Hello Ethiopia!

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.
Heb 11:1

I often employ faith unknowingly in life - whether it is believing a patient will get better with augmentin duo forte when in fact I have no more detailed understanding of the underlying mechanisms than the knowledge that it is an antibiotic that can get into the cell wall of bacteria and inactivate its' functions (by some in-itself-near-mythical unknowable biochemical process).

However I often have no idea if the patient is indeed, harbouring that particular bacteria, or if he is, whether the bacteria is in fact, the cause of the patient's chest infection. And even if the bacteria is present, whether it is harbouring resistance to that particular medication.

Why is it, then, that a stepdown to augmentin is often taken after a few days' worth of intravenous antibiotics in hospital?

I believe it is because:
- we've seen it work before in other patients.
- we believe the doctors who taught us to do it in medical school/ward rounds know what they are doing.
- we are so used to prescribing it that we feel we know what we're doing (the common side effects ie liver function derangement, interstitial nephritis, clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea, resistance etc)


Isn't faith in God much the same?

We believe in God and His Son's resurrection work and the Holy Spirit in us because:
- we've seen Him work before in other people, and in ourselves.
- we believe the Bible and its' authority as the Word of God (2 Tim)

And the more we trust God, the more it feels almost natural to run to him - more natural to praise Him for the good, and rely in His guidance during the trials.


And no, I didn't prescribe augmentin to anyone today! But I'm trusting in God and His provision and guidance for Ethiopia Part 2!

"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." 1 Cor 4:1-2

Old and grayheaded

"O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come." Ps 71:17-18

Tools in a workshop

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10

To be a tool that has been made with a purpose , a specific purpose in mind

To allow that tool to then have a mind of its' own

To allow that tool to go off and do it's own thing - and to inevitably see it wear itself down working on unintended means

And to welcome the tool back into the workshop, its' purpose unchanged and its' functions upgraded despite years of rust/blunting/broken parts

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast." v8-9