September 28, 2018; Patrick’s Thoughts

PATRICK’S THOUGHTS
‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)

Patrick shared his story with us on May 6 at our Sunday worship gathering. He told us that in early April, he was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer. He said that after the initial shock he believed that God had prepared Barbara and him for this challenge. How? It is because of his prayer life with God. He told us that he learned 2 lessons about prayer:
1. God answers prayer
2. With each answer to prayer, God strengthens our faith.

Here are Patrick’s words:

I am sure that each one of us here today can look through your lives and start to see some of those hurdles you have gone through as a family but look closely. Do you see the hurdles tend to get bigger as time passes? This is how our Lord builds the foundation of our faith; he raises it to a new level and strengthens it through his love with examples of his answered prayer after answered prayer.

Every Wednesday evening about 2 or 3 of us meet in the fireside room to pray for families of the church as well as those who are sick or struggling in their lives. Patrick used to be there with us. We miss him.

As we miss Patrick, we might ask the question, “Why Lord? in our prayers. Patrick reminds us that “our Lord may choose not to answer our prayers in the way we expect but that should never stop us from putting our full trust in him”.

Patrick then gives us a reason for putting our full trust in God even though God might not answer prayers in the way we expect. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. God’s ways are not our ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s ways higher than ours and God’s thoughts higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV) What profound thoughts from Patrick!

Pastor Pye