One Prescription Gone. Just Not the One I Expected

Managing Diabetes involves making several decisions each day, like what to eat and what not to eat. It also involves two or three doctor’s visits per year as well as the occasional visit to the pharmacy. One thing I did not count on is the fact that managing diabetes sometimes involves having to deal with rejection letters from health insurance providers, especially when the day job changes insurance companies. That happened to me this year and it resulted in a denial of one of my prescriptions. Since my goal is to get rid of all my prescriptions, I am fine with dropping one. I just wish it wasn’t the prescription for my constant glucose monitor (CGM): the most useful tool I had for making the changes I need to get back to “normal”.

To be honest, I should have seen it coming. When I was first diagnosed, the insurance company that we were paying at that time did not want to cover a CGM, sending me a denial letter in which they basically accused me of not taking my diagnoses seriously. I think they based that on the fact that I did not do things their way: going to a dietitian, signing up for their special monitoring program, etc. As I wrote in “Continuous Glucose Monitors Are Game Changers,” I am a researcher and I chose to find my own answers when it came to diet, exercise and other ways of managing diabetes. It seems as if the insurance company did not like that. Eventually, there would be a change in policy, and the insurance company began paying for the Dexcom G7 but it took two different appeals to get to that point.

As I wrote in the post mentioned earlier, having a CGM is a game changer for diabetics and should be a standard part of the health regimen for those dealing with the disease. I learned quite a bit while using the device and was able to make several big adjustments based on what I was seeing. During the second half of 2024, I was able to keep my readings in a very tight range resulting in an A1c that is trending in the right direction: remaining below 7 and hopefully at my next official reading it will be below 6.5. But what would life be without times of change and last year ended with a change in insurance carriers mentioned earlier.

I appreciate the fact that my day job offers one of the better insurance packages in the area and that they do their best to keep my out-of-pocket expenses from rising. To maintain that level of service at the right price, the company changed insurance providers at the start of this year. When they announced the change, I should have thought about the trouble I had with our previous provider in getting the CGM prescription approved. When it came time to renew the prescription this time around, I received a new denial letter describing the new company’s policy of only approving constant glucose monitors for people who are on insulin. I think this policy is a bit shortsighted as it overlooks the fact that a CGM could help keep me off insulin. My new insurance company would rather pay for treatment instead of paying for prevention.

So, I have lost what is a great tool for managing diabetes but while I am disappointed, I am not defeated. I believe that God is in control, and everything happens in His timing. God opened the door for me to get a prescription for the Dexcom G7 and this year He has closed that door and told me to move on. I have learned what I needed from wearing a CGM and God has said it is time to start getting off of my prescriptions. The first of them is done and gone. Now, in Christ, I work to get off them all.

Coincidence or God’s Plan?

As a Christian I believe that my life is in God’s hands and that He puts me where He wants me, as long as I am willing to obey. Sometimes He puts me in the right place at the right time so that I can receive a blessing. Other times He puts me where I can be a blessing to others. Last week He put me in one of those situations where I am certain that His plan was for me to serve Him when someone else was truly in need.

It all began with the recent cold snap, during which the facilities team at my day job had difficulties dealing with a rebellious heating control system. As MLK Day was drawing to a close, the day job sent out a text asking all nonessential personnel to work from home the next day. This meant rescheduling a meeting, which wasn’t a problem, except that one of the other person wanted to meet face to face and could only fit me in on Wednesday. I normally work from home on Wednesdays but in this case I was outranked. So I took the Wednesday time slot, making sure I had my winter coat ready.

It was still really cold Wednesday morning, which forced me to change my routine. Usually when I go into the office I take the train down the William H. Gray III -30th Street Station in Philadelphia and then I take a thirteen minute walk down to the building where my office is located. But I’m not a fan of the cold, especially when the weather people are calling it a dangerous cold. So that day, instead of walking I took an underground train that runs through the middle of downtown.

