Health Update for Bob Rakestraw

Monday, June 23, Judy and I spent the day at the University of Minnesota Hospital. I had a right heart catheterization, a left heart angiogram, blood work, and (both of us) had a consultation with the cardiologist who performed the procedures. These are the first invasive procedures I have had since November, 2006.

The news was not good overall, but there are a couple of good pieces. The tests showed that the most important artery supplying my heart is 90-99% blocked, all the length of the vessel, so that no stents in this (or other arteries) can be inserted. There is permanent rejection of the transplanted heart. Humanly speaking, the prognosis is that this artery will soon close completely and I will have a major heart attack. Most of the other arteries supplying my heart have also closed more since the 2006 tests, but are not as severely diseased as the major one.

The good news is twofold. A couple of the heart arteries showed some improvement; there is not as much inflammation in them as previously. This shows reversal of the condition in places! The other good news (although the doctor did not present this with a hopeful tone) is that some small corollary arteries have begun to grow toward the most severely affected area of my heart. My brain received signals from that desperate area of the heart and ordered help to the rescue. Truly amazing! And encouraging!

Even though the doctor said there is nothing more that can be done for me except another heart transplant (which I have declined), and even though Judy and I are still trying to sort out Monday’s news, our trust remains firmly in the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is a wise and good God, and filled with compassion. I sometimes feel afraid and troubled when I look at the future, but deep down I sense his loving arms around me, caring for each part of my body and my life and those close to me.

My blog posting this month (http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com) is on the powerful scripture text, Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through him [Christ] who strengthens me,” and its applicability to depression in my life. I now want to return to writing that, so I can post the piece in a few days. I have a strong hope that I will always be able to state Philippians 4:13 with the assurance I now have concerning my future and the future of my earthly body. It will deteriorate for sure, some way or another, some time or another, but God will never leave me, or you. I know some of you are suffering greatly as well, not only in the physical realm, and I try to pray for you as I become aware of your concerns. Gratefully, we who trust in Christ will all be together one glorious day with new bodies and new outlooks on all of God’s wonders and mysterious ways.

“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.’ And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making all things new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ “ (Revelation 21:3-5 New Living Translation)

Benediction Manifesto: Everything through Jesus

Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 6A
Philippians 4:13
Bob Rakestraw

The name of this blog is “The Benediction Project” because I want everything I write to have the effect of benediction (blessing, divine favor, grace) on you and on those you influence—directly or indirectly. I envision you as a mighty force of young and old, men and women, girls and boys, Asians and Africans, Latinos and Europeans, Americans and Islanders, throughout the earth, being divinely-endowed and divinely-functioning agents of God’s justice, mercy, holiness and peace.

I also think of the Benediction Project as a Manifesto, defined in Webster’s New World College Dictionary as “a public declaration of motives and intentions by a government or by a person or group regarded as having some public importance.” For many years I have governed my life’s work by the Great Commandment of Jesus: Love God and Love your Neighbor. During my service as a pastor and teacher I have been compelled by this twofold manifesto, and I long to declare it publicly for all to hear and follow. The greatest way we can be a benediction to God (yes!) and people is by loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.

With these thoughts in mind I chose “Benediction Manifesto” as this month’s theme partly because the scripture text we will consider—Philippians 4:13—has a “manifesto” quality to it. The apostle Paul, after declaring his contentment in whatever circumstances he finds himself—especially in financial and material matters—proclaims for all the world to read: “I can do everything through him [Christ] who gives me strength.” He wants to emphasize publicly that whatever God leads him to do, he knows he can do by the grace of Jesus strengthening him. He presents this as a powerful motivating hope for his life and for others and therefore a benedictory, life-giving manifesto for all to hear and live by.

In my next posting a few days from now I want to consider Philippians 4:13 from a different angle than I have ever done before. I want to apply it to the most difficult challenge of my recent life, and I encourage you between now and then to think of the most difficult challenge in your current life, and to ask God to reveal how this text can help you meet it: “I can do everything through him [Christ] who gives me strength.”

Shalom and Mental Health

Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 5B
Isaiah 26:3
Bob Rakestraw
(One-year anniversary of “The Benediction Project”)

Last time we began to look at Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you.” I have found this text to be extremely helpful over the years, because I grew up in a home without peace, and my mind was often troubled. I did not have good mental health. Because my parents fought vicious wars of words nearly every day of my later childhood (I remember very little of my early childhood home life), I developed an inferiority complex in high school and often considered running away. I even thought of killing my father, because I saw him as the cause of most of my parents’ fights. (Both my parents eventually received Christ and are now with him in his heavenly glory.) I was angry, sad, and troubled inwardly, and, among other things, became the class comedian and sometimes the class troublemaker.

