Professional Successes and Personal Losses (Matthew 16:26)

During the early part of my career, I turned my back on God. The reasons are complex but at the heart was my sinful nature. I gave in to the lust of the eyes, lust of the mind, and the pride of the flesh. I was fanatical about succeeding in my career and while my professional success grew, my personal losses accelerated.

I recall one forlorn evening, walking through my empty home and looking at my diplomas and awards that were on my wall. I recounted broken relationships that resulted from my determined desire to excel at my career, at any cost, regardless of whom I hurt. I thought back to others who attempted to help me along the way only to be rejected by my haughty and selfish spirit. I lamented the weak excuses I gave to acquire material possessions that could somehow make up for the spiritual void in my life.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Matthew 16:26

Indeed, what can a man give in return for his soul? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

At that point, I had no where to turn but to the ground. I fell on my hands and knees and confessed my sins to God and repented in tears. It took time but God redirected me to those with whom I had alienated with my lifestyle. I was able to forgive so many who had hurt me along the way. And most importantly, I was able to once again find fellowship with a Bible believing Church and be surrounded and embraced by God’s family.

God saves us by His grace. We do not deserve the salvation and there is no work we can do to earn His forgiveness.  God owes us nothing. It is only by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior, that He is able to save our soul.

Professional successes...personal losses...all need to be measured against the standard of God’s love and sacrifice. And until I came to that point in my life, I was truly lost.

Praise God for His mercy and grace!

Love and seek the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

 

Excruciating (Acts 5:41)

There is a word that has become common in the english language-excruciating. It means agonizing or severe pain, to cause intense suffering, or unbearably distressing. It is a colorful word and one that certainly adds an erudite air to any writing or speech. The origins of the word, however, are dark and somber. It is derived from crucifix and emblematic of the pain and suffering of a crucifixion.

Although there is nothing wrong to use this word in everyday language, I am definitely uncomfortable applying it to myself, no matter the travails or hardships I may be undergoing. The Romans crucified many people, but only Jesus Christ, paid the ultimate sacrifice by being crucified and dying on the Cross for my sins. Nothing that I have or ever will experience will even begin to approach the same level of pain or anguish that He experienced. It is enough to know that if I do suffer for my faith, I share it out of gratitude for what Jesus Christ has done for me.

So they went away from the Sanhedrin, happy to undergo shame for the Name.
Acts 5:41

The early disciples rejoiced in any suffering or punishment they encountered for their faith and belief in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Christian tradition states that the Apostle Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he felt he was not worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

We need to approach Jesus Christ with the same respect, ever mindful of His sacrifice for all of mankind. We thank Him but confessing our sins, repenting, and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"I'm Drowning Here, and You're Describing the Water!" (Psalms 121:1-3)

"I'm drowning here, and you're describing the water!"
Melvin Udall in “As Good As It Gets”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIi18nRFBU4

This is a famous line uttered by Melvin Udall, played by Jack Nicholson, who was upset over the advice that Simon gave him after Carol breaks up with him over the telephone. Melvin felt that Simon was not helpful at all, simply describing the pathetic situation rather than giving him practical advice to resolve the problem.

I laughed when I first heard this because I wondered how many times I have been both the recipient of similar helpful advice or have been equally guilty of rendering advice that was of no help at all to the listener?

When we are in need of sound advice, to whom do we turn? The Bible has many examples of men turning to others for advice. In some instances, the advice was ill-advised and the consequences devastating. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, rejected the advice of the elderly counselors of his father and listened to the foolish advice of his younger peers, with whom he grew up. The result of accepting this advice was a divided kingdom with Israel following their own king. Rehoboam paid a high price for seeking counsel from man rather than first seeking God.

Sometimes it seems as though we cry out to God only as a last resort. But when any problem confronts us, the God of the Universe is able to cut through the chatter and noise and address the real problem rather than simply describe the circumstances.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Psalms 121:1-3

God is able to help us like no other because it is He who set all events in motion. Our limited minds can never fully comprehend the meaning of the circumstances we find ourselves. But God does not ask us to understand, He asks us to trust Him and allow Him to take care of the situation.