When I stepped into the train car I noticed what looked like a homeless person in a wheelchair. In Philly this is not an odd sight, so I simply continued to mind my own business. As we approached my stop, the person in the wheelchair moved over in front of the door that I had planned to use to get off of the train. My first thought was to move to another door but something told me that I should stay where I was.

When the door opened, the man in the wheelchair moved forward and I followed, giving him the space he needed to get off of the train. Unfortunately the front wheels of his chair got stuck in the gap between the train and the platform and as he tried to move, one of the wheels turned so that it was going in the same direction as the gap. I quickly realized that the wheel was going to drop down into the gap which would have caused his chair to pitch forward, so I reached out and caught the frame of the chair, holding it and its passenger up while pushing the man off of the train. He was thankful for my help and I was glad that I had not moved to another door.

Before that moment I saw the cold and the rescheduled meeting as simply a part of the normal course of life. After I sat down in my office, it occurred to me that I was in the right place at the right time in order to prevent what might have been a serious accident. That is when I realized that everything that happened that morning, as well as the day before, was orchestrated to make sure I was there to help that man. Yes, it could just be a coincidence but I’ve had so many of these kinds of coincidences that I am convinced that this was God’s plan.

My prayer is that I will be more aware of what God is doing in my life. I pray the same for you in your life as our Creator works to reveal His love and compassion to you and to those around you.

What’s Better Than A Mountain Top Experience?

In both Exodus 24:9-18 and 34, God invites Moses to come up on Mt. Sinai to meet with Him which must have been one of the most awesome experiences anyone could have. I used to get really jealous when I read these passages. I mean, this would be a dream come true to hear the voice of God and to be able to stand in His cloud as He reveals His glory. Such an experience would truly be life altering as it was for Moses and it would be one of the greatest opportunities on earth. Imagine getting the chance to have a one on one with the Creator of the universe. I used to cry out for a mountain top experience like this one…that is until God showed me what I have every day and right at this moment.

Jesus ended the Great Commission with:

“...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)

Hebrews 13:5 says:

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

If you are a Christian then God is with you! In fact, He lives in us through His Spirit:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)

God is with us and He lives in us. This is the blessing that comes with receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. And because He is with me, mountain top experiences come more often than I could have ever imagined.

Another Helper

In Exodus 23:20-24, God promises that an Angel would help the people of Israel. By this time God had already moved the people out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. They were now at the foot of Mount Sinai, receiving instructions from God through Moses in preparation for advancing towards the Promised Land. These instructions gave insight on how they were supposed to live once they reached the Promised Land. In Exodus 23:20-24 God speaks of an Angel who would go before Israel, clearing the path for them to move into the Promised Land. Who is this Angel and does this promise foreshadow a similar one in the New Testament? Let’s find out.

In order to get a better understanding of this passage I think we must look at the definition of an angel. Simply put, an angel is a messenger from God. Quoting the Bible Project:

The word “angel” in the Bible is translated from the Hebrew word malach and the Greek word angelos, both meaning “messenger.” God sends angels to warn, comfort, and guide people by communicating his messages to them.

I checked a number of different sources and all agree that an angel is a messenger sent by God. Some sources seem to limit the use of angel to what we usually think of: a powerful creature that looks like a man with wings. But there are also a number of sources that apply the use of “angel” to any messenger, including people, like pastors. The Angel in Exodus 23 is clearly a powerful being, sent to “cut off” the nations that the people of Israel would find already dwelling in the Promised Land, meaning He most likely is not human. (By the way, the people of Israel seemed to have forgotten about this promise when they heard about the “giants” that lived in the Promised Land.)

God says that His name will be in this Angel and this Angel will have the power to choose not to pardon their transgressions. I find that aspect of this Angel to be very interesting as, according to Jewish tradition, only God has the power to forgive or to not forgive sins (see Luke 5:17-26, specifically verse 21). This makes me wonder if this Angel is actually The Son of God, going before the people in order to deliver them into the land. Looking at a handful of Bible Commentaries reveals an agreement that this is likely the Angel of the Covenant with many of them also seeing this as being the second Person of the Trinity.

