All That A Man Has He Will Give For His Life

I awoke unfashionably early today, the sun was just starting to peek around the mountains and light the clouds. As I looked up, I saw four buzzard's circling in the sky, ridding the up drafts and using them to fuel their never ending search for food. I wondered what had died nearby, to make them look over our land and home. After taking a head count I realized all my critters were accounted for and healthy. I slipped back inside to start my day with a Bible reading and study time over a hot cup of tea, but death was still on my mind.

As, I was reading Job, I paused for thought when I reached Job 2:4. And Satan answered the Lord and said “Skin for skin! All that a man has will he give for his life." A bell went off in my head and I realized I had had this discussion with my husband many times. We had been puzzled at the reactions of the people we had worked for in the past. We had wondered why people knowing that their time here was limited and they were ultimately dying; would they continue to spend all that they had to take medication and go through medical procedures to try to prolong their life, if only for one day. When in most cases it stole the days they had left by filling them with pain and sickness.

My father had once called me cynical, and perhaps rightly so, but the actions of the doctors I've had occasions to interact with in personal situations has grounded those feelings in accuracy. The role of a doctor has changed dramatically since I was a wee child. I can remember a country doctor who would make house calls and never gave medication unless it was absolutely necessary. A doctor who was sensitive to the expense of raising children and the cost of medications. Who instead of prescription medication prescribed home remedies if they would solve the problem? Choosing only to use the costly pharmaceuticals and subjecting us to the side effects when it was the last resort. Doctors believed first in doing no harm and were motivated by compassion and not greed.

Today medicine has become a big business with the object of making the most money for stockholders of the hospital, the staff and the pharmaceutical companies. Doctors are seduced by the pharmaceutical industry with kickbacks and expensive getaways if they prescribe their products. The love of money always takes something good and twists it into evil. 

I watched as a friend died from cancer radiation treatments, she was doing well with the help of alternative medicine and had had several chemo and radiation treatments without losing her hair. The final radiation treatment left her burnt and deathly ill. She died shortly thereafter. The doctor’s office told her daughter they don't use the c-word there. The c-word they were referring to was CURE. 

With all the alternative medicine research that has been done in other countries, I believe I would take my chances with the medicines God gives us in natural forms not the poisons of chemo and radiation. This is a personal choice and it would not be right for everyone. If you have to face this issue I pray you will recover and beat this dreaded disease using whatever method you choose, but I would not personally put all my hope in man.

Job 5:8 says, “In your place I would appeal to God, and to God I would state my plea." It was spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite in response to Job's troubles. And I to some extent agree. We should always turn to God in our troubles, but know that he doesn't always give us what we think we should have. Job's answer was: "Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant what I long for: Even that God would decide to crush me that he would put forth his hand and cut me off! Then I should still have consolation and could exult through unremitting pain, because I have not transgressed the commands of the Lord."

Job has become my hero through all the tribulations in my life, for in a miserable existence he still held firm to his beliefs and that God's right to sovereignty over our will trumps our circumstances. As Job said, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know. I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you." 

As Christians we are not our own, we have been purchased at a price, the price of the blood of Jesus Christ. God has the right to do what he will with us be it good, or bad in our sight. We must all look beyond our circumstances and trust that God knows what he is doing. If that means we get to depart from this life earlier than we had hoped, embrace it. What is beyond this world is much more glorious, and I for one cannot be displeased with the thought of finally being able to converse with Jesus face to face for an eternity in heaven. Don't hold on so tight to this world for we do not belong here; when our time comes, be not afraid, let go and trust God to take us home.