Won’t you accept the help of God? By accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will gain access to the limitless blessings and help of God. Is there any better solution to your problems than this?

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

Daily Devotional (Psalm 119:105)

There are a plethora of excellent daily devotionals. Some of them, like Oswald Chambers’  My Utmost for His Highest are considered classics. I have read many of them and have taken great inspiration and have deepened my faith.

Each devotional takes a verse or verses and illuminates some life lesson. Whenever I read these devotionals, as wonderful and insightful as they are, I could not help but think that all of these devotionals are simply pointing to God’s Word and I would rather read God’s Word instead of someone’s insights.

I was inspired by the story that President Abraham Lincoln read a chapter from Proverbs everyday, so I decided to create my own devotional based upon the wisdom of God’s Word. There are 31 proverbs and 150 psalms. Thus beginning on the first day of the month, I begin reading Proverbs 1 and Psalms Chapters 1-5. The next day is Proverbs 2 and Psalms Chapters 6-10, and so on. If the month has 30 days, I will read Proverbs 30 and 31 on the last day. If the month has 31 days, I read five chapters of the Psalms of my choice. If it is the month of February, the 28th or 29th day will be spent reading extra chapters of Proverbs and Psalms, Ecclesiastes, or the Song of Solomon. In this manner, the entire Books of the Proverbs and Psalms are read through twelve times a year.

This takes place during my quiet time which is usually in the morning. I have organized my daily Bible study in a similar fashion to ensure that I read through the rest of the entire Bible in an orderly fashion.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalms 119:105

I used to marvel at people stating how they would continue to gain new insights and see how God could speak to them through the Bible. But once I began a serious and diligent reading of the Bible, I saw this in my own life. It is absolutely true that God’s Word is alive! God’s Word truly enlightens my path and I turn to it for answers to all of the problems I face in life.

I am absolutely convinced that when we go to Heaven, we will be judged by how diligently we read the Bible and applied it to our lives and to those around us. In the United States, there is such a tremendous access to many translations of the Bible in numerous formats. There is no excuse to not have a Bible and to read it. There are even Bibles that have devotionals placed side by side with God’s Word. But for myself, the only true devotional is spent reading God’s Word alone.

Praise God for the gift of His Holy Word!

Love and praise the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

We're On the Same Side! (Romans 8:31)

Conflict in life is inevitable. Many conflicts appear to arise from mis- or lack of communication. The result is disagreement, anger, and frustration. Ultimately, there may even be a sense that the two of you are not on the same side. In some instances, taking the time to understand the viewpoint of the other may go a long way to resolve or avoid further conflict.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

What if you could look at life from God’s perspective? What if you could view every conversation, every interaction, every thought the way that God sees things? Wouldn’t that be tremendous? We would immediately understand what motivates the other person and from what perspective they were reasoning.  And if we did, conflicts would dramatically diminish.

God does give us His perspective!

When we confess our sins and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God gives us His Holy Spirit to indwell within us. He gives us God’s perspective through the mind of Jesus Christ. God is truly on our side!

In our fallen state, conflict is inevitable. But if the person you are having a conflict with is also a Believer, the two of you have a supreme advantage. God is on both of your sides and if you are willing, He will help to resolve the conflict in a manner that neither of you could have ever imagined, to bring glory to Him!

What a wonderful promise!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

That's Punny! (1 Samuel 25:23)

It has been said that one sign of intelligence is the ability to pun.

In my company, all of the employees love a clever turn of phrase or to create puns. A recent clever pun was told just the other day about one of my employee’s uncle who had a fondness for mushrooms. He was admiring the complexity of the mushrooms, pointing out that mushrooms are more like animals rather than plants. In fact, mushrooms are in their own kingdom called fungi. The uncle then said, “Wow, wouldn’t it be great if I could join a mushroom colony? But I wonder if they would accept me?”

Without missing a beat, my employee said, “It would be no problem for you to join them, all you have to do is tell them you are fun guy (fungi)!”

That’s punny! Yes, my employees are definitely of superior intelligence!

