more interested in the growth of our Christian character, than he is in our service. When we are what He wants us to be, we will have little difficulty in knowing what He wants us to do.
My grace is sufficient for you
Next day, I heard more 'home truths' which were given in the words that Paul the Apostle received when he implored God to remove the handicap which Paul ambiguously described as, "the thorn in the flesh". Paul was staggered when told by God, "My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.". God did not see Paul's 'thorn' as a handicap but rather as an opportunity! This 'thorn in the flesh' did not end up being a handicap as Paul's ministry went from triumph to triumph. Paul spoke of the power that never left him when he wrote, "Our adequacy comes from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5).
Giving God the credit
Genuine spiritual experience for all Christians is an entering into what God has done. This means that we can take no credit for what He has done in our lives. The whole Christian life is a continuing revelation of the power of God changing people into individuals who are living "in Christ".
Becoming the person God wants us to be
In regards to computers it is often said; "Garbage in … garbage out". The same applies to us. We must not feed our minds on garbage. We must feed our minds on love, joy, peace, patience, compassion, goodness, self-control and we will become the persons that God designed us to be. God wants us to believe His truth and not the lies that the devil sends our way. The truth is always there for us … God loves us!
Breaking the pattern of negative thoughts
"God has not given us a mind filled with fear. His Spirit fills us with power and love and self control".
This verse found in 2 Timothy 1:7 will change the daily life of anybody who accepts it by faith and turns it loose on the destructive patterns that destroy contentment and peace of mind. Things are so stress filled today that a French composer has given us what he calls the "Anxiety Symphony". The thing we learn from this is that worry makes the problem seem twice as big as it really is. It makes it nearly impossible to find an intelligent solution. We can end up irritable, illogical and very hard to live with.
Power that changes lives
"Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, the certainty of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
To act in faith is to make the great leap outside the comfort zone with which we all surround ourselves, confident that when we ask for anything that is God's will, He hears us. Persistence is often necessary. After all, Jesus said what we get is in proportion to our faith. This is the faith that alters the attitudes and direction of our minds and the course of our lives. We need to get a better understanding of what it means to have faith. To pray a faith powered prayer for something we desperately need means to thank God for it, before we have received it.
Consider it pure joy!
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2).
"All kinds of trials have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold ... may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:6,7).
I thank God for my time in hospital as He used it to change and teach me. His joy, love and power overflowed into my life.
God wants us to draw on His divine resources in times of trouble or tragedy, with the confidence that will lead to victory. Our victory is vitally connected to the victory that Jesus won on the Cross. If we are united with Jesus, and are serving God's purposes, then we have the power that makes us more than conquerors.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37, 38).
