He Is Able

We are thankful for continued answered prayer. Josh has gone almost 36 hours without a fever. The doctors seem pleased that the anti-biotic, anti-viral and anti-fungal cocktail they have prescribed is working.

We are thankful that God answers prayer.

Today Josh will have a bone marrow aspiration (Lord willing) to determine what is going on with his leukemia. It has been almost 4 weeks since he had his first round of chemo; its hard to believe that we have been in Houston that long. The results could show that his body is not producing any cells and then we would need to wait to for awhile before doing more chemo.

The results could also show that his body is producing all good cells (remission) and then we would wait to see if the leukemia starts coming back. Or the results could show that he continues to have "blasts" (his body continues to produce leukemic cells) and then they would consider beginning chemotherapy again.

Although we continue to pray that we could get Josh home soon, our over-riding prayer is for his improved health. And if that means staying in Houston for a while longer then we will trust God to sustain us, because we know that He is able.

Our friends, Rodney and Debra Weatherly (Rodney is our senior pastor), drove down to Houston with Ilene and Sarah yesterday, arriving late last night. We are very encouraged to have them here. They are another answer to prayer. We have experienced the isolation that comes with being away from our church family and are thankful to be able to fellowship with them for a few days.

In my devotions today I read about looking into our lives to see what God would change. I don't know if you are the type of person who tends to see your own failures or if you tend to mostly see your accomplishments. The reality is we all have some of both.

I have seen tremendous growth in my faith and walk with the Lord over the last month. I also have to admit that there are many areas in my life that need Gods healing touch and cleansing (impatience with people who come in at 2am and wake up my sick son). But what does God want or expect from us?

Psalms 139 gives us insight into that question.

¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
² You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
³ You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
⁴ You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.

This constant watchfulness by the Lord can bring fear if we are walking in sin or it can bring peace if we feel lost in a dark world. I don't think about God's watchful presence as much as I should, it would give me greater peace and would be a reminder to guard my heart and tongue more often.

In the last part of the chapter the author makes himself vulnerable to God and records a prayer that we should pray daily as we go about our lives.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

It is never easy to ask someone to point out our flaws, but when someone lovingly shows us an area of our lives that needs improving, it gives us the opportunity to become better people. If we ask Him to, God will lead us along the path of everlasting life.

If there is one thing that Ilene and I have consistently prayed while we are here, it would be that God would show us what it is in our lives that He wants to correct. If there is sin in our lives we want to confess it and turn from it, if there is a lack of faith, then we want to learn to walk by faith; if there is someone that needs to hear about Him or see His faithfulness, mercy and grace in our lives, then we want to be reflections of His light.

Thank you for walking this journey with us. There is a song that we sang growing up.

But “I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”

It comes from 2 Timothy 1:12.

¹² That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

As Christ followers, we can make that same statement with confidence. That when we entrust Him with our hearts, He will be faithful until He returns to take us to be with Him.