The original manuscripts of the Bible were written in Hebrew and Greek. The Bible that we read is an accurate translation of these original manuscripts, none of which exist today. However, sometimes the subtleties of language are lost in translation. There are numerous examples of wordplay and puns in the Bible. One well known play on words is the story of the rich man Nabal, who mistreated King David’s men after David extended a kind hand to him. Nabal’s wife, Abigail, saw the folly of her husband’s actions and intercepted David before he attacked Nabal.

Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.
1 Samuel 25:23

Nabal means fool and this man more than lived up to his name. The Bible is quite humorous and it would therefore follow, created by a superior intelligence! But one question still remains in my mind. What parent would name their child “fool”?

Praise God for His Word which is faithful and true!

Love and praise the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

PS...here are additional puns.

Your Blood Type Changed (1 Corinthians 3:11)

In my former laboratory, we had a weekly management meeting where diagnostic issues and concerns were reviewed from the prior week. During one meeting, an unusual situation arose. A Japanese patient was upset because a routine blood test, performed by our lab, had revealed a different blood type than what he thought he had. A repeat of the blood test revealed the same findings. The patient was complaining to his primary care physician who then waged a formal complaint to our laboratory that our results must be in error. The patient was absolutely sure of his blood type.

My colleagues in the laboratory could not understand why this patient was so upset. If anything, they felt, this patient should be thankful that our laboratory had corrected and confirmed his true blood type. I explained to my colleagues that the situation was far more serious than most of us could ever realize. For many Japanese, their entire life has been built upon and around the knowledge of their blood type. In their culture, their blood type influences their personality, their education, occupation, even the person whom they date or marry. For this middle aged adult man to find out that his blood type was different from what he always thought literally turned his world upside down.

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:11

On what do you base your life? Do you let it be dictated by a blood type, an astrological birth sign, the positioning of your furniture in your home? There are many things that compete for our attention and devotion.

There is only one foundation that matters in this life, Jesus Christ. He is Lord and Savior and if you place your trust and faith in Him, you will be saved. We know this to be true because Jesus Christ is God, the Creator and Sustainer of the all Creation.

What is your foundation for life?

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

 

It's Not That Cold! (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Many years ago, my wife and I were dining in a Chinese restaurant. We were seated below an air conditioning vent, and the temperature seemed colder than usual. My wife was shivering and she had no sweater or additional outerwear. When the waiter came to take our order he noticed my wife shivering and asked, “Are you cold?”

My wife looked up at him, arms crossed and shivering and nodded, “Yes, I’m cold!”

The waiter glanced at her, looked around, and then pronounced, “It’s not that cold!”

And with that, he took our order and left. My wife and I both looked at each other incredulously, not knowing whether to laugh or get angry!

We were looking for empathy; we were looking for comfort from someone whom we thought would oblige; we were looking at the wrong person!

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16

There are many people that we may turn to because in them, we think that we will find help and comfort. There are counselors, social workers, teachers...all of them may give very good advice and assistance. But like the unsympathetic waiter in the restaurant, we will inevitably encounter a less than satisfying outcome. As skilled as all these others may be, they are still human like all of us, subject to the same human failings and trappings of our sinful nature.

No, to truly address our deepest needs, there is only person to whom we can confidently turn-Jesus Christ. We can turn and pray to Him in confidence because He is God. And if we confess our sins to Him, because of His sacrifice and death on the Cross and His resurrection, we know that He will listen to our prayers and grant us the salvation we all need.

Praise God for His love, mercy, and grace to us!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

God in Excess (2 Samuel 12:8)

When God does something, He does it in magnificent excess, doesn’t He? He doesn’t simply bless us, He blesses us exceedingly abundantly. And yet, King David, a man after God’s own heart, at the height of his power, turned his back upon the blessings that God had already bestowed upon him and committed adultery with Bathsheba and then arranged to have her husband murdered. David attempted to cover up his sins but God, through Nathan the prophet, confronted David.

And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.
2 Samuel 12:8

God made it quite clear to David, that as abundant as the blessings were that he had already received, He would blessed him with even more. But it was not meant to be. The consequences of his actions reverberated for the rest of David’s life, leading to his kingdom temporarily usurped from under him and the death of his son, Absalom.  

