The Works of God

I follow Noel Piper (and you should, too), but got behind and just recently saw the video that she posted last week:  Made in God’s Image.  It is a beautiful video.  That young man is amazing and that father is the kind of father I want to be.

But after watching it I allowed my mind to wander to things that are not good for me:

• Wouldn’t it be great if my anophthalmic boy could do those same things?
• Boy, I wish I could talk to my son like that dad can talk to his son.
• This whole disability thing is just rotten.
• I think I deserve better than this.

You can see where it was headed.

Thankfully, it was just a moment.  I have had seasons where I went on for a very long time in self-pity and bitterness.  God was merciful that he didn’t let it go on longer as he quickly convicted me of my sin of not trusting in him and looking to him as perfect and sure provider of all my needs.

God’s word is more than just helpful in those moments; it is decisive:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

So, once again, God humbled me, convicted me, and carried me at the same time.  He is truly awesome beyond description.

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A convicting and helpful guest post from my friend, Jan Lacher:

I have been incredibly inspired this week as I have listened to Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  The subject  over the past three days has been memorizing Scripture.

Usually, every morning, as I give Michael his medications and tube feeding, Revive Our Hearts blares across the radios in my home.  I typically listen to the program as I move from one room to another, going about my work getting Michael ready for the day. The  featured guest this week  has been a seasoned saint,  Nancy Epperson.

On Wednesday, the discussion between Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Nancy Epperson  peaked my interest, and I found myself nodding as they talked about all of the benefits of memorizing God’s Word. As a side note,  I have memorized some of our fighter verses over these past years.  I have had to learn them and relearn them.   I have taught my “normal” children fighter verses; although, I would argue that I did not teach them enough Scripture.  As Revive Our Hearts played, I contemplated how there has not been anything that I have done that has been more beneficial than memorizing the Word of God.  

My mind was swirling as I pondered the question that if memorizing parts of the Bible are so beneficial, why don’t I do more of it? Why am I not memorizing full chapters and possibly books? I certainly know the benefits and have experienced them.   Since Michael’s birth, I have been like a rock skipping across the lake as I have learned some verses and then having periods where I do not. For a variety of reasons, I have not been as consistent these past several years as I would like to be.   I sighed at the thought of the work that it would take to regain the momentum to do such a task as memorize verses and eventually chapters.

My attention was refocused on the program.  The two Nancys continued their discussion.   Then Nancy Epperson  said something that stopped me dead in the middle of Michael’s  feeding.  A segment from the January 6th transcript speaks for itself:

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: Now, don’t go too fast past that because there are a lot of people who will say, “I can’t memorize Scripture.”

Nancy Epperson: They will say that, but can I tell you something? That is not true. It’s true people say it, but it truly is a lie hatched in the pit of hell that Satan loves us to think. The fact is, everybody can.

Now, listen. I’ll never forget this. About 35 years ago, I was at a church in Winston, Salem. They had a group of young adults who were very mentally deficient. They could barely articulate. They were severely retarded, severely. They got up in this church—I will never forget it as long as I live—they quoted verse after verse after verse with the reference—verse after verse.

I’m telling you, I knew exactly, exactly why they could do that, because some precious, dear saint had spent hundreds of hours with them. Those precious, severely retarded young adults just quoted and quoted and quoted. It was just such a blessing.

I realized then anybody honestly can quote Scripture if you’ll go over it enough times. Stop and think about it. Think of all the things you know from memory.

When I heard the story above, my heart jumped.  Michael falls into the severely to profoundly mentally retarded category. Plus, he is nonverbal.  We have no way of knowing what he understands and how he processes information.    We try to teach him simple commands that would aide in his care such as “lean forward” when bathing his back. And through the shear repetition of that command  and through physical prompting, he has learned to do so.   But, I must admit, I have not contemplated  teaching him  Bible verses.  Who knows what he could glean from the repetition of Scripture being spoken to him when he rises up and when he lies down?   Also who knows  how the Holy Spirit could  use it to strengthen and under-gird him in all of his difficulties?

After listening to this program,  I have come away with a renewed vision and a resolve to make Scripture verses part of Michael’s life.  He may never be able to quote the references and verses, but God’s Word does not return void. I am determined to get my hardhat on my head and do the heavy “work” of imparting Scripture to our sweet Fox.

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I was reminded again on Monday that God has granted a special kind of credibility to me and to other parents of children with disabilities based solely on the fact that we have a child with a disability.  People who know nothing else about us make assumptions that we’re probably more serious about life because of this family quality.  It is a good assumption.

Which means we get to say things that people can’t dismiss quite so easily as they might for others.  Things like:

• God is good in all things
• Jesus is my treasure
• My own sin is a much greater problem for me than my child’s disability
• When I am afraid, I can trust in the one who created my child
• God created my son/daughter intentionally for his glory and for my good
• There is amazing joy in knowing Jesus is my righteousness

Let’s not waste this gift God has given us to make much of Jesus!

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

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We had the privilege of watching some children over the weekend as their youngest sibling, just 13 months old, needed to go to the hospital very suddenly.  He’s a complicated boy because of his disabilities.

Those early days and months and years of disability are intense, frightening and disorienting for young moms and dads.

Young moms and dads need our prayers.  If you know some today, pray for them by name.  If you don’t know any right now, pray for the ones he’s preparing to bring to you.  Experience tells me that eventually God will bring somebody experiencing disability for the first time into your life, no matter who or where you are.

And treasure Jesus above everything, because that is what they will need from you:

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.  Romans 15:4-7

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At the ‘weakest’ points of his life – before Jesus was even born and again just before a Roman official ordered him crucified – Jesus’ authority over government is affirmed:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

So Pilate said to Jesus, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”  Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.”  John 19:10:11

The greatest statement on his authority came from Jesus himself – after he rose from the dead!

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  Matthew 28:18

Every evil government policy that encourages the destruction of babies with disabilities will end someday.

And Jesus will reign, forever.

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After watching John, Noel and Talitha Piper dance, I went to the website and created a video of my four children doing the same thing.

I half-thought as I was sizing my disabled son’s ‘elf’ photo that it might be depressing.  To my surprise, watching my Paul ‘dance’ was incredibly encouraging.

Someday, all his limitations will be gone, and mine.  Someday, he will be free to dance and sing and rejoice.

With Jesus.

Forever.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

Amen!

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The World Council of Churches interim statement on disability, written in 2003, might be the longest I’ve seen so far from a religious group. 

There is much here that is commendable.  There is much that is troublesome.

So, to help me when I read things like this, I look for how they deal with sin. 

Generally, the World Council of Churches doesn’t deal with sin very well in their statement.   (more…)

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