So we have here God’s promise that He will send an Angel (possibly His Son) to guide the people. This Angel was sent to help them reach and take the Promised Land if they trusted in God and followed His teachings. He was to be their helper as they followed God’s calling, doing whatever was needed to help them succeed. As such this promise sounds a lot like the promise Jesus makes to us in John 14:15-17 where He promises to send another comforter.

Jesus was/is the first comforter, sent to deliver us from sin and death and into the promised rest given by God. He promised to send another comforter, the Spirit of Truth (The Holy Spirit) who lives with and in those who follow Jesus. I think that the similarities between these two promises shows that God never intended for us to live this life without His help but if we do not accept His help then that is on us.

God wants to help us follow His will. He wants to walk with us and work in us in order to help us receive His ultimate promise: the Kingdom of God which is our true home. Remember that if you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior, He has sent another Helper to you. Believe in God and let Him lead you forward.

“as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”

2 Peter 1:3 (NKJV)

Like Christ, Waiting for the Answer

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

Hebrews 10:12-13

Sometimes waiting is hard. As a Christian it’s sometimes hard to maintain my faith as I wait for God to answer a prayer and/or to fulfill one of His promises. Yet, it is important that we all remain patient and wait on God, trusting in His perfect timing. And we’re not the only ones waiting for the Father to do His thing.

Hebrews 10:12-13 tells us that Christ, after offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, sat down at the right hand of God. There He waits for the Father to fulfill a promise that is first written in Psalm 110:1.

The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

Hebrews 10:13 seems to imply that this promise was not yet fulfilled when the verse was written and I believe that it is not yet fulfilled today, at least not here on earth. So Jesus is waiting patiently for the Father to complete the work of making His enemies His footstool and He has been waiting at least since His resurrection. Now that's what I call being patient. Is it possible that we, as His children, can show that same kind of patience?

Who Do You Love More?

In the first 6 verses of Zechariah 7 God asks the people if their fasts were about Him or about them. He then describes what should have been the results of fasts and prayers and of lives lived in a way that is God centered. What should have happened if they were about God? They should have obeyed what God told them to do when they were still on their land and still blessed with all God had given them. In essence, God is saying here, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)

Israel was blessed because God loved them. He asked them to return that love and described what this should look like. Jesus has given the gift of salvation because God loves us (John 3:16). All He asks is that we love Him in return. This means believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, which is how we get saved. It also means keeping His commandments which is the outflowing of a heart that loves the Lord.

So, who do you love more? How you live reveals the answer.

“Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?

Zechariah 7:5

Book Review: Blessed By The Best

Blessed By The Best is a must read for any fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and suggested reading for all NFL fans, giving a glimpse into the life of Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins. The full title of the book is Blessed By The Best, My Journey to Canton and Beyond and it is written by Michael Bradley who worked with Brian Dawkins to put together an inspiring book about overcoming physical circumstances as well as emotional turmoil. The book reads as if Dawkins is in the room with you, telling you his life story.

From a writing standpoint this book almost seems as if it is unedited, as if a recording of Dawkins was transcribed word for word. I think this adds to the charm of the book as I really felt that I got to know the character of the man who spent 235 pages telling me about himself, his family, his teammates and most of all about his God. This makes it a fun read which left me looking forward to what Dawkins will do with the rest of his post football life.

I give Blessed By The Best two thumbs up, recommending it for sports fans and for anyone who needs the inspiration of learning from someone who overcame a number of obstacles. I also recommend it for anyone who wants to learn about one man’s spiritual journey, delivered with honesty about his ups and downs as he continues to learn to trust in God.

Blessed By The Best: My Journey To Canton and Beyond by Brian Dawkins with Michael Bradley. Published by Camino Books, Inc. Philadelphia

Is Your Faith Selective?

