From his hospital bed on the eve of open-heart surgery, Pastor Bruce McIver asked his cardiologist, Dr. Dudley Johnson, “Can you fix my heart?”
The physician, known for being short and to the point, said, “Sure.” Then he quickly turned and walked away.
Following the 12-hour surgery, McIver asked Johnson, “In light of the blocked arteries that I had when I checked into the hospital, how much blood supply do I now have?”
“All you'll ever need,” replied the terse surgeon, who again ended the conversation by walking away.
Upon his discharge from the hospital, McIver's wife, Lawanna, asked the doctor, “What about my husband's future quality of life?”
Johnson paused and then said, “I fixed his heart; the quality of his life is up to him” (Bruce McIver, “Stories I Couldn't Tell While I Was a Pastor,” Guideposts, 1991, p. 244-247; www.PreachingToday.com)
What about YOUR future quality of life? Well, first, you need to let God fix your heart. Trust Christ with your life and give your heart to Jesus. Then, after God has fixed your heart, think about what you need to do to improve the quality of your life? Think about what you need to do to savor the days God gives you? Think about what you need to do to find pleasure in life?
So, what do you need to do? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Genesis 29, Genesis 29, where Jacob takes his first steps in savoring his new life after his first encounter with God.
Genesis 29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. (ESV)
The Hebrew literally says, “Jacob picked up his feet and came to the land of the people of the east.” Jacob had just met with God, who fixed his heart. His heavy burden had been lifted, and now he is walking with a lighter step. His fear has been turned to joy, and he can’t wait to see what God has for him in this “land of the people of the east.”
Genesis 29:2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large... (ESV)
I.e., too large for one average man to move.
Genesis 29:3 ...and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. (ESV)
They had to wait for everybody to get there, because it took more than one man to move the stone.
Genesis 29:4-6 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” (ESV)
Isn’t that amazing? Jacob just happens to run into some shepherds who are from Haran, the town he was told to find (Genesis 27:43; 28:2). They just happen to know Laban, the man he is looking for, and he just happens to run into his future wife. What a coincidence! Right? Oh no! You and I both know that God was directing Jacob’s steps. God had providentially brought Jacob to the place He wanted him to be, and Jacob is wild with excitement.
Genesis 29:7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” (ESV)
In other words, “Get done what you came to do and get out of here.” You see, Jacob wants to meet the girl without an audience, but these shepherds are not about to miss the show.
Genesis 29:8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.” (ESV)
They know Jacob is mesmerized by the girl coming down the path, and they’re not about to miss out on this budding romance. It’s probably the most exciting thing they’ve seen in months.
Genesis 29:9-10 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. (ESV)
All by himself, Jacob moves the stone that most men couldn’t move by themselves. What’s he doing? Isn’t it obvious? He’s trying to impress the girl with his strength. Jacob is in love!
Genesis 29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. (ESV)
Now, the kiss was probably a customary greeting, but the loud weeping was from a man overcome with emotion.
Genesis 29:12-14a And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father. As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” (ESV)
God is beginning to bless Jacob just as He promised. Laban welcomes Jacob into his home, and Jacob is overwhelmed with joy. He is overcome with emotion at God’s providence in bringing him safely to his uncle’s home and to his future wife. Jacob is relishing God’s good gifts, and that’s what you must do if you want to improve the quality of your life
ENJOY GOD’S DELIGHTS.
Choose to find joy in the good gifts God gives to you every day. Elect to take pleasure in his gracious generosity.
In his book Pure Pleasure, Gary Thomas talks about walking through a McDonald’s restaurant where he saw eight ten-year-old girls celebrating a birthday. He writes: “The warmth of sheer, unadulterated happiness permeated the gathering.
“It was as if a light had been turned on,” he says, “and I could see God's delight. God felt happy that these girls were happy. Their delight, their joy, even their giddiness, gave God great pleasure. Have you ever thought about that – that you can give God great pleasure by enjoying yourself?” (Gary Thomas, "Let's Play," Men of Integrity, January/February 2011; www.PreachingToday.com)
Just think of your children or grandchildren tearing into their presents just a few weeks ago on Christmas morning. Did anything make you happier?
You see, God is delighted when we’re delighted with his good gifts. The problem is we don’t always appreciate what he has given us. Instead, we tend to complain about what we DON’T have, rather than enjoy what we DO have.
Several years ago, Professor Vicki Medvec completed a fascinating study on Olympic silver and bronze medalists. You’d think the silver medalists would be happier than the bronze medalists, but Medvec found just the opposite to be true. She discovered that bronze medalists were quantifiably happier than silver medalists. That’s because silver medalists tended to focus on how close they came to winning gold, so they weren't satisfied with silver. On the other hand, bronze medalists tended to focus on how close they came to not winning a medal at all, so they were just as happy to be on the medal stand. (Mark Batterson, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Multnomah, 2006, p. 68; www. PreachingToday.com)
Where is YOUR focus – on what God has given you or on what you didn’t get?
