Puzzle Pieces

This past weekend we visited my mother in the hospital. She had cancer several years ago that was removed surgically, but later metastasized to her lungs and now to her spine/spinal cord. They are doing 10 days of radiation to try to shrink the tumor on the spine and get some of her mobility back. She can move her left leg, but it has areas of numbness. She can't move her right leg much and sometimes not at all, so must have a lot of help. Even if the radiation works, it is only temporary; these problems will recur, and eventually the cancer will take her life.

Down the hall from her room is a small lounge area with several tables and some chairs. One table had a puzzle started; a lot of pieces were still scattered about on the table. Mom loves to do puzzles, and my husband, our two sons, and I spent some time with her working on this particular puzzle. The picture showed a building with a lot of flowers around it--on the ground and hanging. We got the majority of the pieces put in, but then were having a lot of trouble. Finally we realized that a number of the pieces were in the wrong place! The fit was close, but not close enough, and often they didn't match up right. Once we got those taken care of, we were able to continue working on the puzzle and managed to get all but two pieces in.

It reminded me of what Jerry Bridges said in Is God Really in Control? about how we often try to figure out exactly what God is doing or trying to teach us in a particular situation/trial--and often try to do it in regard to others as well--but God is not accountable to us to have to show us what He is doing and why. We may never know in this life, though God may graciously choose to show us. That doesn't mean we don't watch to see what we can learn during those times, and there will be times when it may be obvious what God is doing. I do not know why God has allowed this cancer to come into Mom's life, or why He allowed it to attack her spine and take away her ability to walk. It would be easy to speculate and try to fit my "puzzle pieces" into the picture, but I may not get it right.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways, and
My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9)

We cannot see the entire picture, and we may put in some wrong "puzzle pieces," but God knows exactly what He is doing, and every piece will end up in the right place, without our help. Our responsibility is to trust and obey Him. The finished "puzzle" will be far more glorious than we could have imagined while looking at the pieces from our earthly perspective.

"Remember the former things of old; for I am God,
and there is none like Me, declaring the end
from the beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure."
(Isaiah 46:9-10)

"How Is Your Hearing"

The afternoon message on Sunday was from James 1:19-20. Here's the outline, with a few of Pastor's comments:

We tend toward a slowness in listening. We also tend to be quick to speak and/or to get energized. Wrath refers to an inner disposition of passion or impulse; inner energy. It also describes God's legitimate anger. (cf. John 3:36 and Romans 1:18). Revelation 6:16-17 shows God's final and fierce judgment on sin.

Awareness of deliberate deafness needs to be cultivated. If we are not hearing God's Word we cannot be changed by it. James warns against speaking too much but doesn't say anything about listening too much. Our souls must be humbled (Proverbs 13:10). Why don't we listen? Because we are consumed with ourselves, with our own thoughts, or our own conclusions. We fail to see ourselves as learners because we trust what we have already assumed to be true. God made us to hear because He is a speaking God. (Deuteronomy 30:20; Psalm 95:7-8). Pride hinders our listening (Jeremiah 13:10 - the problem). Zechariah 7:13 - the result. Any non-communication between God and us is not because God has not spoken but because we are not listening. Our tongues must be rested (I Samuel 3; Isaiah 50:4). We would rather talk than listen. It is intolerably rude to not listen when someone is speaking--first and foremost, when God is speaking! Our minds must be engaged. Mental energy and attentiveness is needed. Our spirits must be receptive. We have no excuse as believers for being poor listeners. They make bad disciples.

Attention to disciplined listening needs to be cultivated (Ephesians 4:25). Communication requires hearing and digesting (Proverbs 15:12, 22). Relationships demand learning and adjusting (Proverbs 12:15). Sanctification assumes needing and pursuing (Proverbs 15:31).

Advancement in devoted ministry needs to be a priority. Motive is crucial to progress. Patterns are difficult to alter. Benefits are appreciated only with time. Discipleship is possible only through exchange (Proverbs 18:13).

Application? Communion is deepened through communication. Community requires developing communication. Compassion depends on communication. Commitment is demanded for communication.

We cannot communicate with each other if we do not talk to each other. We do not want superficial application. Listening and working together is required. How many times do we assume wrongly? We cannot see into other people's hearts, so we must not make assumptions about what others are thinking in their soul. If we do, assumptions rule, which is not a good thing.

"Fear Not: Believe Only"

Yesterday morning Pastor continued his series through Matthew. This time he read the Scripture in Matthew 9:18-19 and 23-26, then continued the study in Mark 5:21-24 and 35-43, as Mark has 2.5 times more verses than Matthew.

In his introduction, it was interesting to note how the gospels give us complementary pieces of the puzzle. Each tells us some things we would not otherwise know. Luke tells us this was Jairus' only daughter, and that Jesus promised she would be made whole. Mark tells us of Jairus' term of endearment for his daughter (little daughter), the pressing crowd, the extent of the noise at Jairus' house, the Aramaic words spoken to the child (Jesus told her to wake up), and that she began to walk around after being raised from the dead. Mark and Luke tell us Jairus' name, that he requested the healing of his daughter before she died, that the daughter was 12 years old, the inner circle (Peter, James, and John) was present, and that Jesus commanded them not to publish this miracle. Matthew was showing Jesus' Messianic power, His teaching, and tracking for us the responses of the people.

Many followed, knowing Jesus generally, recognizing Jesus' uniqueness, and observing Jesus' powerful witness. He was involved in active ministry and was being eagerly received. They listened and spread the word about Him. He spoke with authority and befriended those whom other people stayed away from. His healing was immediate and complete.

Some believed and received, exercising some level of faith, expressing some degree of hope, expecting some ministry of love, and experiencing some demonstration of life. Jairus demonstrated the fervency of his plea, and recognized Jesus was the only One Who could minister to him and his family in the way they needed Him to. Jesus helped those who asked. He told Jairus to not fear but believe. Jesus always guided the thinking of the people He ministered to, seeking to draw them into a relationship with Himself. This mourning was inconsistent with His presence. They laughed Him to scorn, showing the girl was indeed dead, and underscoring that He raised her from the dead. He made provision to stop the spread of the news, and procured the needed refreshment for the child after raising her back to life.

Others remained unchanged, offended by Jesus' claims, dissatisfied with Jesus' demands, threatened by Jesus' authority, challenged by Jesus' reception, doubting Jesus' ability, and rejecting Jesus' message. They were offended by His claim to grant forgiveness, and that He was man's only hope for salvation and spiritual life. In chapter 19, the rich young ruler was an example of one dissatisfied with Jesus' demands. Jesus points out the sin in people's lives. "Everything must be abandoned if you will be My disciple," He said. He spoke as God, not from the religious traditions of the day. They thought sinners were defiled, and Jesus should not associate with them. He came to minister to the sick (physically, but especially spiritually). He was there to set up a spiritual kingdom and what they were trusting in must be abandoned. False religion never dealt with the heart, and could not save anyone.