Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Feeling His Pleasure

“King Nebuchadnezzar,

To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.” (Daniel 4:1-3 NIV)

It is an interesting thought to be comparing myself to Nebuchadnezzar, a Babylonian king who ruled during the days of Daniel and was responsible for the “Babylonian Exile” of the Israelites.  Yet the words at the beginning of his recounting the prophetic dream he had regarding his plunge into insanity and his eventual healing by the Lord resonate with me: “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!”

Three months ago, I underwent major open-heart surgery to replace what my surgeon described as a “very bad” aortic valve.  It was a five-hour procedure during which my heart was stopped for 90 minutes. When I awoke in great discomfort, my body had more than a dozen tubes pumping various fluids in and out of it.  I was in ICU for 24 hours and in the hospital for five days.  When I arrived home and gazed at my body, it was like looking at some stranger, battered, bruised, and bloated, staring back at me.  I jokingly told my wife in those early days of my recovery, “This is not my body!”  

The recovery was slow at first, short walks and plenty of naps, but began to pick up speed after a month upon entering cardiac rehab.  And this is where my resonation with the Babylonian king’s words began. I remember it very clearly.  I was a couple of weeks into my rehab, listening to worship music while riding a stationary bike.  It was kicking my butt.  My heart was pumping at over 160 beats per minute; I was breathing hard; my legs were screaming; and I was sweating profusely. But at the same time, I was smiling.  

Just a few weeks before, I had had surgery that literally saved my life. For years before that, I had been hampered by a bad knee, and once that was replaced and I began to get active again, my heart issue began hindering my activities.  Now here I was pushing my body to its capacity and it felt good, real good.  And I couldn’t help smiling and rejoicing at what the Lord had done.  How mighty were His wonders in my life!

I am continuing my cardiac rehab for a few more weeks and enjoying every minute of it.  I have also managed to start playing tennis again. And as I am exercising and playing, I am reminded of that well-known quote from the Oscar-winning movie from the early 1980’s, Chariots of Fire, when the main character, Eric Liddell, an Olympic runner and future missionary to China, told his sister, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”  That is exactly how I feel when my respiration is challenged and sweat is pouring from my pores.  God was pleased to heal my heart and now we have the mutual pleasure of enjoying the fruits of it.  And as did King Nebuchadnezzar, I want the world to know how great is the Most High God!

Today, think about what the Lord has done for you.  For what mighty works can you praise Him?  In what can you take pleasure?  It is worth noting that God delights in His works and, thus, so should we.  

© Jim Musser 2017

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