When I became a Christian at age 19 I was made new. This is not some theological concept I began to apply to myself, but was actually my daily experience. It was as though I was seeing in color whereas before all was black and white. I now had a reason for living, forgiveness of sin, and an inner energy (God’s Spirit) for living a wholesome life. Isaiah 26:3 was one of the scripture texts that supported me much then and has continued to encourage me greatly.

When I consider good mental health and Isaiah 26:3, I find it helpful to think about the connections between real peace, a steadfast mind, and trust in God. A thought by F. Derek Kidner in his commentary on Isaiah is very helpful: “These verses are as logical as they are beautiful, rooted in God. Perfect peace…is his gift of well-being and wholeness to a mind not merely steadfast but steadied (the word is passive, as in the old version, ‘stayed on thee’). The call to lifelong trust (v. 4) is equally logical, basing our faith on God’s rock-like faithfulness and basing the ‘for ever’ of our commitment on the eternity of his being (New Bible Commentary, 21^st Century Edition).

The idea of peace (shalom) in the Hebrew is best expressed by the word “wholeness.” Eugene Peterson in his Bible paraphrase, The Message, puts our verse like this: “People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit.” I have found that, even though a godly mind is at the center of successful daily living, every aspect of my being (physical, psychological, spiritual, social, attitudinal) is involved in being whole. I don’t believe there has ever been a time in my life when I have been so aware of the interconnection of all aspects of daily life.

Isaiah speaks of those who trust in God, whose thoughts are fixed on God. How does this work in real life? It helps me greatly to realize that the concepts of wholeness, steadfastness of mind, and trust in God are closely related. Picture a circle with these three concepts on the outer rim of the circle. Trust in God points to steadfastness of mind which points to peace (wholeness, shalom). Wholeness of self then points us to further trust in God. Our basic responsibility is to trust in God (see v. 4). Other words for trust are confidence, faith, and rest—leaving our worries, frustrations and sins with God, resting in his perfect love and care for us. Just a few chapters later we read this offer from the Lord: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

I have never needed these words more at any time in my life than I need them now. I have needed them just as much—many times over the years—but never more than now. I was told in March, 2007, that I would likely not live more than six months, yet have lived fourteen months since then, having spent eight months in hospice care during 2007. After being removed from hospice last December (for which I am very grateful), I have floundered about somewhat, unsure of whether I am living or dying, and unsure of how to spend my days and how to handle bothersome and sometimes debilitating physical and psychological aspects of existence. Depression has been a major problem in recent months, and I am very, very thankful to God that this seems to be lifting lately. God has been at work.

Even with the depression, there have been numerous times lately when I have wanted to shout from the rooftops that God is great, God is good, and God is worthy of the praises of all people on earth. The longer and deeper I know him, the more I hunger for him. I find the Bible to be extremely nourishing and encouraging every day, because it helps me to keep my mind focused on God, which then leads me in the direction of peace, wholeness, and strong mental health. I am reading in the Psalms, in a new (to me) Bible translation with lots of white space in the margins.

Working on these past two blog postings has been one of the highlights of recent weeks for me. I offer them to you, my readers, with the hope and prayer that you will experience the shalom God offers to those who trust in him. Receive this benediction from the Lord of peace:

“The Lord bless you

and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.”

(Numbers 6:24-26, NIV)

Shalom, Shalom: Healthy Selves in a World of Disease

Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 5A
Isaiah 26:3
Bob Rakestraw


“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you” (New Living Translation). Here the biblical writer speaks to God with a very strong confidence in God’s ability to fill the minds and hearts of his trusting people with continuous peace.

I memorized this text about forty years ago, and it has been one of the most helpful scriptures to me in the ongoing struggle to stay healthy—spiritually, mentally and physically—in a world that is fundamentally unhealthy. I was encouraged years ago when the words of this verse were set to music with a pleasant and peaceful melody. I sometimes sing this chorus when I need comfort, and sometimes simply to praise God.

The Hebrew says “peace, peace” (literally shalom, shalom). One commentator, F. Delitzsch, translates the verse: “You keep the firmly-established mind in peace, peace; for his [or her] confidence rests in you.” The repetition in the Hebrew is to show that deep and constant peace abides in the mind of the one who trusts in Jehovah.

While I was working on this blog I showed the first draft to my wife, Judy. After reading it, she asked an incisive question: “What actually is the peace God offers here?” Her question was prompted by the realization that even devout Christians struggle to have “peace” (as commonly understood) in the midst of life’s circumstances. Does “peace” mean that we will never have any sense of frustration, irritation, anger or confusion? I was richly blessed by my research on the Hebrew word shalom, and I wish to share a few thoughts here with you.

