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Monday, August 10 - Devotional from Pastor John

August 10, 2020 by Rev. John Hartman

“X-Raying Your Faith”

As I shared over the weekend, I suffered a fall last week while exercising, and wound up cracking 2 ribs. Unfortunately, there is not much the doctors can do, as ribs can’t be splinted or put into a cast. It is going to take the normal healing time for broken bones, which is around 6-8 weeks.

It is certainly one of the more painful injuries I have ever sustained. It hurts when I cough, sneeze, laugh, move or breath. If I were somehow able to sit perfectly still for the next 6-8 weeks and do none of those things I just mentioned above, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt so much. However, I am not in the NBA, living in a bubble down in Orlando, Florida, -- so life goes on.

As the pain was pretty intense last week, I went to an Urgent Care in Lancaster on Thursday. After fielding questions about COVID-19, they took my temperature, got my height and weight, and then it was time for the real reason I was there, -- to get an x-ray. I needed to find out what I had done to myself, and just how bad it really was.

They took “pictures” of my ribs from different angles, and after waiting a short period time for the results, they gave me the news about 2 of my ribs being broken. It was not the news I was hoping for, but it could have been worse. It is amazing as I think about the marvelous technology available, like an x-ray machine being able to see into my body, and find out what is wrong.

As I was thinking out it over the weekend, in the church, for the most part, we all seem to be folks who look like well-adjusted, passionate, robust Presbyterians, -- and in good spiritual condition. And yet, we had a spiritual X-Ray machine here at Chestnut Level, or if I could somehow MRI your soul, what would we find inside? Would it be a joy of life in Jesus Christ and the fellowship of friendships at the church where we can learn and grow together? Would it reveal a broken heart over a lost relationship and a dear friendship? Would it be a bruised fear about your health or job because of the coronavirus? Would it be a faith showing cracks because of your own health challenges?

Friends, allow the Great Physician to x-ray your life! Allow Him to treat you so that you can be more loving, more faithful, -- and more like Jesus Christ each and every day. He wants your faith to flourish! He has already diagnosed your condition, and He wants to help. And God is ready, willing, and able to give you what you need in order for you to heal and be whole again.