Even though we live in a fallen world, many times we have difficulty understanding the sufferings people go through and God’s sovereignty and reasoning behind his allowing them. I hope the following story helps put those concerns in a better perspective:
The surgeon began explaining the procedure to his young patient with a severe heart problem, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll open up your heart and …” The little boy quickly interrupted, “And you’ll find Jesus there.” A bit annoyed, the surgeon continued, “I’ll open your heart to see how much damage has been done.” The little boy interrupted once again, “But when you open up my heart, you’ll find Jesus there.” The surgeon looked sternly at the boy’s parents who sat quietly in the room and continued once again, “When I see how much damage has been done, I’ll sew you back up and make plans for the next steps.” Once again the small patient injected, “But you’ll find Jesus in my heart; the Bible says he lives there.” The pragmatic surgeon had had enough, “Son, let me tell you what I expect to find in your heart. I expect to find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I’ll find out if I can make you well.” The boy smiled and reiterated, “And you’ll find Jesus there too because He lives there.” The surgeon left, frustrated that his patient didn’t recognize the seriousness of his condition.
The next day following the surgery, the surgeon sat in his office recording his notes: “Diagnosis: Damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration – no hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: pain killers and bed rest. Prognosis: death within one year.” He stopped his recorder and looked out his window to the skies. In anger he yelled at God, “Why did you do this? You put that boy here with this problem and in this pain. You cursed him to an early death! Why?”
God answered back, “That boy, my lamb, was not meant for your flock for very long. He is a part of my flock and will forever be. Here, he will experience no pain and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. His parents will one day join him here and together they will experience joy for eternity.”
Unmoved, the surgeon shot back, “You created that boy and you created that heart. He’ll be dead in months. Why?” Once again, the Lord answered, “That boy is done with his duty and will return to my flock. I did not put him with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb.” The surgeon broke down and wept.
That afternoon he sat beside the boy’s bed waiting for him to awaken from the anesthesia. As he awoke and saw the surgeon beside him, he asked, “Did you open my heart?” The surgeon nodded and said, “Yes I did.” The little boy whispered, “What did you find?” The surgeon replied, “I found Jesus there.”
The greatest assurance in the world is to know that Jesus lives in your heart. The greatest joy in the world is to be a part of leading someone to faith in Christ. Even in the midst of trying circumstances, God can use them to speak into the lives of others. Romans 8:28 brings that assurance: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
To His Glory,
Pastor Bill