Unlike the Greek word for peace, shalom is “the opposite not so much of war as of any disturbance in the communal well-being of the nation.” It is used over 250 times in the Old Testament, and includes everything given by God in all areas of life. It “covers well-being in the widest sense of the word.” It includes bodily health, contentedness, good relations between nations and individuals, salvation and wholeness. The social dimension of the word reminds us that God’s desire for you and me to have true peace is something attainable only when our interpersonal relationships are healthy.

Another key thought is that peace is inseparable from Yahweh. The name of the place of Gideon’s altar (Judges 6:24) means “Yahweh is peace” (Jehovah-shalom). In the priestly benediction of Numbers 6:24-27 the concept of peace “sums up all the other blessings and…is closely associated with the presence of Yahweh.”

One final thought—too good to leave out—is that shalom often indicates “a comprehensive kind of fulfillment or completion, indeed of a [wholeness] in life and spirit which quite transcends any success which man alone, even under the best of circumstances, is able to attain…. This is illustrated by the promise of Yahweh that Josiah will be gathered to his fathers not ‘in peace’…which was manifestly not the case, but ‘in success,’ i.e., having achieved his calling (2 Kings 22:20).” [Notes are from The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, vol. 2, pp. 776-779.]

The basic sense of “peace,” then is wholeness, completeness, contentedness, worked in us by the presence of God, producing well-being in the community and an awareness of satisfaction and success in one’s life calling. This is so much more than “absence of war” or even “absence of worry” as peace is commonly thought of.

From my late teens until now I have experienced much peace from this verse, although I did not understand the text as fully as I do now. Whenever I have been plagued by anxiety, doubt about myself or my future, frustration, sadness, discouragement, depression, fear, temptation, anger, grief, and other difficult states of mind, I have tried to keep a “steadfast mind” (NRSV) by trusting in God and focusing on God’s promises and provisions for me. This text is much like the one in Philippians 4:4-9, which we considered earlier in this series. (I strongly recommend the Philippians passage to you as a way of “filling out” the thought of Isaiah 26:3.)

I have to admit that over the years of my Christian life I have frequently failed to keep my mind fixed on God, and in those times I have lacked the peace this verse offers. There have been many times when I have not kept my focus on the beauty and holiness of the Lord, and his intimate bond with me, and my mind became troubled, unholy, and afflicted by the diseases of the world. Each time, however, that I came back to God for forgiveness and cleansing, he faithfully received me and restored me. As I continued to seek him earnestly, he took me to new levels of holiness and wholeness that I had not experienced before.

Yes, this is a diseased world. There is a brokenness at the core of human existence, individually and collectively, due to the alienation from God that the scriptures call sin. The promise of Isaiah 26:3, however, is astounding. Just as God offered his comfort to ancient Israel in the midst of her struggles for survival, health, wholeness and purpose in life, so he offers his shalom to you and me today.

I want to continue further on this verse next time, giving some recent personal information, but right now I give you a benediction as a corollary to our theme.

Now may the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times in all ways.
The Lord be with all of you
(2 Thessalonians 3:16).

Misfortune, Love, and Blessed Assurance

Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 4C
Romans 8:28
Bob Rakestraw


Who are “those who love God”? This is the most troubling aspect of Romans 8:28 for me, intellectually. I have struggled for years with what these words mean in relation to the person who is going through hard times, yet believes in God in some sense. The whole verse—one of my favorite Bible verses for decades—is full of assurance as well as mystery:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (New American Standard Bible).

While the most troubling part of this verse for me experientially has been the word “good” (considered in the previous posting), the most difficult aspect cognitively has been wondering about who “loves God” in the sense intended by the verse. Can every Christian claim that God is working everything together for good in his or her life, even if they are not loving God in their daily lives? Can we apply this promise to ourselves or others no matter how we are living?

The scripture verse that comes to my mind most often in this regard is John 14:15: “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” I also think of some passages in the letters of John that connect our love for God with keeping God’s commandments. “This is love, that we walk according to his commandments” (2 John 6). “For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome…”
(I John 5:3).

What is Romans 8:28 saying, then? Does the promise apply only to those who are living according to God’s commandments, and, if so, how high is the standard? What if I get in a car accident while I am speeding angrily from a nasty argument I just had? If the accident was my fault, does our text of the month apply to me? Does it make a difference if I have been experiencing a close walk with God in recent weeks, or if I have been mostly ignoring God lately?

