The devotional for today is written by Alistair Begg:
No Good Apart From God
What do you treasure in this life? We all have something that brings us great delight or somewhere that just seems restful and right. Sometimes, though, we catch a glimpse of life without those earthly pleasures. Maybe it’s illness or even bereavement that clarifies things for us. What kind of car you drive away from the hospital when you find out that your loved one has been diagnosed with malignant cancer doesn’t matter, does it? The same goes for your clothes, your jewelry, your gadgets, your house—all of a sudden, they’re not nearly as important as they once seemed.
We can and should enjoy what God has graciously given us. He “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). It’s not that the good things of the earth are bad. But what we have in God is so delightful, so rich, that coming to know Him is like discovering a treasure hidden in a field. That treasure so enraptures us that in our joy, we do whatever it takes to get that field and the delights it contains (Matthew 13:44).
Without the treasure we have in God, as Psalm 16 tells us, we ultimately have no other good. When we sit down to a bowl of cereal or oatmeal or whatever breakfast may be, in our minds we ought to be saying, Apart from You, Lord, I have no good thing. You’re the one that made the grain to grow. You’re the one who provides my food. When we get up and walk out of the door, and have health and strength to do so, who makes it possible for us to walk? When we lie on our beds at night and we can enter into the rest of the evening, who makes it possible?
You have no ability even to see these letters, to hold up this book, or to comprehend what you are reading apart from the enabling grace of God. Only He can preserve and sustain us. Only God gives to us “life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). In the end, we have no good apart from Him—but He has more than enough goodness to go around. He is the source of all our treasures—and He is Himself our greater treasure. When you see Him as He truly is, your natural response will be to make Him the center of your life, around which revolve your thoughts, decisions, feelings, and actions. That is, you will say to Him, “You are my Lord,” for in His presence “there is fullness of joy,” and at His right hand are “pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Where else would you possibly prefer to take refuge, and what else would you treasure more than Him?
Today’s Updates:
On Zach’s new unit, they don’t involve family in the rounds like they do in the ICU, so we will have less medical updates! We will be posting blogs twice a week to reflect this change. We continue praising God that Zach is stable enough to be on a medicine unit!
Zach’s had a hard time adjusting to being alone on a new unit overnight, sometimes jolting back awake when he’s nodding off or becoming very distressed. The doctors on the ICU said this could be because of hospital PTSD, so sometimes one of us will stay with him overnight to comfort him and ensure that he’s receiving the care he needs. Please pray that Zach will adjust to this new unit and that he will feel at peace when he sleeps.
We are thankful to report that Zach had a calm day today in terms of his agitation. It’s so encouraging to see him interact with us with eye contact, facial expressions, and trying to say words. Zach’s face will light up when he sees his parents or Megan come into the room, and he often gets sad and restless when one of us leaves. Today Zach was able to communicate yes and no by pointing at a paper with yes and no written on it. This feels like a huge breakthrough for Zach’s communication, but Zach did get quite tired after answering questions so he needed a long break. We praise our God for this progress, and we pray for more improvements in Zach’s ability to communicate!
Zach has also started drinking small amounts of water, and sipping water seems to calm him when he’s distressed. Speech language pathology will be following his progress closely, and we pray for the day that Zach is able to eat and drink independently again! Zach has also been working with physiotherapy to get stronger and increase flexibility in his left hand, which is still in a tense flexed position. Please continue to pray with us for strength and healing for Zach.
Thank you all for your continued support, especially by remembering Zach in your prayers. Please join us in thanking God for Zach’s progress in communication and drinking, and pray for continued healing of Zach’s brain and body. We know that every good thing comes from our God, and that the Lord will continue to use this difficult journey for his glory.
“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’“ (Psalm 16:1–2)
