God might kill me, but I have no other hope.
I am going to argue my case with him.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I spoke with my cousin JD this morning for quite a while. He is determined to carry on his tent revival ministry, despite the sudden and unexpected death yesterday of his wife and ministry partner, Angie. He reminded me that “my best Bible teacher has been pain.” And JD has endured much pain and challenge in his 30+ years - some of it self-induced, but also some that is simply part of life… the death of his mother to breast cancer when he was about twenty, the near-fatal logging accident four years ago, and several life-threatening accidents and illnesses involving his dad, just to name a few.
JD told me, “The devil has thrown prison, bankruptcy, near-death, drug abuse and more at me… and each time, I’ve shown him that He can’t beat me.” Now JD faces a tremendous hurdle… how to carry on his ministry without Angie. He is already “arguing his case”… planning his return to the mission field in Florida, as he and Angie had hoped to do later this month. As we talked, I heard such sadness and grief in JD’s voice… but I also detected a spirit of hope.
Here is some of what we shared… and what I want you to take from all of this today…
- When sadness and tragedy occurs in our life, it is okay to grieve – even as a faith-filled Christian. Jesus grieved over the death of Lazarus. God understands our pain… and He grieves for us in our heartache. But He also sustains us and gives us hope and strength.
- Even in death, Angie’s ministry continues. If you could read her Facebook page, you would see that she continues to be the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth to those who knew and loved her. Are you living in such a way that the same could be said of you?
- God may allow us to endure tragic circumstances… illness, accidents, debt, natural disaster, and even loss of life… but He never leaves us. He provides us with a protective shield – sometimes in the form of shock and numbness for a time. He gives us the fortitude and courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other – and to continue serving Him.
- Healing takes many forms. We are elated when healing comes in an earthly form… but ultimate restoration comes in Heaven. So we must celebrate today that Angie has received the definitive reward… she has seen the face of Jesus, and she is radiant and exquisite in His presence.
There is a profound difference between saying that you trust God, and truly TRUSTING Him. If you have ever been knocked to your knees in some way and gotten back up, you know the power of God to rescue and sustain you. Are you calling on that power as you move forward? When you plead your case before God, can you genuinely say that you have completely surrendered and relied on Him fully for strength and sustenance? If you or I woke up in the next few minutes in heaven, would we be able to plead our case with God as His faithful servant? Or do we still have work to do? I don’t believe our work for the LORD ever ends… or that we can possibly do enough for God in this lifetime… but our gauge of this and His are different. Satisfying God and fully yielding to His will is ALL that matters! How are you doing these days?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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