Better Than Gold

1 Peter 1:7 says “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” What truly is the greatest gift or assurance we could have? Safety? Health? Security? Our culture today would say these things in an instance. Who doesn’t want assurance that they will be safe from robbers, or will live a long healthy life free of disease, or that no matter what happens they have enough money in the bank or alarm systems, or friends that it will be okay. Who doesn’t want some sort of insurance that will take care of us no matter what happens? But the Bible tells us something very different. 1 Peter makes is clear that we will go through trials and unexpected storms. That sometimes we will be robbed or stolen from, sometimes we will get sick, sometimes our money will run out, our friends will abandon us. I read a post on social media today where a women wrote how she would have saved Daniel from the lions den, or Ester from her difficult situation, or Jesus from the cross. If she were the author of the story of history then she would have stopped the pain and suffering. But, she recognized that in so doing she would have stopped the king in Daniel’s day from turning to God, and stopped Esther from saving her people, and kept Christ from saving the world from sin. Too often I find myself always wanting to ‘fix’ the broken situation and stop the suffering trying to take things into my own hands. But that is not always good or right. 1 Peter reminds us that these trials are doing something and they have a purpose. Just like example after example in the Bible we see that God divinely controls every detail and uses every bad thing in His people for something greater. As a follower of Jesus, my greatest assurance is that I am His and nothing can separate me from His love (Romans 8), that I am sealed by Almighty God into His family, free from sin, forgiven, and that when this life is over perfect harmony and unity with God Himself are in store forever! Wow! So much more than any security or wealth or relationships on earth I am secure for eternity! When God allows His children to go through trials and sees them through to the other side, when we can praise Him in the storm like Job instead of cursing Him then we can be assured that we are His. And this is the greatest peace and comfort. 

 

Now, let me say a few things to go along with this. I am not saying that when we see someone going through trials that we ignore them and do not try to help as that is in no way loving them. As they have need we are command to help our brothers and sisters. But, we also lift them up to the Father earnestly, fervently asking that He would intervene on their behalf, strengthen and encourage them and use it all for His glory and their good. And as the Lord shows us how to help we obey but doing it all under His guidance, submitting to His plan. I also want to point out that for those who are part of God’s family we have ultimate security, safety and even wealth that is far beyond anything earthly. I am simply showing that as 1 Peter 1:7 tells us, going through and coming out of trials praising the Lord is one way that God shows us we are His. And it is reason to rejoice even in suffering. 

 

We have had somewhat of a turn of events here at Tenwek this weekend. Most of the week was rather chill though we have had some infants in the NICU that are pretty sick and not doing well. Our kiddos with meningitis are all improving as are our kiddos with pneumonia and most with heart disease. Several have been able to go home over the past few days. In typical God fashion one morning this week we had a student present on nephritic vs nephrotic kidney disease and then had a child come in with nephritic disease overnight. It was a sweet blessing of the Lord to remind us of this disease and how to treat it as this child came in. He is also doing better now thanks to the Lord. Our call team Friday night attended a delivery of a baby with diaphragmatic hernia. Since women do not routinely received prenatal ultrasounds here they had no idea the baby would have a congenital malformation. The baby cried immediately after birth which is normally a very reassuring sign but quickly decompensated and became blue and purple. Our team tried all the things but ultimately the baby passed away because he could not breathe. The xray showed that only the right side of his diaphragm (the muscle between your lungs and your gut that helps you breathe) had formed and his intestines were all up in his lung cavity on the L side. Because of this his lung on the left side did not form and his heart was pushed all the way over into the left side of this chest so that only very very small amount of lung on the left side of his chest had developed. Inside the womb he had everything he needed provided by His mother, but on his own he could not survive. I cannot begin to say why God would allow this baby to develop this way in his mother’s womb or why he brought them to Tenwek even though there was nothing our peds team could have done to give him a chance at life. But I know my God is sovereign and He is good. And I know that just like this infant when I am in Christ and He in me I have everything needed for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him (2Peter 1:3), but on my own, apart from Him I am missing organs vital to life. We have 4 other babies in the NICU and one on the peds wards that I am very concerned about. Some of them really seem like they truly will not get better and we are talking about palliative care with the family. It is a hard thing to know when to stop trying to prolong life and recognize that there is nothing more we can do but allow the family to grieve. Please join me in praying for these families and for our team to have Godly wisdom to know when to push harder for more medical treatment and care and when to stop and ‘do no harm.’ 

 

On another note, I tested positive for COVID yesterday. There has been a small outbreak in our peds ward and now I can no longer assist with the team in the hospital in person. I am doing fine with only cold symptoms but am now forced to assist from the side lines. The Lord has been so very gracious through even this and is providing for my every need. Please also join me in praying that covid would not continue to spread through our patients, staff, or other guests here at the guest house where I am staying. Please pray the Lord would sustain and strengthen our peds team to be able to carry the load with less people. He is oh so good, and I am looking forward to time to sit at His feet.