Only after repenting of his sin did God forgive Him. David had to learn a painful and tragic lesson before he understood the exceedingly abundant blessings that a life that is obedient to God can provide. But like so many of us, he took God’s blessings for granted. He was spoiled by the overwhelming grace and blessings that God gave him. Years later, David was able to once again rejoice in God’s blessings, stating emphatically that God’s blessings were exceedingly abundant!

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Psalms 23:5

Only by coming to Jesus Christ and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior will we be forgiven our sins. But we need to first come to Him. And when we do, we will experience God in excess, receiving the exceedingly abundant blessings that only God can provide!

Blessings with Aloha!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

Where are My Role Models? (2 Timothy 2:2)

In life and in business, a positive role model is invaluable to provide needed direction to help smooth out the hills and valleys of our everyday trials and experiences. As I reflect upon my life, I have been blessed by many role models who have positively influenced my life: my parents, a Christian brother who lead me to the Lord, the great missionary surgeon, Dr. John Dreisbach, and my pastors in Colorado and PVBC. All helped to mold me and provide critical direction in my life.

In spite of these godly influences, my life has been anything but a smooth upward trajectory to a closer relationship with God and to become more like Jesus Christ. It was only through the mercy and grace of my Lord, Jesus Christ, that my years of disobedience and backsliding led me back into a relationship with Him. During these years, I sorely lacked a role model that could have assisted me. Specifically I needed a role model who could show me how to deal with situations when I am forced to do something that I do not wish. For so many years, my solution had been to walk away from such problems. Sometimes it was definitely the correct option. But many times, it was unwise and a reflection of my immaturity and fearfulness.

...and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:2

The Apostle Paul took the young preacher, Timothy, under his tutelage. His sage advice to him is found in two pastoral letters in the Bible. Paul was mentoring Timothy with the hope that the lessons that Timothy learned from him, he would teach and pass on to others, who, in turn would teach others as well. And who was Paul’s role model? His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Instead of looking to myself, replete with all my failings, I needed to turn to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of my faith. He is the only role model that is the embodiment of truth.

Turn to Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. Turn to Jesus Christ as your role model in life.

Love and trust the Lord; keep our family strong.
 

The Bandage Sign (Galatians 3:13)

In the United States, the tabloids and gossip columnists love to entertain us with speculation over whether a certain celebrity underwent cosmetic surgery. Usually a before and allegedly after photo are presented side by side and a detailed analysis pointing out the modifications is presented. Bottom line, most people in the United States are uncomfortable disclosing the fact that they had some type of cosmetic surgery performed upon them.

In some cultures, however, getting cosmetic surgery is sign of prestige and social status. A bandage on the bridge of the nose represents a recent cosmetic surgery, in this case, a nose job! Only people with a certain degree of money and social status can afford to get such a surgery. Thus, a surgical procedure that is sometimes hidden or not openly discussed in the United States, is proudly displayed in some other cultures. What is a mark of shame and embarrassment for one culture is badge of honor for another.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, “ Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”
Galatians 3:13

Execution by crucifixion was one of the cruelest forms of death. It was only reserved for the worst of criminals and was considered the most humiliating form of death. Indeed, to even mention crucifixion was a source of great shame. The Apostle Paul reminds us that Christ Jesus endured this humiliation and torture on the Cross to redeem us of our sins. He endured the shame on the Cross and because of this, all who believe in the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross and His resurrection will be saved from their sins.

Thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His sacrifice for you. He took the shame and humiliation of the Cross and made it our symbol of hope and triumph!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

The Face Behind the Words (Revelation 1:14-15)

I like to play a little game with myself when someone comes to my business. My office is in the back and the front entrance door is hidden from my view. Thus, I can hear someone entering but I am unable to see their face. If the visitor is someone who frequently comes to the office, like a courier or mail carrier, I sometimes refrain from peeking at their face until a few weeks or months. I listen to them interact with my staff, get a superficial idea of their personality, and then imagine what they look like. More often than not, I am fairly close but occasionally, I am completely surprised. The face did not match the words or voice!

