From Our Father Through Our Father

Last Lord's day evening I received calls from two of my sisters though I could not pick when they both called. Later, as I called them up, I got to learn that our dad went through some injuries, on his head and neck. This led to his health deteriorating so suddenly that he was almost paralyzed. I wasted no time asking my sister to give the phone to dad himself. When I spoke to him he seemed to tell me that everything was alright except that he went through some injuries. I could discern that he did not want me to worry, therefore, he was trying to conform me by telling me that he was fine and that I need not worry. But the fact was different. Then, I spoke to my mom and step-mom to get more detail of what all transpired. 

The following day, my brother called me. In fact, for the first time after at least a year, to tell me of the real situation. Dad had hurt his head and there was blood clogging in his brain that affected his memory. Therefore, he hardly remembers anything and could not come to his real sense. All the medical test shows that he needs immediate intensive care. 

Meanwhile, the offering money me and my wife reserved was confirmed to be transferred to take care of our family's needs this time. Therefore, I transferred it to daddy's account. That was also the Lord's leading in me to offer to our own family this time, unlike other times when the Lord would lead me to offer to the church or to other needy saints. The Lord knows best and I simply must always follow His inner leading. 

I could pray together with my brother, especially for daddy's health. To me, this itself is worth the situation our family has been going through at the moment. I have been praying for my own brother so much. Now, he realized the need for his own revival with family love and bonding through the daddy's situation.  The Lord does allow things like this to gain His children.  Praise the Lord for everything!

Today, it has been confirmed that daddy needed to go through brain surgery in a private hospital which could cost a hefty amount. I fellowshipped with my brother to exercise wisdom in decision making and do the right thing that needs to be done at the moment, in terms of hospitalization, operation, negotiation with doctors, and other practical matters. And I confirmed to him that I will do my best in all possible ways to participate in prayer and in finance as much as the Lord provided us.

Through this situation, I could sense the Lord's recovering our family's love for one another. Not merely among us siblings, but also with my cousins and step-mom too. Even for the expenses, I believe, all the family members will participate, as proof of the recovery of our love and care for one another.

A new experience the Lord gave me this time is peace. Generally, in troubled times like this in the past, with my cousin-sister and also with my mom, I used to be very anxious and nervous. But this time, the Lord has been gracing me to receive everything as from the Father's hand, and trust in Him absolutely. Perfect peace and joy have been filling me inwardly despite the severity of my dad's health, clubbed with the second wave of Corona rampantly spreading everywhere. I truly have no cause for worry or for fear, for my Father's wise bestowment upon all things has been made known to me.

Last week, the Lord's speaking was on wisdom, the way of doing things. The Lord is the Wisdom, and His ways are wise in every aspect. He is the only wise God (Rom. 16:27), Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24), and Christ has become the wisdom from God to us (1 Cor. 1:30).  What the Lord spoke to me, His hand also followed suit in leading me to experience Him as my wisdom.

Wisdom may be understood as the way to do things. If we have wisdom, we will know the proper way to do things, but if we are not wise, our way of doing things will be foolish. In order to have the best way to do things in our daily life, we must have wisdom. Christ as wisdom to the believers is actually  the divine way. Hence, wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1:30 is equal to the way in John 14:6, a verse in which the Lord Jesus says, “I am the way.” God’s way is His wisdom. If we enjoy Christ and participate in Him, we will have Him as our wisdom, as our way. This wisdom comes from our enjoyment of Christ. Day by day and hour by hour we should live in the spirit and exercise the spirit to call on the name of the Lord Jesus. If we do this, we will enjoy Christ and have Him as our wisdom, that is, our way of doing things. ( The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 3122)

The ministry portion that I enjoyed doctrinally has become my experience practically. The Lord is faithful to make His hand follow His speaking. All that has happened is truly out from Him, it will be through Him, and also unto Him. Even in my daddy's case, God is in control. He allows it all for our good. I would even say, this is how He answered all my prayers for my family. To revive all of us, to love God and love one another, to be one with God and to be one with one another. This experience is synonymous with Paul and Silas' experience in Acts 16: 24-34; praising God in the prison and God answering their prayers by an earthquake followed by the salvation of the Phillipian jailer with his whole family and so forth. Praise the Lord!

This is our testimony of our Father in heaven gaining us through our father on earth. Amen.