It seems to me that such questions are legitimate, even necessary, to ask as long as we focus primarily on ourselves rather than others. I should be most concerned about my own relationship with God above all. Then if I find myself in the midst of trouble—whether it be financial, job-related, family, health or otherwise—I can have the assurance that God is working all things together for my good. Because God’s Word connects love for God closely with obedience to his commandments, I don’t believe that I can claim Romans 8:28 for myself with confidence unless I am following God’s ways. God does not expect me to be flawless, but he does call me to live a godly life. And whatever he asks of us, he always gives us the grace to do. Above we quoted I John 5:3—a truly comforting verse: “For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome….” God’s commands are always grace-filled, and for our benefit and joy.

How then, in the light of these matters, should we think about our friends and loved ones who are not living in harmony with God and his commandments? While it does not seem correct to apply Romans 8:28 to them (and if they are honest they will admit that), we may take comfort in the fact that God works lovingly and patiently with those for whom we pray and care about. In other words, God is at work in various ways in the lives of both faithful Christians and rebellious Christians, and even with non-Christians, for whom we are concerned. These levels of God’s activity are mysterious, however, and beyond our understanding.

Romans 8:28 is intended to be a strongly encouraging word for those living in fellowship with God—those who “love God.” Those “who are called according to his purpose,” mentioned at the end of verse 28, is speaking of the same group. Regardless of what matters of fortune or misfortune happen to us, we can rest solidly in the blessed assurance that God is at work for our benefit both in this life and the next. If we can trust God for our eternal salvation on the basis of his Word (John 3, Romans 5, Ephesians 2), even so we can trust him from Romans 8 that he is in perfect control of every aspect of our lives. Even when we fail him, we come to him seeking forgiveness and mercy. True to his promises, he cleanses us and continues his great providential ministry of working all things together for good to those who love him.



This is the last of three postings on Romans 8:28. The other two were posted April 18 and 23, 2008.

Misfortune, Mystery, and the Almighty

Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 4B
Romans 8:28
Bob Rakestraw



On “The Benediction Project” earlier this month we started to consider Romans 8:28—one of the best known verses in the Bible. This is the scripture passage where we find the well-known words: “all things work together for good for those who love God.”

But what do the words “work together for good” mean? First of all we find that “all things” are not doing the work. The subject of the sentence, while not stated directly in the text, is clearly God. The literal translation of the scripture is, “And we know that to the ones loving God, He [God] works together all things for good.” The idea is, “he works together,” not “all things work together.” There is deliberate, purposeful activity on God’s part. Much of the time—perhaps most of the time—we are not able to see this “working together.” Outward circumstances may not appear to be any different for the follower of Jesus than for the non-Christian. But, as I and many of God’s people have learned over the years, with eyes of faith and hearts of love for God we know God is at work.

The word “good” raises problems, however. Are we using “good” to mean something of inherent worth, value, or moral rightness, or are we thinking of it as something that contributes to one’s health, welfare, or happiness? Those who use the word in the latter sense may have big struggles with Romans 8:28, because so many of life’s circumstances do not bring us happiness or benefit at the moment. Rather, all things may seem to be working together for our misery!

In Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the word “good” (agathos) has a strong moral quality to it. The word is used of God (Luke 18:19), God’s will (Romans 12:2), and a conscience pleasing to God (I Timothy 1:5). In today’s society, when someone asks us how we are doing, or if we would like more to eat, we sometimes say, “I’m good.” This is a popular way of saying, “I’m feeling fine,” or “I’m satisfied.” But the word “good” in Romans 8:28 is a much deeper, much more meaningful word. It means morally honorable, pleasing to God, and for our lasting benefit. God is working our circumstances—some pleasant, some neutral, and some terrible—for our everlasting good. He is almighty God, not only as Creator and Redeemer, but also as Sustainer and Friend.

What if you are attacked and robbed? Is this good? Romans 8:28 does not say that bad actions in themselves are good. An evil action, such as cursing someone, defrauding them of their money, or sexually assaulting them, is always wrong, never good. God never orders such things. But in this chaotic world of good and evil, where God allows people to make free choices, awful things happen. Because God generally does not block the freedom of his created beings, and because he regularly allows the natural world to operate according to natural laws, we experience the effects of drunken drivers’ mistakes, the sufferings of an unjustified divorce, and the tragedy of cancer. These are not good in themselves, but God with his own loving hands, declares that he is shaping these events into a mosaic of eternal good. In some situations we can see it or sense it happening right away, while in other circumstances we cannot. This is a realm of great mystery, to be sure.

