One thing I learned while being paralyzed is the importance of faith and to be deeply rooted in it. This whole thing that has happened to me, my wife and my family has been a disaster. God does amazing things when there is disaster though. God teaches all throughout scripture what to do when calamity hits. In Mark 4:35-41 we learn what should be done. Mark 4:35-41 ~ Jesus Calms a Storm 35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” We learn in these verses above that Christs disciples were scared to death. This storm was actually the test instrument used by Christ and we find out here that the disciples failed it miserably. These disciples were used to high seas and the storm was worse than they have ever seen before and the waves must have been huge. Each disciple had the opportunity to pass the test just by having faith, but they showed that they didn’t have any. They didn’t have faith in the Man, that performed miracles that only God could do, before they got on that boat. When I was first paralyzed, I automatically knew that this was going to be a test a true test. Even though it was very painful and tough, I knew I had to have faith. God wants to know how strong our faith is, so He is going to allow us to be tested to the limit. When I said that I knew exactly what to do, I say that in humility because I never want to exalt myself. I never want to magnify my importance. In scripture we learned that the apostle Paul had what he called a thorn in the flesh that inflicted bodily pain and damage on him. Under this intense pressure, Paul asked the Lord three times to take it away, and finally the Lord explained to Paul why He would not: My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Grace is sufficient. Grace - not human ability, not human talents, not human intellect. Gods grace plus my weakness equal power in ministry. Pauls reaction to the news was to begin rejoicing because he had so many weaknesses. Once he oriented to the fact that grace works through weakness, he found that he always had something to celebrate. Being able to celebrate our weakness is the key to contentment in the Christian way of life. Paul wrote in Philippians 4 that he had learned the secret of being content. How do we do that? We have to learn to accept ourselves as we are - weaknesses, cracks, flaws, and all. God takes us as we are. Philippians 4:11-13 ~ 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. These three verses have meant so much to Lisa and I because we have been able to get through the roughest part of our journey using them. When I first came out of where ever I was (I don’t know what to call it, but it lasted for roughly fifteen days), I began to pray and ask God to take the pain and sadness away from me. I prayed that for a few days and then one morning, very early before it was light, an older gentleman came into my room and we had church. He told me to not ask God to take my circumstance away, but to ask Him to take me through it. I thanked that gentleman and I never saw him again. So, I began to pray that God would help me get through it and God helped me. Lisa and I knew that we needed to lean on God and we did as hard as we could. When we leaned on God good things and even great things began to happen. Things are still happening to this very day. We have seen some amazing things. Grace is sufficient. Paul talks about the power of Christ dwelling in him. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 he talks about this power. 2 Corinthians 4:7 ~ 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. The treasure Paul is talking about here is “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is in the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Paul says that we carry this light in “earthen vessels,” physical bodies as fragile as clay pots. The glory of God rests in us so that the source of the power in our lives will be evident in this dark world. When the apostle Paul talks about treasure in earthen vessels, he is talking about torches and clay pots. We are the clay pots, the common, everyday vessels. The glory of Jesus Christ is the torch, the light of this world. We put the light into the clay vessel and then blow the trumpet, which is the message of the gospel. When the vessel is broken, the light shines through. And that is exactly what God is trying to do in our lives every day – break the vessel, so the light can shine out. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ~ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. The reason why Christians have to suffer is because that is the only way God’s glory will be seen through us. If we are going to blow the trumpet, God is going to break the vessel. If we are not prepared to be broken, we had better just set our trumpets down and go home because we are not ready for the battle. The battle that we face cannot be fought and won by our own power and strength. It has to be fought in weakness. That is how God displays His power – through the weakness of the missionaries, of the pastors, of the believers on the job every day who keep blowing the trumpet. Every time we blow the trumpet, the vessel is broke, and God routes the enemy. Glory Be To God
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 00:34:22 +0000
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