Walk - And Not Be Faint!
by Dan Jones, M.D.
Isaiah 4-:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Nothing is harder in my practice than dealing with a dying patient who appears to have no hope of recovery. In our previous two devotionals on this topic, we were reminded that God does answer our prayers about the futile situations with direct intervention and with interaction through our work. But we know that many times when a medical situation seems hopeless, death is the outcome. Just as God did not answer Paul's prayer about his "thorn in the flesh" by removing the problem, He often does not meet our human desires in dealing with illness.
Sometimes - many times - God answers our prayers about a hopeless situation by calling on us to walk and not be faint. In my years of practicing internal medicine, I have dealt with many patients as they faced a certain death. Many times, those have been trying and difficult days of dealing with the patient and family.
But those situations where there is a strong faith and confidence in eternal life by the patient and key family members, it has provided a sweet spiritual experience beyond any other situation. As I have visited with a member of my extended family facing death in recent days, I have experienced a spiritual revival through his ministry to me. He is weak and ravaged from cancer and the inability to eat for several weeks. His body is thin and gaunt. Each time I visit, I go anticipating how I can help meet his needs. And each time I visit, he asks about my day, my family, my work, and my spiritual life. After I pray for him and his comfort, in his weak voice, but holding my hand firmly, he prays for me and my family. He has faced death with a grace and sweet longing to see His Savior.
God has not allowed this family member the direct intervention of healing. And He has not allowed the interaction of his medical team to effect a cure. But He has brought an inner action of healing of the spirit. Through difficult days, God has allowed him to walk and not be faint.
Thank you, Lord, for being with us in difficult times. When we are not able to soar or run, thank you for being there with us to help us walk.
Dan Jones, M.D., MACP, FAHA, a board-certified Internist, a former medical missionary to Korea, professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dean of the School of Medicine, and Chancellor of the University of Mississippi until 2015. Dr. Dan Jones is a member of CMDA.
Dr. Jones welcomes any comments or questions about what he has written and can be reached at - djones@umc.edu
Rounds with the Master, Spiritual Pearls from the Great Physician Devotionals are released every Monday and Thursday.
Photo by Islam Hassan on Unsplash