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters.
Revelation 1:14-15

No one alive today or who has lived and died within the past 1900 years has ever seen Jesus Christ. Artists have attempted to depict what He may have looked like but it is pure speculation. The only clue we have are the words of the Bible. In the final book of the Bible, we are given a vivid description of what Jesus, who is now in Heaven, looks like. This is not the same appearance of Jesus who appeared to His disciples and to all those who saw Him when He lived on this earth. No, this is the glorified Jesus whom all believers will meet in Heaven. And when He returns to judge this world, everyone living in the earth at that time will also see Him.  They will see the face behind the words and voice!

We have the words of the Bible to allow us to know who Jesus Christ is. And if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, on a very glorious day, you will see Him face to face. And I suspect that we will not be surprised at all. The face of Jesus Christ will be the most comforting and beautiful vision we will ever see!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

See You Tomorrow (Matthew 17:10-13)

I am fond of twisting words and turning phrases. One thing I like to say to my staff when I am leaving for a short period of time is, “Ok, see you tomorrow!”

When they first hear this, it always catches them off-guard and the usual reply is, “Wait...you’re not coming back?”

I reassure them that I am coming back within a few minutes. But then I clarify the statement, “But I will see you tomorrow, won’t I?”

It is a true statement but one’s perspective has to be focused upon both the present and the future. “See you tomorrow” means I can see you tomorrow, but it does not preclude that I can see you today.

The Bible is replete with examples of prophecies that are applicable to both the present time the prophecy was given and for the future. In the last two verses in the Old Testament, we are left with Malachi’s prophecy that Elijah will first appear before the return of the Messiah.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.
Malachi 4:5-6

When John the Baptist arrived on the scene, over 400 years later, he came in the spirit and mold of Elijah. This is acknowledged by our Lord, Jesus Christ.

And His disciples asked Him, saying, “ Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:10-13

But although John the Baptist did come in the spirit of Elijah, a still future coming of Elijah will occur, just before Jesus Christ returns again on the Day of Lord, the final judgment of this earth. The original statement in Malachi is true for both for both time frames.

God’s Word is rich and deep in meaning. And although written during a very specific time in history, the message is timeless and points to eternity.

Have you experienced the richness of a relationship with God? Accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior. And if you do, someday you will be in His presence and all of the events of history will become clear. They all point to the redeeming acts of God through Jesus Christ.

Praise God!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

If It's Blue It Must Be Bad! (Genesis 50:20)

When I was a first year medical student, I was learning how to do a physical exam with a specialist in internal medicine. As we took turns examining one another, our professor examined the skin on my back and exclaimed, “What’s this?”

As he and the other students hovered over my back, he said, “Hmmmm…I’m not sure what this but you better get this looked at right away. I’m not a dermatologist but I remember learning, if it’s blue, it must be bad!”

That hit me like a ton of bricks! A first year medical student about to be diagnosed with some fatal skin cancer. My career was over before it even started!

My heart was pounding as I went upstairs to the dermatologist for him to examine me. My heart sank as he said he would biopsy it. An anxious week later, I received the diagnosis. It was a blue nevus. Benign!

Sometimes, things that seemingly look bad upon first inspection are really not that all. It is only when we dig deeper that we discover the happy truth.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Genesis 50:20

We need to be willing to look beyond the superficial nature of life and dare to see things the way God wants us to view things. Joseph was sold into slavery by his 11 brothers. He secured a position as the master of the house in the captain of the Pharaoh’s guard but was falsely accused of a crime and imprisoned for 2 years. But God was working all the events, bringing Joseph into the position of ruler over all of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh. And by doing so, Joseph saved the lives of his brothers and his family from the famine that was ravaging the land. All of this was the result of a seemingly bad action by his brothers. They meant it for evil but God meant it for good.

Can you claim the promises of God in your life? Are you willing to go beyond first impressions and see what is really happening beneath the surface of events? God will bless you if you do!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 
 

Memorize the Krebs Cycle...Again (Psalms 119:140)

Source-Biochem

Every student of biology, medical and dental student, and student of the health sciences has to memorize the Krebs cycle. The Krebs cycle is a complex series of biochemical reactions, that is the core of the metabolic process known as respiration, that occurs in every living aerobic (utilizing oxygen) cell. Through this cycle, the cell, and therefore the organism, is able to convert fat, protein, and carbohydrates into energy. Without the Krebs cycle, we would instantly die. This schematic is a simplified (!) overview of this complex cycle.

