IS THERE A DOCTOR ON BOARD?

As I type this post I am thirty thousand feet in the air somewhere between Dallas and Birmingham.  My schedule tells me that I speak tomorrow morning in Atlanta, and then fly home tomorrow night in time to teach and preach at Lewisville on Sunday.

Prior to our leaving DFW one of the flight attendants asked over the loud speaker, “Is there a doctor on board?” Apparently there was a gentleman in first class who was having blood pressure problems.  A doctor came forward, checked the man out, and in a few minutes he was helped off the plane.  I’m glad they were able to help him before our departure!  Isn’t it wonderful to have doctors around at times like these when they are needed.  I thank God for the medical people I know who are always helping others.  The flight was delayed about thirty minutes, but it was well worth it for the man to receive the help he needed.

I said a silent prayer that the man will be okay, and then I started thinking about all the people I know who are hurting, all the people who need a doctor.

There are people who have lost loved ones who are grieving because of their loss.  There are husbands and wives who are constantly fighting and just can’t seem to work out their difficulties. There are couples that are separated or divorced because one of them decided they needed someone different, or they decided it’s not worth what it would take to salvage the marriage. There are children who don’t understand what is going on with their parents, but they know that something isn’t right. Is there a doctor on board?

There are parents who are having massive struggles with teenagers who have made the wrong choices, who are in a relationship with the wrong person, or who are hanging out with the wrong crowd. There are teenagers who are crying out for help from their parents, but the parents are too busy with work or other “important” matters. Is there a doctor on board?

There are parents who have broken hearts because their grown children have walked away from the Lord and His church. They did everything they possibly could to teach their children about the Lord with their lives and their lips, but through other influences the children chose to walk away. They are concerned about the decisions, the choices their children are making. Is there a doctor on board?

There are parents who have sent their children off to war. There are husbands/wives who have watched their mates go to war, as well as children who have watched as their dad/mom leave to defend our freedoms in war. They pray daily that their loved ones will come home. Is there a doctor on board?

There are homeless, hungry, and hurting people on our streets; wondering if anyone will see them, wondering where they will get their next meal and where they will sleep tonight. Is there a doctor on board?

There are people who fear that their chance in life will be hijacked. They have been ridiculed, ostracized, and alienated because of the color of their skin or their nationality.  There are people who fear that their country will be hijacked. They have been marginalized and unappreciated because of their value system and their beliefs. Is there a doctor on board?

There are people who sit in church buildings filled to capacity every Sunday who feel like they are all alone in the world. There are teens that come to church, but don’t feel that they have any friends. There are people who attend worship with broken hearts, because of disappointment in their home, their work, or their walk with God. Is there a doctor on board?

There are the preachers who preach their hearts out and wonder if anyone is listening, who work their heads off and wonder if anyone knows (They are not working for the praise of men, they just want people to know that they are not lazy!)  There are preachers who study diligently for hours and hours, and then someone is critical because of a missed scripture reference or a mispronounced word. There are preachers who wonder from week to week if they will have a job. There are preachers who love the church where they work, but they feel compelled to leave because they don’t want their children to see the fighting.  Is there a doctor on board?

There are shepherds who meet for hours each week, spending time in prayer for those they serve, but no one says thank you. There are elders who freely give of their time to visit, to counsel families, to discuss ministries, and to mediate disagreements, and then they received ridicule because someone doesn’t like a minor decision they have made.  Is there a doctor on board?

There are missionaries who have given their lives in God’s service, who live thousands of miles from their family and friends, who are worried they might lose their support. Is there a doctor on board?

There are older church members who are in deep pain because they have given their lives, their time, their prayers, their money, and everything they have to help the church, and then some young leaders decide that everything has to change with no regard for the past.  Is there a doctor on board?

There are young people who are hurting because they feel as though they are in dying churches where you can’t sing new songs, can’t change the order of worship, and can’t ask questions for fear that you will be “set straight.” Is there a doctor on board?

There are Christians who are dealing with all kinds of sins and they are wondering if there is any hope, any help, any one who cares?  Is there a doctor on board?

The good news for all of us is that there is a doctor on board. He is Jesus, the Great Physician.  A long time ago, He and His Father put two pieces of wood together and opened a doctor’s office that can heal every wounded heart, every scarred life, every broken relationship and every hurting soul that exists in our world.  Jesus, our Savior came into this world to heal people. He came into the world to show us a better way to live. He came to bring peace to our homes, our churches, to everyone in the world. He came into the world so that homes can be better and happier. He came to bring us an abundant life. But He came primarily to help us escape the clutches of sin & Satan. He came to save us, to set us free from sin, to give us Eternal life.

The Great Physician wants to come on board in your life; He stands at the door of your heart and knocks to gain entrance.  Will you let Him in? Will you let Him take away your hurt, hurt your pain, your sorrow? Will you let the Great Physician on board to help?

Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus the Great Physician into our world. Thank You for making it possible for us to be healed, made whole, and forgiven. Dear God, help us to let Jesus on board in our life so that we can be all that you desire us to be. Father, help those who are hurting today to turn to the one who can make all things good.