Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers… I was almost through with the blog I started writing for this week’s posting, but when I sat down to finish it the next morning, I was so strongly drawn toward this new subject matter, it was impossible not to yield to this prompting. It is natural for me to write about the Reason for the Season, the awe and wonder of the birth of our King, or to write about the undisputable facts about this miraculous event, and invite non-believers to join ranks with those of us in Christ. All of that I would consider my “sweet spot”, but this new direction is a new challenge for me, because I am living the reality of my own faith having been tested.
In order for me to move forward with this new subject, I have to share a bit of history with you. When Pam and I were in Hawaii two months ago, it was wonderful. We did the usual Presgrave routine: we walked and ate, walked and ate, and walked and ate. We took in the wonders of Oahu and Maui, but we walked so we could eat “a-la vacation style.” Even though I had been experiencing left knee problems for a few years, the right pain medication made that Hawaiian vacation a reality. But all of that came crashing down the day we arrived home.
By the time we landed in St. Louis, Pam’s ankles had swollen to twice their normal size, and she began experiencing pain in her lower back. All of a sudden my pain medication stopped working and the bone on bone discomfort began screaming at a louder volume. We both kept thinking, “this soon will pass”, but it never did. In fact, it was just the opposite. Needless to say, this required new and frequent doctor appointments, but nothing was dialing back the pain for either of us.
I was the first to approach my doctor to schedule a full knee replacement. (That was three months after an arthroscopic procedure proved itself to be of no value.) Pam was only days behind me when she approached her doctor with a new MRI, which revealed two herniated discs in the lumbar area. That was followed by her first epidural, which brought limited relief. On her return trip to the doctor, they decided that December 21st would be the date for the lumbar procedure. As she was walking out of the office, Ari (her doctor, my friend) parenthetically asked, “are there any other issues we need to discuss?” Pam responded, “Well, nothing other than the numbness in my right arm.” Oooops! That required another MRI of the cervical area, which revealed two other disc issues. Now there is not only one surgery scheduled, but December 21st will be for the neck area, and mid January for the lumbar area. As for me…I had full knee replacement surgery on December 10th.
Sorry to drag you through the Presgraves’ trials and tribulations, but I feel that I need to set up the physical torment we have been experiencing for the past two months. The physical pain has been particularly debilitating for both of us, but especially for Pam. Night after night we would move from our bed to the love seat recliners trying to get comfortable, back and forth, back and forth while sharing a few tears of total exhaustion and total exasperation! “God, why?” “Why is this happening?”
The obvious questions one might ask at this point are: “Do you believe in Spiritual Healing?” The answer is yes! Not only have I been a personal recipient of such healings, but I have prayed for, and have witnessed, the power of God at work on many occasions. “Did you ask people to pray for you and Pam, or to lay hands on both of you?” and again the answer is “yes!” “Did you stand on the Truth of God’s Word by praying those Truths back to Him?” and again I would answer “yes!” “So, what’s the problem?” Well, that’s the same question I have been asking over and over again for the past month, but the spiritual well appears to have run dry. “God, why?” “What am I missing?”
No doubt, when your circumstances become more real than your faith, nothing good comes from that scenario. But one thing you can count on…it certainly gives a mighty foothold to the enemy, and he never fails to show up! We prayed; we took the authority that Christ gave us in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority over all the evil schemes of the devil. You can walk among scorpions and snakes, yet no harm will come to you.” Nothing! Those prayers were bouncing off the ceiling back down to the floor.
Last weekend, on one of the many nights I wasn’t sleeping, I ventured out again to the great room, lit the fireplace, and assumed my position in the recliner. I immediately began pleading with the Holy Spirit for a breakthrough:” Why?” “Why am I lost in this vast wasteland of nothingness?” “Please give me revelation…” All of a sudden I heard the same words that Jesus spoke to Jairus when the messengers delivered the bad news that his daughter had just died: “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me!” (Mark 5:36) “But Lord I do trust you!” “Just connect the dots.”
All of a sudden, as through a veil was lifted, I saw the past two months through new lenses. Instead of seeing the painful milieu, I saw the hand of God orchestrating and guiding me and Pam through a treacherous minefield that could have been even more horrific. Those little coincidences, those unusual choices “that we were prompted to make”, this situation or that situation that we just took for granted, were not coincidences at all. They actually revealed the very presence of God, who “coincidently” said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” That same promise that was made to Joshua (1:5) is equally true for me today, because I am in Christ!
So why am I writing this? Well, as I said earlier, I believe I was drawn to change directions from my previous draft because we all will come face to face with our own personal hell. When that happens, we will have choices to make. We can either shake our fist at God and ask “Why me, God?”; we can get angry and scream and yell at Him, or we can press into Him and pray for revelation, strength and courage to stand strong. I know that sounds like a simple, almost Pollyannaish, answer to this frightful situation, but I would like to direct you to these two Scriptures for a dose of the Truth.
Jesus never promised that our journey with Him would be easy. In fact, He promised just the opposite: “In this world you will have trials and tribulations; but have courage, for I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33) Jesus is reminding us that when facing personal trials and tribulations, we are to keep the focus on Him instead of our circumstances, because if He has overcome the world, so have we because we are in Christ. And again, James opens his Book with these bold words: “Dear Brothers and Sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow. For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” (James 1:3-4)
This is the crux of my message today. No one, absolutely no one -regardless of who you are or what you may have done – is immune to a barrage of attacks at our weakest moments by our formidable enemy, satan. He is THE master liar, a deceiver, and the accuser of the Brothers, and as I mentioned earlier, he never fails to show up at our most vulnerable time with the intent of shipwrecking our journey with Christ. He is the author of pain and suffering, so these are two of his favorite weapons for diminishing our faith and enlarging our circumstances. I fell for it, and I teach and talk about the power of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit every day.
But the truth is, “satan is like a roaring lion prowling around looking for some victim to devour” (1Peter 5:8) But notice what Peter has to say as he continues with verse 9,10: “Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. After you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. All power is His forever and ever. Amen!”
Our battle with satan is not a power battle, so don’t even approach it that way or you will surly lose. Our battle with satan is a Truth battle. His lies, deceptions and schemes cannot stand against the truth of God’s Word. Our God and His Truth ARE ALWAYS bigger and more powerful than our circumstances. Even if you can’t see it at the moment, stay connected to Him and He will lead you to victory. For me and Pam, it took this rocky journey for our faith and our endurance to grow to a new level. Thank you, God, for Your faithfulness!
Please feel free to “like” this posting, and please share it with social media friends.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, 2018
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan.)
PS…if you see us this Christmas season, we will be easily recognized by our matching walkers! 😊
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