weakness

Posted on September 21, 2001 by Dana

When you’ve been healthy all of your life, it is strange to be sick. When you’re used to feeling strong, it is frustrating to be weak. When you’ve always felt secure, it is uncomfortable to be vulnerable. When you’ve been proud most of your life, it is different to be humble.

Sometimes, it is in weakness that we catch a glimpse of the wisdom of God. His ways are not our ways, but we know He is perfect. Last year, as my body weakened, my hair fell out, and my mind became dull, God was saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Why does God work in such ways?

It is almost as if God takes everything that is important in the eyes of the world and turns it upside down. He chose to work in this manner through His own Son, so why should He work differently with us? From a lowly birth to a cruel cross, God chose the weak things of the world to bring about His glory. Jesus revealed this truth in so much of His teaching. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” “Blessed are those that mourn.” “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” “Come to Me…for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

When I am weak, I run to my God. When I am strong, I may not think there are needs, so my prayers are scarce and passionless. But when I am weak, I cry out to God with great fervency. Where else can I go? Only He can comfort. Only He can rescue. Only in God can I find true security. Only in God can I have confidence. Only in God can I find strength. “In Him we live and move and have our being.”

How we need Him – not just in difficult times, but always! Weakness brings us this realization. This is why we can thank God for our trials, for in these times we draw closest to Him.

Weakness also leads us to depend more on others. How do I thank my wife for helping me last year? I could not have made it without her. How do I thank so many of you for serving and praying for me and my family. In my weakness, God’s love was strong through His children and I am thankful.

Let us praise God for His wisdom and thank Him continually. Let us humbly admit we don’t have all the answers. Let us learn to depend on Him more and more.

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.” I Corinthians 1:27-28

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fear

Posted on September 13, 2001 by Dana

What if the experts say it may happen again? What if this week’s violence leads to further difficulty? We tend to fear the unknown, but we also struggle with what we know.

Our family thanks God for the last report the doctor gave. So many of you prayed for such news. ‘Your cancer is in complete remission’ brought a great joy. The next words did not surprise us, because we have learned about this particular disease. The doctor said, ‘This cancer always comes back.’ But his last comment, I must confess, produced fear that is difficult to shake. ‘When it does come back, it will be a nightmare.’ I feel like I’ve already been through a nightmare – I don’t want another.

God has been teaching me to live one day at a time. I am so thankful to be a ‘somewhat’ normal husband, father, and teacher again. I give thanks for each new day. “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

But what do we do when fear comes against us? Though it almost sounds too simple, ‘Jesus’ is the best answer anyone can give. He was “made like His brothers in every way” and He “suffered when He was tempted.” He was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Did fear not come against our Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane? With great emotion, He said to His friends, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” He may have struggled with the unknown, but Jesus also dreaded what He knew. As we look to Him, we can see the path to take.

Though it involved sweat and blood and tears, Jesus took all His burdens to His Father. He was honest about His own feelings and His own desire. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me.” Jesus reminded His Father of His power. “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you.” Every time, though, Jesus closed His prayer in humble obedience. “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

We know God did not remove the cup from His Son, but He did give Him what He needed to complete His life on earth. Has anyone handled trial with a greater calm? Has anyone faced death with such courage? Has anyone, in the midst of tremendous suffering, treated his enemies with more love and forgiveness?

Let us follow Jesus when fear comes against us. “Cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you.” No matter how things look, we know He loves us. Let us pray honestly before His throne. We can tell the Father what we feel and what we desire. Sometimes the cup may pass; sometimes it will not. We too, in humble obedience, should pray, ‘Not my will, but Yours be done.’ The blessing we can expect from above is the peace, the strength, and the courage to face any nightmare.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7

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truth

Posted on September 7, 2001 by Dana

It was after I was diagnosed with cancer that I realized how many are battling disease. I have seen so many people exhibit great courage and determination. The attitudes of young and old have served as examples for me. I have noticed that people handle adversity in different ways. Some seem to approach the enemy of disease with a defiant attitude. Others seem to lean more on faith in the struggle. Many call on the same God I serve, while others rely on different religions. As I joined a whole community of suffering people, an interesting question arose: Is my faith just a way to deal with my problem or is it something that is true?

