Morning Monday Update

Dear brothers and sisters,

Mary Murphy just called me and gave me the latest on Ian. Yesterday they took a sample of spinal fluid, in another attempt to discover the source of Ian's fever. It took them a long time to get enough fluid, because his fluid pressure has not been very good.

Today Ian is scheduled to have another surgery on his right knee. The doctor wants to clean it further and try to repair any ligaments that he can. Mary said that Dr. Ivan Tarkin, his surgeon said that he is treating Ian very aggressively, in the same way he would treat his own brother and desires to give Ian the best use of his leg. Isn't God good to give Ian a doctor who has such a wonderful attitude! The surgery is very complicated, so let's pray that God would give Dr. Tarkin wisdom. I would love to see Dr. Tarkin go in there and find the knee completely healed - that's what I just prayed. But most of all, we should pray that God will do whatever will most glorify himself.

Let us also pray that God will heal Ian's fever.

A side note: Yesterday Mary talked with one Ian's nurses, Traci, who stopped by on off hours to see Ian. She is a Christian and has been praying for Ian. Traci said that she and her husband were going to be having a block party, because her husband is trying to start a church in their area. May God bless their efforts and give them a miracle to tell unbelievers about as they launch their church!

This morning I read this passage:

Mark 7:25-30 (ESV)
²⁵ But immediately a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. ²⁶ Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁸ But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹ And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” ³⁰ And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

This woman knew how inexhaustible Jesus' power was. She knew that even after meeting all the needs of the Jews (the children), that even the leftover "crumbs" of Jesus' power would be enough to heal her daughter. All we need is a "crumb" of Jesus' infinite power to accomplish miracles. All we need is one little word, one little touch. All we need to do is touch Jesus' hem with our finger. All we need is faith the size of a mustard seed.

This woman also knew that Jesus was compassionate, merciful and generous. And she was also convinced that he would respond to bold, persistent requesting. This woman demonstrated that God is a rewarder of those who seek him.

"Some mercies are not given to us except in answer to importunate (bold, persistent) prayer. There are blessings which, like ripe fruit, drop into your hand the moment you touch the bough. But there are others which require you to shake the tree again and again, until you make it rock with the vehemence of your exercise, for only then will the fruit fall down." -- Spurgeon

So let's ask God for fresh strength to continue to persevere in asking, seeking and knocking.

Let's keep shaking the tree till the fruit falls down!

Mark