I am struggling these days, trying to keep my mind and soul stable and satisfied. Since my heart transplant of 2003 I have had more difficulty than at any time in my life staying well-grounded and whole. Due to rejection problems with my new heart, I had to retire from teaching theology and ethics in 2005. It has now been over three years since that time, and I have been learning continually how to maintain a sense of spiritual, psychological, and bodily equilibrium. How do I think about myself and my usefulness on this earth? How do I spend my days, when I have fewer and fewer segments of time each day in which I have some strength to work? What do I do when lying down, sitting, standing and walking are all increasingly hard to do? Just “being” is difficult.

Although I become weary of life this way, without the activity and ministry I once had, I find that God assures me daily of his presence and purpose in my life. Daily meditation on one or more of the scripture texts in this series of blogs (as well as other scriptures), interaction with key people in my life, communion with God throughout the day (especially with praise and thanksgiving and some potent reading materials), and trying to accomplish some good for others each day, are some of the ways I keep going.

While life is tough for all of us at times, Romans 8:28 is intended for all who love God and are called according to his purpose. This latter part of our verse is the topic for our next posting.

May God comfort, strengthen and guide you with his steady hand and loving Spirit. Thank you for reading; I welcome your comments in reply.

Misfortune, Wickedness, and Hope

Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 4A
Romans 8:28
Bob Rakestraw


When I was a new Christian I heard often in church services and meetings that “all things work together for good for those who love God.” Because I was in good health, enjoying my college classes, and reveling in my new faith—especially the knowledge of forgiveness from sin and acceptance by God—I received the teaching of Romans 8:28 gladly and easily. Surely the verse made solid spiritual sense coming from my understanding of an all-powerful, all-loving God.

Over the years my belief in the truth of this verse has been thoroughly tested. Job and career issues, the pursuit of education, financial matters, parenting, health problems, temperament/personality concerns, and spiritual struggles have been part of the “all things” covered by Romans 8:28. This has been one of my all-time favorite Bible verses, but I have surely questioned its meaning in my life when circumstances have been hard.

What, exactly, is the text teaching? How does the immediate context—the verses before and after our scripture—help us to interpret the passage? What about cancer, tornadoes, and sexual assaults? Do these—even the last mentioned—actually “work together for good” in our lives? What about the remainder of the verse: “for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose”?

In this posting, and in the next two as well, I intend to consider this very well-known scripture passage. I trust, by God’s grace and wisdom, to be able to unpack—at least a little—the amazing truth within this verse. It is my firm belief that God gave us his written Word for the purpose of helping us with daily living. Even though some biblical passages—such as this one—are full of mystery, God gave us the scriptures to enlighten us, not to confuse us. This we know (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

And this is where we will start—with what we know. The first four words of Romans 8:28 in English are “And we know that.” By saying “and” the apostle Paul wants to connect verse 28 with the previous two verses, where he teaches the glorious truth that the Spirit of God prays for us “with sighs too deep for words” and “according to the will of God.” Whatever else we discover about our text of the month, we know that God’s working everything for our good is in conjunction with the Spirit’s powerful prayers for us. In fact, the Spirit’s prayers are part of the “working together for good.”

Perhaps the most startling (and even, to some, objectionable) words in the text are “all things.” It is one thing to say that God can make a car theft or a broken leg work together for our good, but it is a wholly different matter to say this of a lifetime prison sentence for an innocent person, a childhood of terrible abuse, or being defrauded of one’s life savings in one’s retirement years.

Sometimes a person is able to see the good effects of a misfortune. For example, you may come out of the car theft with an even better car, or your broken leg might put you in the hospital where your nurse or therapist turns out to be the person you will marry. Other experiences, however, appear to be so awful and evil that no good can come out of them, and it seems artificial (at best) to try to explain them as something good.

In the midst of misfortune and wickedness, is there reason for hope? The “all things” cannot be brushed aside. In addition to Romans 8:28 we read, “give thanks in all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5:18), and “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything” (Ephesians 5:20). If we believe the good parts of the Bible, such as John 3:16 and Psalm 23, we must believe these more difficult scriptures as well. May God help us to understand them and give us hope.




This article is one of a series presenting my all-time favorite Bible passages. My criterion for selecting these texts—one for each month of 2008—is the practical benefit/nourishment/help I have received from God through these scriptures over the four and one-half decades of my Christian life. I am who I am today because of some key people and because of the truths in these twelve scripture texts. There are many other Bible verses that could fit well in this series. The Word of God is a well-stocked gold mine of truth.
If you wish, start your own list, and share some of your stories on this blog—to help us all live well, help us all to serve others, and help us all to prepare well for the remainder of this life and for the next.

Note: I may use more than one posting to consider some Bible texts, but I will try to keep the related postings within the same month.