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We see a lot of Parvo virus in young dogs, frequently, every single day. Distraught owners will come in with pathetic little puppies ravaged by vomiting and diarrhea. I explain to our clients that I don’t have any medications that will kill the virus that our treatment is a supportive treatment to build the puppy up so its own immune system can fight off the virus. Hospitalized puppies who survive can be sick for seven days. Even with those meds and bills that can be over $1000 we can’t save them all.
Puppies are very susceptible because they have weak and developing immune systems. I’ve had families crying their eyes out over their sick pets. The sad thing about this illness is it can easily be prevented through relatively inexpensive vaccination.
I’m a keen observer of why people visit churches they’ve never darkened the door to. I’ve seen people come in who have a sick child with a poor prognosis. All of a sudden it’s time to find God and invoke his healing power.
I have also seen folks whose lives are a mess… marital problems, parental problems, etc. Again it’s time to find Jesus.
Many times when the problem goes away or calms down, so do peoples spiritual interest. They quickly revert back to the way they were living until the “problem” resurfaces again.
Folks, who are responsible purchase a new puppy, control their internal and external parasites, put them on a good plane of nutrition and don’t let that developing puppy hang out with other dogs until they are fully vaccinated. Those puppies rarely get sick.
Folks, who want to have good lives look for God early and develop a relationship with Him and with his people. They go to Bible classes and feed themselves spiritually, they limit their associations with people who might be bad influentially and they live according to biblical principles and generally they don’t get spiritually sick. Oh, Christians are going to suffer the same physical illnesses that everyone else does and there are going to be family problems too. But they have vaccinated themselves against Satan and their spiritual immune systems are strong enough to survive the fiercest attack. They have built a relationship with God who is carefully listening and eagerly waiting to answer the prayers of his true children.
Don’t be like that young puppy that may have only a 60% chance of survival. Be like that fully vaccinated and well cared for puppy that can live life to the fullest and bring many years of joy to its family.
Seek God early and often… he won’t fail you.
In Daniel chapter one, we read of four young Jewish men who were slaves to the Babylonian Empire. They were to be trained to serve the empire for three years and during that training period were supposed to be fed a diet that by Babylonian standards was the best and choicest food they had.
The problem for these four Jewish young men was that the Babylonian diet violated the food laws that God had set forth. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah knew that God’s food laws were given not just to be arbitrary but were given to promote good health… and so a trial was set forth, God’s diet vs. the Babylonian diet. Of course after a ten day period Daniel and his friends looked healthier in every measurable way. God wins.
Here’s the thing, even though we don’t live under the Mosaic Law and have food laws, God still wants his people to be healthy. God wants healthy (not handicapped) soldiers in his army to wage battle against Satan.
We no longer live under a law that regulates every aspect of our lives (including food) we live under a law that is full of liberty and freedom and choices.
Christians are responsible for making healthy choices so that we can be better servants to God.
I know of two former members who were diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and have since passed. I would go to the cafeteria with them after Sunday morning services and watch them load their plates with Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes slathered in gravy and macaroni and cheese. Of course I would comment to them… don’t you have CHF? And they would say, “yes but we want to eat the way we want to eat”.
They both left widows, children and grand-children and in my opinion short changed God in their responsibilities to Him both in their poor health and in their shortened lives. All, those years of wisdom that could have been shared shortened by poor choices and rejecting the advice of their doctors.
We can’t control everything in our lives in regards to our health but there are plenty of things we can control. Do your best in regards to your spiritual health and your physical health so we can be better servants to God.
Two rich men are introduced in Luke chapters 18 & 19. One was a Ruler of the Jews who lived according to the 10 commandments and as such was well liked and well received in Jewish society. The other was a Jew who collected taxes for the Roman Government. He, on the other hand, was hated because he worked for the enemy. In essence, he was stigmatized and ostracized by his fellow Jews.
The Ruler was living a righteous life and even Jesus recognized that. However, Jesus knew something that the Ruler may not have even known about himself… he loved his money and possessions too much. When Jesus told him to sell it all and distribute the proceeds to the poor the conversation ended and the Ruler walked away with great sadness. He loved his money too much.
The Tax Collector, like the Ruler, had heard of Jesus and when he heard Jesus was in town he climbed a tree just so he could catch a glimpse of Jesus. He wasn’t blind or crippled or in need of any miraculous healing from Jesus he just wanted to see him. And then Jesus did something that violated all the social norms of Jewish society… he noticed the Tax Collector and stayed in his home. You see the Tax Collector suffered from a non-physical malady he suffered from a love deficiency. He had all the money he could want but no one cared for him.
At Jesus expression of love the Tax Collector, Zacchaeus, was over whelmed and offered something the Jewish Ruler wouldn’t give… he offered to give 50% of his possessions to the poor and offered a four fold restitution to anyone who he might have over charged for taxes.
Jesus’ response? “Salvation is come to this house.”
The Jewish Ruler asked what he needed to do to be saved. Zacchaeus already knew the answer and with great enthusiasm offered the price.
How does a rich man enter the kingdom of God and how does a camel go through the eye of a needle? By understanding the true value of wealth and using it properly.