Sarai believed that it was God who kept her and her husband Abram from having children (Genesis 16:2). Whether her words came from humble adoration or from human frustration, Sarai declared that God was in control. Considering the fact that God had appointed a time for her to have a child (Genesis 21:1-2) she was right in what she believed. The problem comes later in life when she chooses to hold on to this belief while rejecting God’s promise that she would one day have a son.

Yes, God was in control as Sarai and Abram grew old together without the blessing of children. God was still in control when, during a stopover on His way to see Sodom for Himself, the LORD promised that Sarai (at that point having had her name changed to Sarah) would have a son. While it seemed easy for Sarai to believe that God had kept her from having children, Sarah laughed at the idea that God would allow her to have a son in her old age. She chose to believe that God was in control when she could blame Him for her circumstances but when asked to believe what was a seemingly impossible blessing, Sarah could only laugh.

It would be nice if we could choose the things that are easy to believe while ignoring those promises that are more difficult to hold onto but doing so would keep us from growing in the Lord. Like Sarah you might be tempted to laugh or even run from God’s more “difficult”  promises. You may even try to help as Sarah did when she suggested that Abram have a child with Hagar. The best path is always the path of faith, even when God’s words are difficult to believe in. Choose to believe what God says He will do in your life and remind yourself that He always keeps His promises.

See also When Faith Becomes Difficult

When the Answer to Prayer is Not What You Expect

Over the last few years I have been praying for a family member who has been dealing with a chronic health issue, praying on and off for deliverance which seemed at times to be unlikely. This year I felt moved to begin praying for overall good health, not just about the issue at hand. I expanded the scope of my prayers, asking for the removal of all obstacles to good health. Little did I know that the biggest obstacle was hidden away: a small area of precancerous cells that would be discovered almost by accident.

I say by accident but the discovery was no accident. I believe God directed the search, leading doctors to find this very small patch of cells before they could become something else. I had been praying without knowing the real need, while thinking that changes in diet and other lifestyle changes would help along with a little divine intervention. The real need was surgery and God put us on the right path, leading us to doctors who (under God’s direction) made the right choices. The cells were found by a doctor who is the only one in the region who performs the procedure that led to the discovery and we know that it was God who took us to this doctor in the first place. Fortunately God sees all and His answer, while unexpected, uncovered a hidden issue and likely prevented a much bigger problem.

I could only see the obvious problem, which is what I was praying about. God saw the problem lying beneath the surface. I was asking for what I thought was the biggest health need but God saw an even bigger need. Seeing what we could not, God intervened  and I am thankful. From this I am reminded that while I think I know what I should pray for, God answers with what He knows we need. That’s the key thing we need to remember when God’s answer to prayer is not what we expect. God’s answer, though different from what we would do, is always what’s best.

Abiding in God’s Love

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:9-10

Christians often talk about how God loves all of us unconditionally. It really doesn’t matter if you believe in Him or not, God still loves you as demonstrated on the cross. As Jesus explained to His disciples,

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

John 15:13

Not only did Jesus lay down His life for His friends but He also did so for the ungodly and for all of us who have sinned against God:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:6

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

God’s unconditional love is a fact that should be embraced by every believer. Even in those difficult times when we struggle to believe in God’s love, the simple fact is that He does love us unconditionally. We need to remind ourselves that we are loved. We then need to remind others by loving them unconditionally just as God has loved us. This is the example we have in Christ as He describes in John 15:9.

We must also recognize the second part of that verse. Yes, God loves us unconditionally but we must learn to abide in His love. Jesus tells us that if we keep His commandments (if we live in recognition that He is our Lord) we will abide in His love. Does this mean that God’s love IS conditional? No. What Jesus is telling us is that we can move ourselves into a situation where we do not receive the love that God so generously pours out for us all.

Luke 15:11-32 The Parable of the Lost Son

In the parable of the Lost Son Jesus gives us an example of someone who stopped abiding in his father’s love. Jesus describes how the younger of two sons went to his father and asked to receive his part of the family’s wealth. Shortly after receiving what appears to be a generous sum, this son leaves his family and his life behind. Jesus describes how this son went off to a far country where he spent all of his money, most likely living the high life.

