Tag: god

Scars of God

I am tempted to deny my faith because of my wife’s suffering. I struggle with her suffering, her emaciated body, and her slow death of an incurable disease. I struggle with bitterness and anger toward God. “Why is my wife suffering? Why are You allowing this to happen to her?”

What keeps me clinging to my faith by my fingernails is the God who has suffered and has the scars to prove it. No other gods of other religions have suffered in flesh and have scars to prove it, motivated by love.

I worship the God who has suffered.

I worship the God who has scars.

Jesus has scars on his hands, feet, and his side from crucifixion.

Messianic Psalm 22 foretold the scars. Psalm 22:16: For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet.

The scars were not removed from Jesus’ resurrection body. Why was it important to retain the scars? (I hope my scars are removed from my resurrection body.) The scars are proof of Christ’s suffering. The scars were also proof Christ was not a ghost or spirit. The same body that was crucified was the same body resurrected.

Read JOHN 20: 19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Thomas didn’t believe his fellow disciples when they told him they saw Jesus alive and he said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Then: 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve but believe.” 

Jesus’ hands, feet, and heart were pierced. His largest scar is the side scar. A Roman soldier thrust his spear under Jesus ribs and into his heart, blood and water poured out. JOHN 19: 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there flowed out blood and water.

Jesus also showed the scars on his feet where nails were driven through his heel or ankle bone.

Luke 24: 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.

They are scars of love. If I risked my life to save you from an accident and got a scar while doing it, then it would be a scar from a sacrifice, a scar of love. If I were a fireman and rescued you from a burning building and got burned doing it, then it would be a burn scar from a sacrifice, a scar of love. Jesus’ scars are scars of sacrificial love.

Revelation proclaims “the Lamb who was slain” indicating Jesus retains the scars of His love in heaven. (See Revelation 5.)

Whenever I am tempted to disbelieve and shake my puny fist at God, I sing this song and the Spirit in my spirit overcomes my anger and makes me cry:

He who is to come
Christ the Son of man
Riding on the cloud with a crown upon His head
Every eye will see Him
With the nail scars in His hands
Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

I worship the God who has scars.

Suffering God

I’m tempted to quit my faith in God. Why does God allow my wife to die a slow death by an incurable disease? Why did God allow a river in the hill country of Texas to flood and drown 27 girls in a Christian camp? As the flood waters raged and swept away the terrified girls and many others, did Jesus command the angels not to interfere and save anyone and let them die horrible deaths by drowning? What about all the broken-hearted parents? What’s the difference between God doing something or allowing it to happen? Aren’t the results the same? There’s still suffering and death. Well, of course, our theology says God cannot do evil because that would make God evil. If God permits evil to happen, then we can say God isn’t evil. It’s convenient theology that allows us to believe God may achieve some greater good.

Yes, I’m tempted to quit my faith in God. I’m hanging on by a thread. That thread is NOT that faith is tested by trials and grows stronger, although I believe this to be true. That faith is NOT that God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose, although I believe this to be true. That thread is that God has suffered. God allowed Himself to feel physical and emotional pain. God allowed Himself to suffer loss and death. Jesus suffered an excruciatingly painful death at the hands of evil people. (Read Isaiah 53.) Jesus’ suffering actually began when he became incarnate and entered this world under the curse of sin. (Read Philippians 2:3-9) My faith is in a God who has suffered. So, I’m not really hanging on to my faith by a thread. I’m hanging on hooked to a steel cable. Jesus Christ has felt suffering and pain and because He has suffered, He is able to intercede for us in our suffering. (Read Hebrews 4:14-16.) I worship the God who has suffered.

The Switchbacks of Life: Part 1

I like hiking Big Bend National Park. Trails start at Chisos Basin and ascend to the highest point, Emory Peak, 7832. It’s 2400 ft elevation gain from Chisos Basin over 4.8 miles.

While hiking at Big Bend NP, ascending and descending mountains, I saw a sign. The sign says, “Help Us Prevent Trail Erosion. Please Do Not Cut Switchbacks.”

First, hiking a trail from trail head to mountain top represents a spiritual journey. Hiking is my analogy of a believer’s spiritual journey. It’s the spiritual journey of a Christian from “new birth” to eternal life in heaven.

Second, the switchbacks represent tests or trials on our spiritual journey. It is one word in GR (peirazw). Tests and trials become temptations when Satan comes to take advantage of the situation. The trial situation gives God the opportunity to see what you are made of, and it reveals attitudes and character. Jesus was tempted by the devil, but it was a test of Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s plan. God tested the faith and obedience of Abraham to sacrifice his son.

Third, the first part of the trail is a gradual ascent with some flat parts. As the trail gets steeper and closer to the mountain top there are switchbacks.

Life has many switchbacks. God gives us switchbacks in life. God will not allow us to cut the switchbacks. God does not want “trial erosion”. (trail erosion, trial erosion – get it?) God has a purpose for the trial and cutting the switchbacks would cause trial erosion. The only way to finish a trial is to go through it and understand God’s purpose in the trial.

God may be merciful and shorten the trial: 1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation/test has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted/tested beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to patiently endure it. This does not mean God will remove the test or trial, no trial erosion. It means He will provide “respite” and supply the strength to endure it, get through it, bear the pressure of it. (Just like hospice offers a 5-day respite for stressed caretakers.)

The greatest test in life, the steepest switchback, is when life doesn’t happen the way you want it to. It’s when life doesn’t happen according to your plan. Life takes a sudden left turn when you plan to take a right turn. What is God doing? Is God really in control. Is this Father God’s perfect plan for my life and my wife’s life? It can be something minor or something major. That steep switchback can be a disease or some other major loss. It’s a test of faith in the goodness and love of God.

If life doesn’t work out the way I want, then I must believe it is working out the way God wants. I must trust God. If life doesn’t happen according to my plans, then I must believe it is happening according to God’s “perfect” plan. This is not easy, but if you want to have peace then you must believe it.

I had a plan to retire and grow old with my wife. A plan for us to be as healthy as we could be in our late 60s. A plan for us to work part-time to supplement social security. But then in late 2021 Sandie began to feel shaking symptoms. It was diagnosed as ET (Essential Tremor) and then Parkinson’s. When we came to Dallas in late 2022 it was diagnosed as CBD (Corticobasal Disease) or PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy). Life didn’t happen according to our plans, and I am now a full-time caretaker.

What do you do when you come to the steepest switchback, the hardest trial? – Part 2 coming soon.