Yesterday, I spent the day caring for two persons, both of whom were recovering from a surgical intervention: a man who had undergone coronary bypass surgery and a woman whom a recovered from a video assisted thoracotomy. I do not love what sin has done to the images of God but I love caring for my neighbor. The profession of nursing is difficult. The things that we see and the things that we do in caring for others is difficult. Nursing is ministry despite anything else mankind has decided it to be. Nurses are as much ministers as the pastor who preaches on Sunday morning.
I have decided to bring back a gospel tract that I wrote eight years ago. I have written a few tracts since but I have never improved upon that original tract; therefore, I decided to bring it back.
This morning I read Joshua 16-20. I had never thought about it before but realized while reading the text, the land of Canaan was essentially divided between the sons of Joseph to the north and the sons of Judah to the south; Benjamin was placed between these two tribes. What I find interesting is that Judah was Leah’s son and Joseph was Rachel’s. So, all the way back to Genesis we have the beginnings of the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. It would be the tribe of Judah whom the Lord would choose to bring forth his Son. “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.” (Rom 9:13) I do not know why God chooses persons and not others but he does what he wants to do, however he wants to do it. The Lord God told Moses, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” (Ex 33:19) I do not know why God is gracious and shows compassion to anyone at all given our sinning against him. Should we, therefore, find fault with God who chooses to whom he will be gracious and to whom he will show compassion?