The New King James says that he wasted his possessions with prodigal living. The word “prodigal” is an adjective describing wasteful and reckless spending. Other versions of the Bible describe his lifestyle as “riotous” or “wild” or even “foolish.” Today we might say that he was careless or even dumb when it comes to money. Whatever word we use, the point is that he rejected what he had at home in order to do something stupid.

And then there was a famine during which he found himself struggling to find something to eat. It is at that point that he realizes that his father’s servants were eating better than he was. After seeing the truth, he comes to his senses and goes home.

So here’s the question of the day. While the son was off squandering his possessions, did the father stop loving his son? Based on the response we see as the son is walking up the road that leads to the house, I would say that the father never stopped loving his son. The father’s love was not based on the son doing the right thing. His love was not based on anything other than the fact that this was his son, whom he runs out and meets with an embrace. However, while the father continued to love the son, the son cut himself off from this love by the choices he made. I believe this is what Jesus is telling us in John 15:9-10. He loves us unconditionally (and without interruption) but we must choose to abide in His love.

If you are a Christian who has chosen not to abide in God’s love or if you are someone who has not even received God’s free gift of salvation, you are missing out. God loves you but if you choose not to abide in his love you will only find the emptiness that comes when the “fullness” of the life you have chosen runs out, leaving you with an emptiness that will never be filled apart from Jesus.

Yes, God’s love is unconditional and He loves you right now no matter what you have done or are doing. Do you want to abide in God’s love? Do you want to receive His love and to have that emptiness you feel from time to time filled with something that will last forever? Jesus calls you to repentance and instructs that in order to abide in His love you need to keep His commandments.

Yes, But Wait

It has been a few months since I received my diabetes diagnosis. Since then I have heard the word “No!” more often than I expected. Quite often I’ve heard it from my family who gently and lovingly remind me that my diet must change. At times it has also come from my church family, all of whom have my best interest at heart. I’ve also heard myself saying it. For example, I’ve had to tell myself “No!” when I feel the urge to eat seven or ten cookies. The most disappointing “No!” came from my health insurance provider who declined a request for a constant glucose monitor. Among the long list of reasons was something about me not demonstrating an understanding of the need to take glucose readings. (Why else would I want a constant glucose monitor?) But there is One who has not said “No.” Instead, He said “Yes, but you have to wait.”

I received this in answer to my first response after receiving my diagnosis. Okay, maybe it was my second response. My first response was asking myself how I could be so stupid. (For the record diabetes has nothing to do with intelligence.) My second response was to ask God for healing. I even wrote about my healing in my post “All Things Work for the Good: Even Diabetes.” I was ready for a quick turn around, looking forward to that day when I could brag about being healed. But then I “heard” God’s answer. It was not anything audible but God found a way to make His answer clear. As I said in the first paragraph, that answer was, “Yes, but you have to wait.”

In the meantime God wants me to learn to trust in Him as He helps me live in victory over the diagnosis. That’s a little different than being completely healed. It’s a recognition that I am a diabetic but I am not a slave to my condition. God’s grace is sufficient and by His grace I have access to His wisdom when it comes to how I should live. By His grace I am still enjoying life, just with fewer calories. In Christ I’ve been empowered to move my A1C from a 14 to under 7 in less than a year.

I still believe God will heal me of diabetes, if not while I am on this earth than later during the eternal life which He has promised me. Until then, God’s grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

A Standing Appointment with God

I have a standing appointment each day with God. Actually it’s two appointments, during which the two of us meet in prayer and in Bible reading. He has never missed these appointments. I wish I could say the same but...well...nobody’s perfect...except for God. Don’t get me wrong, I try my best to pray without ceasing and to acknowledge Him in all my ways. But those two times each day are special, a few minutes where I can quiet my mind and my spirit, and focus on Him one on one. What a blessing it is to know that He will be there waiting to keep these very important appointments each day.