Of course, if one wants to make an unpleasant experience palatable, there is a hip-hop version that can facilitate the memorization!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMBIs_Iw0kE

I have memorized the Krebs cycle seven times in my life! Twice in high school, once in college, twice in medical school, and twice during my residency. And I still don’t have it memorized!

Why not? Although memorizing the cycle was critical for each class assignment, I did not make use of it on an everyday basis. I did not perceive it as being relevant in my everyday knowledge. Thus, I memorized it and forgot it, at least until the next time.

Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it.
Psalms 119:140

The Bible is 66 books with over 30,000 verses. Many people have read some passages, some have read entire books in the Bible, and even fewer have read the entire Bible. And this is a sad statistic. If you are a Christian believer, there is no way to completely understand who God is and the promises He offers us other than by reading and memorizing the Bible. Once the Bible becomes relevant to your life, it will be the lamp and light to illuminate everything you do in life. But you must begin now.

The Bible is not a series of esoteric equations. It is the living and breathing Word of God and will remain with you as long as you seek God’s will in your life.

There is nothing more important than the Bible that you will ever read. This is not another homework assignment. It is the answer to all of life’s questions and the promise of your eternal destiny. Don’t lose another moment to seek God’s answers for you.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Schlieren (Psalms 77:11-12)

Source: Fine Art America 

This is a word that you most likely know what it is but didn’t know it had a name!

This photo, taken from the artist Gary Settles, demonstrates the phenomenon known as schlieren. Simply put, schlieren describes the visual effect of fluids flowing through different densities. It is the image of sound waves when a jet flies at supersonic speed; it is the air currents shimmering over a hot asphalt pavement; or as in this photo, the waves of heat emanating from a flame.

When I was in the 3rd grade, my teacher taught us about this phenomenon. After school, I attempted to explain what I learned to my mother but could not remember this word. So, I returned to the classroom and asked my teacher about it. She made me write it out on the blackboard and then asked me to copy it 100 times so that I would not forget it! Wow! I thought I was being very proactive in my learning and now it felt like I was being punished! Nonetheless, the lesson worked and I still remember the word, and, somehow, attempt to work it into my everyday pompous vocabulary!

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Psalms 77:11-12

God, through His Holy Spirit, commands us to remember His promises to us. Depending upon the Bible translation one uses, one may encounter the word, remember, as many as 165 times in the Bible. God want us to remember what He has done in your life and in the lives of others. When we do, it strengthens our faith and allows us to face new trials and tribulations with confidence. How do we remember? It may be as simple and elementary as writing down a verse or God’s promises. It may be a Bible app that allows us to memorize Bible verses. It may be by applying the appropriate Bible verse to a situation we find ourselves. Whichever mechanism is used, by memorizing and repeating God’s Word, we will remember.

Sometimes, it just takes a little extra effort to remember something. But unlike trying to remember an obscure scientific word, God’s Word is living and active and the more we desire to learn it, the easier it will be to remember it.

Praise God for His faithfulness to us!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

I Want to Do It My Way! (2 Kings 5:10-12)

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “ Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “ Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy. ’Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
2 Kings 5:10-12

Poor Naaman! The mighty warrior! He was used to doing things his way! But he was about to be humbled by God!

Naaman certainly came with an attitude! He was a leper and wanted to be healed but when he was given specific instructions by God, through the prophet Elisha, he refused to obey. Why couldn’t God just wave His hand and immediately heal him? Why this river? What’s wrong with our rivers? Complain...complain...complain! What arrogance! Naaman presumed that he could tell God what to do! It was as if Naaman were saying, “What’s the matter, God! Even I know how you can best do this. So do it!”

I wonder how many of us have a similar attitude when God asks us to do something? God, in His Sovereign Way, knows the best way for us to do things, to carry out His Will. And it is all to bring glory to Him, not because it is necessarily convenient for us.

But sometimes, we think we know better. And we will fight God’s direction with every ounce of strength. Or we may take a passive-aggressive stance and drag our feet to accomplish the task, in a desperate and futile effort to change God’s mind and have Him give us another path to take.

