Faith tests

My husband had a bad day yesterday. His incisions were weeping continually, which is a good thing rather than an internal fluid building up, but it requires continual blotting or it runs down his face. He has a new bruise below the crease of his ‘laugh line’ that gets redder by the hour. His ear is protruding because of the pressure dressings, also puffy and sore.

I could go on with more gross details, but, both of us felt discouraged. Ideas of his termination kept running through my head. He has CLL which lowers his immune system and if he gets infection or picks up some germs or a virus, he would likely not make it. My faith is strong when I know the answers, but for this I don’t know what will happen and feel a bit wobbly.

Today, I read Fortner’s devotional without any sense of God speaking to me, so turned to another one and read this passage:

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (John 11:38–44)

Lazarus died and his sisters, Mary and Martha, did not understand why Jesus had not come sooner. They knew He could have healed him, but Jesus stayed away. Earlier, He explained to His disciples, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:14–15)

In their mind, and in the minds of the two women, death was the end. Did they really believe that God could resurrect His people from the dead? Did they realize their faith was being tested? After asking both of the women if they believed, Jesus gave them a literal demonstration.

While not in exactly the same situation, I know our faith is also being tested. We have been doing a Bible study on how Satan works. The first part covered how he tries to mess with our minds. The second part says if he cannot trip us up there, he will attack our bodies. The Bible study author points to Job as an example. He walked with God and Satan challenged God that if Job’s life was not protected, he would lose the faith God gave him. God allowed this enemy of ours to take everything from him, including his health. His test was enormous.

We know that God is sovereign and gives “a way of escape” to the trials and temptations of life. In all cases, the way of escape involves faith. Will we trust God with this? Or will we panic and lose heart? Job’s wife even told him to “curse God and die” but this man, in spite of being in the dark over why this happened to him, still knew that God is God.

^^^^^^^

Jesus, we know it too. You are totally sovereign and sometimes let Satan do his thing, because the trials of life can build our faith. Our enemy tries to destroy it but pushing us away from You, but You defeated him at the Cross. His schemes may make us stumble, but You always pick us up. The truth is that even if death is at the end of a trial, life does not stop there. Lazarus rose again to life here on earth, and later died again, rising to life eternal. Whatever this trial does to us, we know that in it all, Jesus wins — and so do we!

Family note: Hubby had a much better day. Numbness is going away and level temperament returned. He is always thankful — for which I am thankful!