Bob Russell, pastor and author says, “It is a rare person who, when his cup frequently runs over, can thank God instead of complaining about the limited size of his mug!” (Men of Integrity, Nov/Dec 2008; www.PreachingToday.com) Be that person who thanks God for His abundant blessings!
Several years ago, British scientists placed six volunteers into a total isolation chamber for 48 hours. The chamber was no bigger than a prison cell; and once the door was closed, the volunteers could not see or hear anything. The chamber was pitch black, and the silence was all-encompassing.
The scientists wanted to discover if any human could endure such total sensory deprivation without losing their sanity?
One of those volunteers was Adam Bloom, 37, who was confident he could cope well with the deprivation. But Bloom described what happened when the door was slammed shut. He said:
“I spent the first half an hour in the bunker talking, singing, and making jokes, but that quickly got boring… In the absence of a watch or sunlight, I'd totally lost track of time. I dozed on and off… but I had no idea whether it was day or night… At one point, I started singing and then I burst into tears. I can't remember the last time I cried.”
After 40 hours he began to hallucinate. “I felt as though the room was taking off from underneath me. For the first time, I realized that the lack of stimulation was driving me close to insanity.” But then for Bloom, there was an unexpected outcome—gratitude. Bloom explains:
“When we'd arrived at the bunker before the experiment, I had thought it was all rather bleak. The exterior was all overgrown and the bunker was an eyesore. But when I left after 48 hours, I noticed how green the grass was, how blue the sky was, and hundreds of yellow buttercups. It was staggeringly beautiful. Even washing my hands under the [faucet] was amazing. I made a vow that I would never [again ignore] and not appreciate my surroundings. (Natasha Courtenay-Smith, “Losing your mind: What happens during 48 hours in a pitch black bunker,” Daily Mail, 1-22-08; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s the way to savor all the days God gives you. Don’t ignore His good gifts. Instead, appreciate everything He has given you.
After all, if you have trusted Christ with your life, you have the blessing of divine providence – God directs your every step. You have the blessing of divine protection – God delivers you from any real harm, for even death is but an entrance into heaven. And you have the blessing of His divine presence – He delights you with Himself. You have so many good gifts from God’s hand Himself, so choose joy instead of sorrow. Choose gratitude instead of grumbling. If you want to savor your life, choose to enjoy God’s delights. Then learn to…
EMPRACE GOD’S DISCIPLINE.
Welcome even the pain God brings into your life. Appreciate even the hard times God brings to smooth out the rough edges of your character.
You see, not everything in life is delightful. Some things are difficult, but even those things God has designed for your good to improve your character. That’s a lesson Jacob has to learn in Laban’s house.
Genesis 29:14b-20 And he stayed with him a month. Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. (ESV)
Laban makes a deal with Jacob, and it’s a great deal for both of them. Jacob gets time for his brother to cool off back home. He gets free room and board for seven years, and he gets a beautiful wife. On the other hand, Laban gets seven years free labor from an industrious, hard worker, much better than those lazy shepherds who stand by the well all day. And he keeps his daughter in the family instead of giving her away to a stranger who might take her away forever.
So Laban makes a deal with Jacob, but then Laban deceives Jacob.
Genesis 29:21-25a Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) And in the morning, behold, it was Leah!
Jacob wakes up in the morning and finds that he is married to the wrong girl! How would you feel if you woke up on the morning after your wedding night and found a different woman (or man) in your bed?
How could it happen? How can a man marry and sleep with a girl and not know who it is until morning? Well, you have to understand several things about wedding customs in those days and this specific situation. 1st, Leah, like all brides in her day, was very closely veiled. She didn’t wear one of those sheer veils brides wear today at weddings. Hers was a solid veil that covered the whole face. 2nd, It was nighttime (vs.23).Therefore, it was dark in that honeymoon tent, and nobody would be able to see anything. 3rd, Leah and Rachel were sisters. That means they probably had a similar build and tone of voice. No doubt, much of the conversation that night was in whispers and very brief words of love (especially with the wedding guests standing right outside the door!). And 4th, you have to understand that engaged couples back then did not spend a lot of time with each other. Often, they hardly saw each other until after the wedding itself. So Jacob, while he knew Rachel was pretty, probably didn’t know much else about her. That’s why it was so easy for Laban to switch brides and deceive Jacob.
Well, as you can imagine, Jacob is spitting nails; he is so mad.
