doctor's life support

30th January: Security

God is our refuge and strength. Psalm 46:1

When speaking to patients in Thailand about Christ, it wasn't easy to know where to begin. But they all had one clear need -- almost a heart cry: they had no one and nothing upon which they could permanently depend. They expected and resigned themselves to change and decay. The thought of God as refuge excited them. And by the time I had finished speaking to them about God as refuge, the thought excited me too!

Have you had days that were a real struggle -- when you have felt there was no one to hand on to? Maybe things were going badly wrong in human relationships -- someone you trusted and relied on had let you down. You felt uncertain of yourself and of the world in general. Perhaps you began to have doubts about your ability to do things. Your faith may have crumbled, and God, instead of being real, had become a big question mark. When we are in an uncertainty like this, we become tired of `relative' things, and we want a few `absolutes' to hand on to.

God tells us frequently in scripture that he is our `absolute'. He is our refuge, our rock, the one we can hand on to. He will not change, and he will not let us down. Today may be a thoroughly bad day. You may have been up a lot last night. You may be running a low grade fever that nobody wants to know about. Today one of your favourite patients may die. Today's post may bring you bade news. But today, God will not change. At no moment of today will he stop being good, kind, holy forgiving and watchful. He won't take a break, or lose interest in you, or wander off somewhere. You can hold on to him, and you must hold on to him for dear life.

God loves you very much, and he is wise. He knows that you will hold tighter when you are in real need, uncertainty or sorrow. Perhaps that is why he is letting you have a `bad day'. You are much safer holding on to him even when you feel wretched than letting go of him when you feel happy! And -- don't forget -- he has hold of you!

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
He will not, he will not, desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake
He'll never, no never, no never forsake.
Rippon's Collection.

Dear Lord, I want to hold on to you today whatever
happens. Thank you that you don't change, and that
you are my refuge now and for ever.

Further reading: Ps 46. Ps 121. 1 Pet 1:3-9.

JT