Am I truly a child of God or is this just something that helps me cope? Does God really love me with an everlasting love or does this thought just make me feel better? God has arranged things in such a way that we can only come to Him by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. God’s Son, Jesus, is the definition of truth and when we put our faith in Him some miracles take place. Our sins – far more deadly than any cancer – are forgiven and we become a part of God’s family. The Father, in His perfect wisdom, gives a gift to His children to enable us to walk in truth. Paul wrote about this good news in Galations 3 and 4: You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus… Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Before Jesus went to the cross, He promised His followers this Helper who He described as truth: If you love Me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him or knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

So here’s the lesson I have learned: God’s truths are of infinite value when I hold to them by faith. The fatal mistake of the children of Israel was not combining God’s message of truth with their own faith (see Hebrews 4:1-3). It was easy for them to believe when they walked through the Red Sea and saw their enemy destroyed. But what did they believe after going three days without water? It is easy for me to believe when every prayer seems to be answered and I constantly sense His presence. But what do I believe when no prayer seems to be answered? What if God seems to be far away? What if I am suddenly confronted with sickness or persecution or even death?

This is the truth: In Christ, I am forgiven, I am loved as a son, and the Holy Spirit dwells in my heart. Lord, let us believe what we know to be true. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

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the love of the Father

Posted on August 8, 2001 by Dana

The first thing I’ll share that I have learned in this year of difficulty is going to sound simplistic. It is something we all know, but may not totally grasp. I AM LOVED BY GOD. I am not just loved in some ordinary way, but I am loved as a son. The truth is we are not just loved ‘as if’ we are children of God – we are children of God! How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!

Granted, we are adopted, but does that diminish the love of the Father? I have two friends that have something in common. Each has one son by birth and one son that was adopted. I asked these fathers if they loved the son by birth more than the one adopted. The reaction was the same – “Of course not!” I felt a little stupid asking the question, but I’m glad I did. The passion expressed as these parents told of their love for their sons was powerful. Now if we, who are evil, know how to love our children, how much more does the Father in Heaven love us? (see Luke 11:11-13) Is it possible that God loves me in the same manner that He loves Jesus? It is true and I should believe it!

If anyone talked to my parents this past year, one thing would have been clear: they loved their son that was battling cancer. So often, while I was as sick as could be, I could feel my father’s hand on my back or I could hear his comforting voice. When he was at his own house in Chattanooga and I could not hear him or see him, I still knew his love for me was strong. So why are we tempted to question our Heavenly Father’s love when troubles come? We believe in a God who has all power. We sing that He is in control. But if He loves me so, how could He let me have cancer? Jesus understands our questions because He suffered on this earth. He intercedes for us with perfect prayers as a fellow sufferer and He models the perfect attitude the children of God should possess. “My Father loves me. I may not understand why I am going through this, but I will trust Him. I love my Father and I’ll do whatever He says.”

Though He was sinless, the Father chose to teach His Son through suffering. “Though He was a son, He learned obedience from the things that He suffered.” I don’t know that I fully understand this, but we all know that difficulty can produce good. Though the world may question God, the child, by faith, can know that God’s love never fails. Don’t you know as Jesus was whipped, spit upon, and nailed to the cross, many were thinking, “This can’t be the Son of God – no all-powerful Father would let His Son go through such torture!”? But Jesus knew God’s ways are not man’s ways. He entrusted Himself to the will of the Father – and aren’t we glad He did?

If God allowed His only begotten Son to suffer, would He permit His adopted children to go through difficulties? The answer seems obvious, but the test comes in believing that, no matter how dark the cloud, God’s love never wavers. Even on his death bed, a child of God can say with all confidence, “He loves me.”

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