Genesis 29:25b And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” (ESV)
Jacob asks these questions in anger, but Laban coolly replies with an answer that must have pierced Jacob’s heart.
Genesis 29:26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. (ESV)
Oh, how that must have hurt! You see, not too many years before, Jacob had played a similar trick on his father. He, the younger son, had pretended to be the older one in order to get the customary birthright and blessing. Now, the older daughter pretends to be the younger one in order to get her customary rights as well. Laban continues…
Genesis 29:27-28 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (ESV)
Jacob has nothing left to say. He finishes up Leah’s week-long wedding party and marries Rachel right away in exchange for another 7 years of work.
Genesis 29:29-30 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. (ESV)
He worked for a man who was a bigger deceiver than he, but God was using Laban to discipline Jacob. God was using Laban to show Jacob his own character flaws and to begin to remove those flaws from his life.
Jacob is learning a hard lesson, and it’s the same lesson many of us need to learn, as well. It’s the lesson of discipline, in which God often brings a “Laban” into your life to remove your own character flaws. They are the people who especially irritate you, probably because they have the same character flaws as you do. Somebody has called them “Grace Builders,” because these difficult people are also God’s free and gracious gifts given to us to make us more like His Son, Jesus.
Josemarie Escriva, founder of Opue Dei, put it this way: Don't say, “That person bothers me.” Think: That person sanctifies me.” He makes me more holy (Josemarie Escriva, The Way, New York: Doubleday, 2006, p.174; www.PreachingToday.com).
Think about the person who gets under your skin. What is it about them that irritates you? What character flaws do they have? Are they deceptive? Are they manipulative? Are they pushy? Are they critical and ungrateful? Are they gossips? Are they indecisive? Are they worriers? Are they wimps?
Have you considered the idea that God may have brought that kind of a person into your life to remove that same character flaw from you? God brought a deceiver into Jacob’s life to remove the deceit from him. What kind of person has God brought into your life and mine? What flaws does He want to remove from you and me? You can choose to fight it, or you can choose let God make something beautiful in you through those grace builders He brings into your life.
A Norfolk-Southern train was rolling down the rails of Indiana at 24 miles per hour. Suddenly the conductor, Robert Mohr, spotted an object on the tracks roughly a city block away. Initially the engineer, Rod Lindley, thought it was a dog on the tracks. Then Mohr screamed, “That's a baby!”
The baby was 19-month-old Emily Marshall, who had wandered away from home while her mother planted flowers in her yard.
Lindley hit the brakes. Mohr bolted out the door and raced along a ledge to the front of the engine. He realized there was no time to jump ahead of the train and grab the baby. So he ran down a set of steps, squatted at the bottom of the grill, and hung on.
As the train drew close to Emily, she rolled off the rail onto the roadbed, but she was still in danger of being hit by the train. So Mohr stretched out his leg and pushed her out of harm's way. Mohr then jumped off the train, picked up the little girl, and cradled her in his arms. Little Emily ended up with just a cut on her head and a swollen lip. (Charles Kimball; www.PreachingToday.com)
Sometimes, like this train conductor, God must hurt us in order to help us. So learn to appreciate even the hard times God brings into your life.
Hebrews 12 says, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).
If you want to savor your life, choose to enjoy God’s delights. Then learn to embrace God’s discipline.
Carla Waterman talks about having tea with a friend of hers who had just moved to a new situation. She was away from familiar work, beautiful spaces and valued friends. On top of it all, she was experiencing the “exhausting emptiness of a job that was too full” in a context where she felt undervalued. The tears filled her eyes as she spoke of her weariness, her disillusionment, and her anger. Carla says her friend is a fighter, wanting to right wrongs for herself and others. She demands respect. She wants to know and be known, and she has been fighting hard for what she wants.
Well, after the first cup of tea, Carla offered her friend this observation from Dorothy Sayers: “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a medium for creation.” And she suggested, “Perhaps it is time to drop your sword and pick up your paint brush.”
They talked about the internal battles that people so often fight with others even when they never experience the swordplay in their own souls. They spoke of the weariness created by the internal turmoil, and then they looked at the pallet of colors God had given Carla’s friend in this season – not the rich reds, golds, and blues that her friend would naturally reach for, but a more subdued set of tones: grays, browns, and maybe a few tans. Could there be beauty in this season? Could life be a medium for creation – even here? (Carla Waterman, "Brushes or Swords?" Gifted for Leadership, 11-21-08; www.PreachingToday.com)
We love it when God brings into our lives the bright colors of happiness and delight. But God also uses the dark and dull colors of difficult times and difficult people to create something of beauty in us, as well.
So “drop your sword and pick up your paint brush,” as Carla Waterman advises, because “beauty accomplishes a great deal more than anger, and a brush rests more easily in our hands than a sword.”
