God's Anti Anxiety Provision

Matthew 6:34

     "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NIV)
      "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (KJV)

How many times have I said to others, and myself, “One day at a time”? If you needed a scriptural basis for that thought, this is it. Along with the verses about how God takes care of the lilies and the birds comes this one. The verse just prior reminds me to “seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things [that I worry about] will be taken care of by God. Awesome. Easy to preach—hard to live out.

I try not to be negative about things, but being a “contemplative” by personality, I am usually able to see the small negative in the midst of overwhelming positives. (Other similar personality systems may designate my personality type as a “Conscientious,” or “Beaver,”—as in “busy as a…” It basically means I am most happy to be behind the scenes with a task that I like.) When I got the VGPR—Very Good Partial Response—report from my hundred-day-post-transplant test, I focused on the word “partial.” The doctor, and most others, focused on the words “very good.”

Jesus hits right where I and my personality live. I have to take each day as He brings it to me. I cannot do anything about tomorrow. Worrying doesn’t fix anything, and it usually focuses on things that do not happen. Looking into the future to find things to worry about is counter-productive at best. The chief thing I must do is “not worry about tomorrow” but “seek first His kingdom” and trust Him to add whatever else I need for today. Is another way of saying to God, “I trust You, with me.”


Update On Things Medical...
Today I went to my local oncologist. He is a very good doctor, and he has a very good staff. We got the ball rolling on what I call my maintenance chemo, and some bone strengthening meds too. I will start the bone stuff (its an IV) next Friday, and the chemo (it’s a pill) when the specialty pharmacy gets it to me.

Pray that: 
1. God will be glorified.
2. That I will be patient, trusting, and faithful.
3. That treatment will be effective
4. That side effects will be minimized.
 
Addendum
*If your interest has been piqued about this personality thing, you can find out a bit more at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DISC_assessment

There are tons of DISC type evaluations out there. Some are in books and others are administered by professionals for a fee. It is valuable to understand your personality type, but it is not the only variable in who we are and how we deal with life. A relationship with Christ deals with our bent toward sin and many of the hard edges of our personalities. Spiritual gifts given to us by God often compensate or augment our personalities. Rick Warren speaks of how five things determine how we are “SHAPEd” for ministry:

• Spiritual Gifts – Received when we become a Christ follower 
• Heart – What do you love to do? 
• Abilities – These can be natural (talents that have been honed) or acquired (stay in school)
• Personality – (see above) 
• Experience – What have you learned in life already?

[Boy this was long!]

Pre-Toddling

I have been reading When Life Falls Apart, by David Jeremiah. A friend gave me the book shortly after my cancer diagnosis. In the book, Jeremiah relates his struggle with cancer and what he learned from it. I started this book last fall, and then put it down about halfway through. (I am able to put almost any book down.) A week or so ago, I picked it up and began reading again. I came upon an illustration (page 122) that really resonated with me. Here is the short version.

The story revolved around a very proud grandfather and his little granddaughter. She was at the beginning stages of learning to walk. She was a "pre-toddler." You know, she crawls over to the couch, pulls herself up, and then stands there, wanting to move around like all the taller people around her, but not quite sure about the wisdom of attempting such locomotion. Grandpa did what almost every parent and grandparent has done. He got down on the floor and called to her to “come to papa.” [I don’t know why we so encourage our kids to learn to walk, because when they begin to walk, we begin to chase!]

After a bit of coaxing, she would leave her steadying grip on the sofa and head his way, only to fall each time. After a couple of attempts, grandpa arose and went over and took his little granddaughter’s hands in his. He helped her stand. Next, he raised her up just a little and positioned his feet under her feet. Then, together, grandpa and granddaughter proceeded across the room with little baby steps. She really wasn’t walking. Grandpa was doing all the work. She was completely dependent upon her grandpa’s ability and strength to get across the room. She was attempting to do what for her (at least at this stage of her development) was impossible.

I am a spiritual pre-toddler, and I must rely on my Heavenly Father to get me to the other side of this and whatever else life may bring. I am dependent upon His grip, dependent on His ability to guide my feet, and dependent on His strength to hold me up. Here are a couple of verses I hang on to (especially the first one). Proverbs 3:5-6 – "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths [my personal application: guide my feet]. Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Health and Prayer Requests:

• I got a haircut this week. Yep, its short and gonna stay that way. I have decided that I like getting up in the morning and my hair is "done."
• Found my notes from my meeting with the oncologist in Atlanta on July 6, and was reminded that along with the low-dose chemo (pray that side effects are minimized, please) I will be taking something to strength my bones. That will be by IV, but may only be monthly, and takes an hour to get it in. (Side effects of this one are minimal, but you can still pray that they really are.)
• I feel really good. Have lots of energy. One more prayer request: Pray that I will be able to keep this energy level or close to it, once I start the chemo. I have an appointment with my oncologist here on Friday. Then I'll know when I will start and what my schedule will be with it.