I didn’t always look forward to reading the Bible or spending time with God. Early in my walk I only had my devotionals because my friends in Campus Crusade said it was a good idea. I was trying to prove something to God (and to my friends) and over time I became exhausted by the burden of having devotionals for the wrong reasons. The Bible became, for a time, nothing more than words. It felt dry and meaningless. In fact, reading the Bible felt like I was doing something wrong. It was a case of doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.

Fortunately, the power of God’s written word is such that it can change a heart even when that heart is a bit self centered. In my case He used Psalm 1, and its description of a tree planted by the rivers of water, to ignite a big change in me.

The tree in Psalm 1 is alive and anything but dry. It is fruitful and productive. It was everything that was lacking in my own spiritual journey. I found myself asking God why I was so different from this tree. Why is it that the person whose life is like this tree gets to enjoy such a blessing? Fortunately the Psalm gives the answer. This person is blessed because they have chosen to meditate on the law instead of filling their mind with the thinking of this world. This is what we call a conditional blessing, one I believe is still available today to those who meditate on scripture.

But if that is the case, why were my devotional times so dry? Why was it that when I read the Bible I came away feeling like it was time wasted? I believe it was because, unlike the tree, I was trying to prove something instead of trying to receive something.

The tree does not try to prove itself to its creator. It stands in its soil and draws in the available nutrients and water. In the case of the Psalm 1 tree, having the nearby rivers made a big difference because the rivers would bring more for the tree to draw from. Those who meditate on the Law in the Psalmist’s day and the Bible in our day should be like this tree planted near the rivers.

And so I asked God to make me like this tree, knowing the promise made by Jesus when He said, “Ask and you shall receive.” I asked God why my devotional times were dry. I asked Him to make me like this tree and to plant me by these rivers. What was His response? He pointed me to John 15:1:

“I am the true vine…” (NKJV)

I was trying to prove myself to God but that’s not how it works. He is the true vine and I must draw from Him. My devotionals had to change from being about proving myself, becoming a time of drawing from the true vine. When I (with a lot of help from the Holy Spirit) made this change, my devotional times changed significantly.

Now I look forward to these standing appointments. They are no longer a burden and they are no longer about proving something. They are about receiving from God and about the blessing of being able to spend time in His presence. They are about being in the tent, talking with God. Now my devotionals and my time reading the Bible are about being alive.

I have a daily standing appointment with God and I thank God that He wants it to be that way.

Who Shall Stand In the Gap?

The list was very long. God spoke to Ezekiel, listing all of the wrongs committed by the people of Israel and their leaders. It quickly becomes clear that they were a nation that was in rebellion and God had decided to do something about it. But first, as He had so many times before, God would give them one more opportunity. He would search for that one man: the one who could stand in the gap before God. The LORD searched for that one person who, like Moses in the wilderness, was devoted to God and to the people and who was qualified to intercede on behalf of the nation. Finding none, God poured His anger out on the people (Ezekiel 22:30-31).

On both an individual and on a national level, I suspect our lists today are just as long as what was described to Ezekiel. If God were to look for one person to stand in the gap today, would he find such a person? Fortunately the answer is yes. In fact we benefit from having that Man standing before God, interceding on behalf of the believer right at this moment. Jesus of Nazareth, God’s only begotten Son, stands at the right hand of God. There He speaks on the behalf of all who believe in His name, talking us up in prayer before the One Who created all things (Romans 8:34).

Those who have received the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ need not worry about what will happen when we stand before the Father. Jesus has already put in a good word for us. We need not worry about God’s wrath. That was poured out on Jesus on our behalf. Jesus died on the cross, paying for our salvation with His life and redeeming us unto the Father so that in Him we might have life. He is already standing in the gap on your behalf. Remember this as you seek in prayer.

