The Physician

A man has a notable and highly skilled doctor. He goes to the Dr. two to three times a year for checkups. His Dr. runs tests and then, based on his knowledge and years of experience, puts together a diet and daily regimen for the man to follow so that he will be healthy. The man goes home and after a week or two, he feels good so he begins to ease off the regimen. Six months later he returns to the Dr. for a visit. The Dr. checks him over and tells him he needs to watch his diet, exercise and take his medications. The man goes home, follows the Dr.’s advice, for a week and a half, and then slacks off again. Another six months passes and he returns for a check-up. The Dr. warns him that he is aging and stresses the importance of following the regimen. The man promptly thanks the Dr. and returns home. This time he follows orders for two days and thinks to himself, “I feel fine, if anything changes, he’s a good Dr. and he will know what to do.” This continues for another three years and his visits are now eight to twelve months apart. He played sports in school and was always in good shape; it must be good genes.

The day comes when his Dr. runs the usual tests but this time he brings the man into his office and tells him he has diabetes and a severe heart condition. The man flippantly says “so how are you going to fix it?” His Dr. replies, “I have tried over the last several years to fix it by preventing it from happening. I gave you prescriptions, a diet, an exercise regimen and everything you needed to prevent this. There is not much I can do at this point.” He gives the man a new regimen, more restrictive than the first. After two days, the man says, “this is no quality of life, I might as well be comfortable and happy.”

The man does not want to face his Dr. because he always knows the man has not followed his directions. It seems like he can see what he is doing and not doing. He is uncomfortable when he sees the look of disappointment in his Dr.’s eyes; it is as though the Dr. is more concerned about his condition than he is. He postpones his appointment for over a year but soon begins to experience unusual symptoms. He plans to make an appointment but suffers a major stroke and then a heart attack. He is paralyzed and miserable. Again he looks to his Dr. to fix him. His Dr. tells him, “Unfortunately, medicine won’t fix your body or your stubbornness.” The man exclaims, “It’s all your fault! You should have warned me that this was going to happen.”

Isn’t this how we are with God? He has given us His Word, He seeks our prayers and He sent His Son to suffer and die for “our” sins. He has given us a regimen that will benefit us, not Him. We ignore His instructions and assume He will always be there to fix us. We do not heed the warnings or follow His instructions and then we want to blame Him for our pathetic condition.

Friend, do not wait. Do not ignore the warnings, go to the Great Physician today and do what He says because He loves you and it is for your own good. Go to the only One who can heal both soul and body. 

^“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” –John 14:23-24, NKJV

“Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” –John 5:14, NKJV

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