HEART SURGERY
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:12-13
Heart surgery is a time-consuming and critical process. The sharp scalpel cuts deeply, and the bleeding is profuse. One could die in the midst of this procedure whose goal is to restore normal and safe living.
And yet, no shortcuts can be allowed; the entire tedious and painstaking distance must be accomplished to restore this life-sustaining organ to its original design and function. No shortcuts-- even though the healing process will take much longer and be much more painful when the cuts are the deepest, to repair the most serious damage. Some, being warned about the pain, the danger, and the long period of recovery and convalescence, choose not to go through it, though the doctor pleads, explaining in vain that a reasonably secure life cannot be had without it.
And although the doctor might even attempt sometimes to explain the malfunction and the procedures he will use to correct or alleviate the problems, the patient rarely fully understands, never having been a heart specialist or surgeon. She must decide whether to trust the doctor and submit, lie down on his table and be cut into, or decline, and limp through the remainder of her life in an unwhole and precarious condition.
It is all so easy to see when we put it this way. Most of us, after thinking seriously about the alternatives, choose to have the surgery. We choose to entrust our lives to basically a stranger who will cut into our organs and do whatever he chooses, rather than the alternative of having our lives cut short. But the Great Physician comes to us in His Word pleading His case for our spiritual health. Page after page he admonishes us to get that death threat we are harboring taken care of , to let His sharp scalpel cut out the malignant intrusion that is little by little, day by day, eating away the life of our spirits.
That's the way most people lose their spiritual health-- not in one huge leap off God's bandwagon but by sliding a foot off, then a leg, a hip, and finally lowering themselves another few inches onto the world's highway. Today come to the Doctor and ask to be diagnosed. Take the medicine, get the surgery, take the cure no matter how long and slow the healing process might be. The truth is that although our bodies will die, all souls live eternally. Hopefully, that is good news to you! If it isn't, the Doctor is in.
"knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8
-from Broken Jar: 365 Days on the Potter's Wheel
Heart surgery is a time-consuming and critical process. The sharp scalpel cuts deeply, and the bleeding is profuse. One could die in the midst of this procedure whose goal is to restore normal and safe living.
And yet, no shortcuts can be allowed; the entire tedious and painstaking distance must be accomplished to restore this life-sustaining organ to its original design and function. No shortcuts-- even though the healing process will take much longer and be much more painful when the cuts are the deepest, to repair the most serious damage. Some, being warned about the pain, the danger, and the long period of recovery and convalescence, choose not to go through it, though the doctor pleads, explaining in vain that a reasonably secure life cannot be had without it.
And although the doctor might even attempt sometimes to explain the malfunction and the procedures he will use to correct or alleviate the problems, the patient rarely fully understands, never having been a heart specialist or surgeon. She must decide whether to trust the doctor and submit, lie down on his table and be cut into, or decline, and limp through the remainder of her life in an unwhole and precarious condition.
It is all so easy to see when we put it this way. Most of us, after thinking seriously about the alternatives, choose to have the surgery. We choose to entrust our lives to basically a stranger who will cut into our organs and do whatever he chooses, rather than the alternative of having our lives cut short. But the Great Physician comes to us in His Word pleading His case for our spiritual health. Page after page he admonishes us to get that death threat we are harboring taken care of , to let His sharp scalpel cut out the malignant intrusion that is little by little, day by day, eating away the life of our spirits.
That's the way most people lose their spiritual health-- not in one huge leap off God's bandwagon but by sliding a foot off, then a leg, a hip, and finally lowering themselves another few inches onto the world's highway. Today come to the Doctor and ask to be diagnosed. Take the medicine, get the surgery, take the cure no matter how long and slow the healing process might be. The truth is that although our bodies will die, all souls live eternally. Hopefully, that is good news to you! If it isn't, the Doctor is in.
"knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8
-from Broken Jar: 365 Days on the Potter's Wheel