All Things Work for the Good: Even Diabetes

It was not one of my best posts. I wrote it tongue in cheek but it just seemed to fall flat. In the post I gave myself (and my readers) a challenge. What was that challenge? I challenged everyone to stick to the serving sizes listed on bags of things like potato chips, mentioning how a 3.5oz bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos was supposed to be 3.5 servings. I spoke of developing the self discipline to only eat the listed serving size, instead of eating the entire bag in one sitting. Well, as it turns out, I’ve had to develop that self discipline almost overnight after a recent blood test showed that I have diabetes. That was not the diagnosis I wanted to hear but, as in all situations, God is keeping His promise:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

For the record, no I do not believe God gave me diabetes. That would just be weird. I am entirely at fault, having developed a love for Mega Stuffed Oreos: great taste but they can quickly put you over your daily limit of sugar. Chips Ahoy cookies were my second go to but only after they got soaked in a tall glass of almond milk. I won’t go into how many I would eat in one sitting. Let’s just say that some of that lack of self discipline I mentioned in the serving size article has been on full display. I take full responsibility and admit that I alone (perhaps with a little help from my genetics) am the problem.

But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining or as we Christians say: Romans 8:28! Actually I guess God said it when He inspired the writer of Romans to put pen to paper but we Christians get the blessing of knowing that Romans 8:28 is true. All things do work together for good for those who love God. Why? Well because God has ordained it to be so and it is true even with my diabetes.

I needed a kick in the behind to get me thinking about my health and about a goal I set for myself years ago. I promised myself that I will do everything I can to get into and stay in good physical shape, in order to be able to serve God for many years to come without any physical hindrance. I also want to be able to do things with friends and family, without being short of breath or limited in any other physical way. Unfortunately I have not been doing a good job of keeping that promise to myself. There’s always that distraction keeping me from exercising or the fact that I am too lazy to bother checking the serving size of what I eat. With diabetes, I received the kick in the bottom that I needed to get me to exercise and, yes, to check and stick to the right serving size. (I haven’t had Flamin’ Hot Cheetos since the diagnosis. If I do. I will count out my 21 pieces.)

Here’s the biggest blessing that will come from this. You see, I believe that God still heals. One day I will get to testify of how my LORD healed me and of how He gives me the wisdom to live in His healing. I’ll always carry the diagnosis but I will do so in the light of Romans 8:28, looking forward to telling others of how He fulfilled what is said in His Bible. All things work together for good. This is true in my situation and, if you love God and are called according to His purpose, it will also be true in whatever situation you find yourself dealing with.

See also “One, Two or Three Servings?”

Are You Abiding in Jesus’ Love?

Have you ever stopped to think about what it means to abide in Jesus’ love? If you haven’t, I suggest you make it a regular part of your schedule. Jesus tells us in John 15:9-10 that we should abide in His love just as He abides in His Father’s love. The Bible tells us that nothing can separate us from His love and yet, we must learn how to abide in His unconditional, never ending love. How do we reach that point of abiding in His love? Jesus gave us a parable that I believe shows us our first step in abiding.

It might surprise you that this lesson in abiding in God’s love comes from the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). But before we see how to abide in God’s love, we first get a lesson in how to miss out on His love. This lesson comes in the form of the decision made by the younger son, when he chose his inheritance over the love of his father.

In choosing to take the money and run, the younger son chose to chase after all that the world had to offer. I suspect his father’s house, with all its rules and daily chores, had become too restrictive for the young man. He looked at all that the world had to offer and felt that he would be better off doing things his own way. Think about it, this wasn’t just about having the money. It was about using the money to live life on his own terms and for a while I bet it was a lot of fun.

Meanwhile back at home, the father waited. The fact that he saw the son when he returned seems to imply that he was on the lookout hoping one day to see his son on the road. He never stopped loving his son and our Heavenly Father never stops loving us. But his son was not experiencing that love. What was he experiencing? Initially he had a lot of fun. He may have even called it the experience of a lifetime. Eventually, though, he began to experience hunger. He learned what it’s like to be in want. What he was not experiencing was his father’s love and this is where we find ourselves when we choose the ways of the world over the way of our Lord.