Don’t be like Naaman! In the end, God always has His way. And along the way, we learn that His way was the correct way all along, whether we want to believe it or not!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Discharge Planning Begins on Admission (Matthew 10:39)

In medicine, admitting a patient to a hospital is a complex process. The physician makes the final decision whether to admit the patient, but once this occurs, teams from nearly every hospital department meet to coordinate care. The patient is at the center and while curing or stabilizing the patient of their immediate disease is paramount, another plan is also set into motion at the same time.

Discharge planning begins on admission.

This does not mean to rush the patient out the door by instituting some draconian cost-containment protocol. What it means is that during any patient admission, all health care providers also need to be focused on getting the patient back home and able to resume their former lifestyle. It means to look at home support services such as nursing or counseling. It means to coordinate follow-up outpatient visits. It may even mean looking at genetic counseling other family members if the condition is something inheritable.

Planning an exit strategy. It makes sense for hospital admissions. It makes even more sense for life.

He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:39

As soon as we are born, we begin to die. Many will spend their lives in a desperate search to either prolong their lives and make sure their legacy and money survive them. But by seeking an earthly answer to life, the result will only lead to death and eternal separation from God. All of us bear the results of our sin nature which have separated us from God. Only by believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior will you be able to be saved and be reconciled to God.

In this life, you have a choice. Begin your exit strategy now with God and live.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The Itch that Rashes (Judges 7:2)

Eczema.

I first heard this term on television commercials when I was a child. Those dandruff shampoo commercials always lumped eczema with other diseases like seborrhea and psoriasis. I didn’t know what it was but I certainly did not want it, especially it it made my scalp itch and flake.

Now, many years later, I review biopsies from patients who have eczema. It is a very common problem and it is the kind of rash that can be aggravated by numerous conditions. It can also become worse by scratching it. Thus, if somehow one is able to avoid scratching oneself, most of the rash would disappear. Instead of the conventional rash that itches, eczema is the itch that rashes.

Don’t scratch, no rash! The disease seems like it is going in reverse. This disease did not read the medical textbooks! We are often conditioned by this world to think logically, a series of cause and effects. If we do A, then B happens, and so on. If there is a rash, it itches.

Gideon was about to lead the Israelites into battle. Naturally, he wanted his best warriors to be present; in fact, he had 30,000 ready men. Go to battle; take as many of your strongest fighters; superior force and numbers will win. Simple logic, or so he thought.

And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ “
Judges 7:2

So what did God do? He whittled the army down to a small force of 300 men, a 100 fold decrease! This was just the opposite of what Gideon thought he needed! And God produced a mighty victory over a much larger and stronger enemy.

Like an itch that rashes, God is able turn our expectations and logical sensibilities upside down. And He does it for one reason, to reveal His glory and to bring us to the realization of our utter dependence upon the God of the Universe.

Won’t you trust God to completely shatter all your usual expectations of life?  He will do this because He is God and He loves you.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Doing the 21 Things (Mark 12:28-31)

Evening prayers with my daughter.

When my daughter was young, we would take time to pray every evening. We would often reflect upon the day’s events and attempt to extract life lessons. Eventually we made it to 21 lessons, or to what we referred to as “the 21 things”. Here are a few of them.

Give thanks to God
Learn something new
Listen carefully
Ask a good question
Promise to obey
Be kind to others when I go over or when they come over
Don’t lie
Don’t whine
Don’t have a bad attitude
Treat others the way you want to be treated

Phew! That is a lot to remember for an 8 year old girl! But if I were to condense it down to one or two “things”, it would have to be, Give thanks to God and Treat others the way you want to be treated. Not surprisingly, these are firmly grounded in the the Words of the Bible.

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “ Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is:‘ Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this:‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-31

There were many Levitical laws or commandments that a devout Jew was required to follow. Thus, it was not unreasonable for this scribe to ask Jesus this question. Interestingly, Jesus does not quote the 10 commandments but instead quotes Deuteronomy 6:4 which condenses the entire Law into these concise statements.

Whether it is 10 commandments or 21 things, Jesus has made it clear what is most important in this life and for eternity. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.