Greetings from Huguley Hospital Chaplains Office

Happy Saturday!  It is currently 8:40 pm, or 20:40, as they say at the hospital. I have been on call since 8:00 AM this morning.  I thought I would get started on today’s writing between calls.  I never know when the phone is going to ring so if this entry sounds a bit disjointed please forgive me. 

Prayer:  Blessed Lord and only Savior, today I give thanks for Your very Word.  For it is in your very Word to which we cling when the tough times come. It is the same Word that guides our steps each day.  Thank You for this powerful weapon with which to fight Satan for even Satan cannot stand when we stand firmly on Your Word.  Write Your Word on our hearts and in our heads, heavenly Father, so that we may call upon it in our hour of need and as we walk each day.  In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

“Then the devil left him, and the angels came and attended him.”

Matthew 4: 11

Each day here at the hospital we begin with worship and prayer.  There are nine students and a number of supervisors and teachers who complete this group.  Each of us has a turn to bring the worship.  The other day a wonderful man by the name of Rico brought the worship.  He brought a powerful message about the temptation of Jesus. 

Remember this scene? Jesus appears as John has been proclaiming His coming as one who is more powerful who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Immediately following the baptism the heavens opened and the Voice said, “This is My Son with whom I am well pleased.”  

Now instead of breaking out the cake and punch like we do at baptisms, Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the same Spirit of Whom He was just baptized.  Do you suppose Jesus thought, “Are You sure about this?”  I certainly felt that way after the chaplain spent a few hours training me to be the chaplain for JPS the first time.  We got back to the office and he said, “You are ready.” And he left me alone in that huge hospital to be the spiritual on-call no matter what. I knew nothing about the hospital.  I stayed lost most of the night and I remember thinking “Are you sure about this?”

Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and nights and throughout those 40 days He neither ate nor drank anything.  He was physically weak from hunger and dehydrated from lack of water and probably disoriented from wandering.  Even though Jesus was fully divine, He was also fully human, needing the same nutrients and hydration we all need to keep all things in balance and for clear thinking. 

On that last day of Jesus’ fasting, Satan determined that Jesus was at His weakest point. He appeared before Jesus and offered Him food.  Jesus knew who Satan was even in His weakened, hungry state when the tempter challenged Jesus by saying, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus countered with, “It is written; Man shall not live by bread alone but on every word from the mouth of God.”  Satan, the tempter challenged Jesus twice again and Jesus responded with the written word from the mouth of God.  Jesus, upon His very presence traveled on Holy ground, but when He began to counter Satan with the Father’s written Word, Satan knew He was defeated because according to the story, “The devil left Him.” (vs. 11)

Jesus went through horrible temptation, but even in His weakness, He  drew from His childhood, His temple education and the power of the Holy Spirit the very tool that would defeat Satan.  At that moment, Jesus had no physical strength; He did not call on a friend or companion to come to His aid, no one stood between Jesus and the tempter to protect Him.  Jesus did not even call upon His Father to make this entire event stop. Jesus called on the only tool in His arsenal he was capable of wielding; the Word of God. Satan was defeated that day and the angels came and attended Him.  Do you suppose God whispered into the ear of His Son, “This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” 

Jesus remained obedient in the most horrid of conditions and became the model of obedience for all of the disciples then and all of His disciples now.  Jesus “proved” God that day right in Satan’s face.  “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word…Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him. How I proved Him ‘ore and ore’…”

So here is the question for tonight…Have we proved obedience to God’s Word in our lives? Do we count on and proclaim God’s Word for only the really hard roads or do we “take Him at His Word” as we journey each road every day?  Something tells me if we count on and proclaim God’s Word every day no matter what the journey, the hard road might become just a bit easier to travel.

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  See you in worship.  Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am only moved by what I believe and I believe God.

Please continue to pray for a rapid recovery for Boyd Tolles. He sat in a chair today, but not much more.