Near the end of the book (page 276), Jeremiah says, " …From my vantage point, there was one powerful factor that went the farthest to explain the success of my ordeal. I attribute my healing to the faithful prayers of the people of God—so many of them in scattered places. "

Your prayers still are the most important ingredient in treatment of my cancer. Doctors practice. God heals. 

Backing God into a Corner is Not a Good Idea

Matthew 4:5-7 
The devil starts off like he did with the first temptation. “If you are the son of God…” trying, perhaps, to instill a bit of doubt in the head of Jesus. This time though, the devil even quotes scripture related to the Son of God. However, he takes verses about God’s protection and trusting Him and twists them into an invitation to presume on or test God.

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 this time. “You shall not tempt [test] the Lord your God.” This passage is recalling the Israelites grumbling against God when water was in short supply. They got the water, but Moses named the location Massah (“test”) and Meribah (“quarrel). It will always be known for the people’s doubting of God: “Is the Lord among us, or not?” (See Exodus 17:1-7)

Presuming on God’s protection, provision, blessing, and deliverance is a bad idea. The “One time won’t matter,” or, “He’ll forgive me anyway,” mode of thinking is very dangerous spiritually and physically. Sort of the spiritual and physical equivalent to, “Hey Bubba, watch this.” The Israelites got water, but they’ll always be known as a whiny, quarrelsome bunch.

The Report from the Doctor (Tuesday, July 6)
My evaluation was “VGPR-Very Good Partial Response.” That means I am not healed, nor am I in remission. It means I will start a regular low-dose chemo to keep it beaten down.

How do I feel about all this? Mixed. I was hoping and trusting for healing, or at least remission. However, I am glad the response was good. The doctor likes my numbers, and that is encouraging. I continue to walk this road, trusting God for each day, and relying on you to continue to lift me up in prayer. Thanks!

Teaching-Preaching-Healing

Matthew 4:23-25

I am probably going to open a can of worms here…

Jesus began his ministry with a focus on the region of Galilee. The primary foci of his ministry was teaching, preaching, and healing. OK, Southern Baptist born and bred Tom, healing was one-third of his ministry. Even MacArthur agrees with that three-fold focus. If this was His focus on earth, why should it not be His focus, and the focus of the church (uh oh) in this present time? You know, it is just way too easy to say the manifestation of healing was given during Jesus’ ministry and the early church, but is no longer for today. I have never bought such explanations for the God who is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). How God chooses to do the healing is up to Him: Medicine, Miracle or Meeting. I have heard of or seen all three.

Healing is more than an outdated (“not for the church age”) visual aid to display the power of God. It is a necessity. Most places in the world do not have the medical advances that we do, so believers must look to God for healing. There are limits to medicine. I know this to be true in my own experience. Obviously, healing Multiple Myeloma is beyond the reach of current medical ability, and so are the aggravating allergies that have coexisted with me for nearly the entire time I have lived in Augusta. (I call this place “The Allergy Capital of the World.” The newspaper has put us in the top five worst places to live as far as allergies are concerned.) Medicine can only do so much. We tend to trust it far more than we should. I am very thankful for the medical care and expertise I have received over the last nine months. I expect it to continue for a long time! But healing comes from God.

The other two foci of his ministry are critically important. Physical healing relieves distress, pain, suffering, aggravation, and postpones death. But, for us, even God’s healing is rather temporary. Unless Jesus returns while we remain, we will, eventually, die. Ask Lazarus. Salvation comes through the “foolishness” of preaching (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21 KJV). Discipleship comes through the teaching. All are important.

Now, whether God chooses or has chosen to heal me is his realm. Whether I am healed on earth, or even in long-term remission, is up to Him. I know that when I am in heaven I will be completely healed. However, that does not mean we should not pray for healing, learn more about healing, and leave the faith door wide open to God’s working in ways we are not used to.

Update

THE APPOINTMENT is at 9:30 AM tomorrow, and they are usually running late. We will hear the report of the hundred days after the transplant. This is big. It will tell us what they have accomplished and what God has done. Just keep praying for a good report. We'll update you as soon as we can. God being glorified is what we desire (right along with a miraculous report)!

Soon I hope I'll have some cool July 4 pics up for you, but for now, just words. :-)