So what did the prodigal son have to do in order to get back to where he could abide in his father’s love? He simply had to make the choice to accept the truth. What was the truth? The truth was that his father’s servants were living better lives than he was. The truth was that his life had become empty and meaningless, amounting to nothing more than ministering to the needs of pigs. In truth he had sinned against his father and was no longer worthy of being called his father’s son. Still, he understood that being home was better than anything the world had to offer. He chose to believe the truth and in response he went home.

So, what happens when he gets home? Before the son can turn off of the road his father is running to meet him. The father does not even stop to see what the son wants. For all he knew, the boy could have been back to ask for more money. But the father did not care. He loved his son and wanted nothing more than a hug. At that point, even before he had fully confessed his sins, the prodigal son was once again abiding in his father’s love. That love was always there but until the son returned home his father could not pour that love out on him.

Of course this parable is not about a real human father and son. Jesus uses this parable to reveal how He feels about us. Jesus loves us all. However, when we turn away from Him, seeking to live according to what we think best apart from God, we are no longer in position to receive His love. We cannot embrace the teachings and the allures of this world, and expect to experience His gift of abundant life or of His love. It’s not that He cuts us off. We walk away, rejecting all that God has to offer us through His Son. How do we return to where we can abide in His love? Choose to seek the truth and to believe the truth. And in response to the truth, humble yourself before the Lord. Then you too will feel His warm embrace as He pours His love out in your life.

How God Blessed Us Since September 2020

Well...let’s see...A lot has happened since the last time I wrote about how God is blessing me and my family. Last year around this time we were dealing with the fact that my wife had just been furloughed and then offered another job at a significant pay cut. It was an unpleasant turn of events but God promised to provide for all of our needs and He continued to do so. Our bills were paid. We were still blessed and were able to be a blessing to others during Christmas. With God’s peace to sustain us we were able to move forward according to His perfect will.

I also mentioned in last September’s post that there were opportunities presenting themselves (thank you to those who answered my call for prayer). A friend reached out to my wife to tell her about a job opening at another company. We prayed but felt that this just was not God’s will, even though the salary would have been close to what she made before the furlough. Passing up a salary increase is never easy and this one came with the promise that we could go back to a way of life to which we had grown accustomed. But the more we prayed and listened for God’s guidance, the more we felt that this easy path was not the right path.

If you are a believer you’ve likely heard some variation of how God’s “No” means He has something better in store. I can’t explain how but God said this very thing to me, not audibly but in a way that I had no doubt that it was His voice. He was saying no to this job opportunity, with the promise of something better. He even gave me a glimpse of the future by naming a salary, one that would be a significant increase over what my wife used to make. I admit, at the time I was not sure if the number was from God or if it was just me wanting an increase in our household income but by faith I wrote the number in my journal and we moved forward waiting for God’s plan to unfold.

Early this year a recruiter reached out to my wife with another job opportunity. Her name had been suggested by a former coworker (and family friend)  who knew that my wife was qualified for the position and over qualified for the job she was working during the furlough. At about the same time, my wife’s old job was phased out, turning the furlough into something permanent. The interview process went smoothly and she was offered the job. We believed this was an open door but there was just one problem. The salary did not match the number I heard in my spirit. It was close but not the same. At this point I had not told my wife the exact number. I had only told her that I thought God had promised an increase.

Well, during the final salary negotiations this new company came back with a different salary proposal. Guess what! This number was what God said it would be, down to the exact cent. Had we jumped at the first opportunity, we would have missed out on what God had already promised. By waiting we got to see Him keep His promises: both His promise to provide during the furlough and His promise of something better at the end of the furlough.

As I wrote a year ago, Christians suffer loss just like everyone else but we are blessed with God’s peace to help us  endure. We also live knowing that God has it all under control. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Last year’s post can be found here: How God Blessed Us in September