Mysteries of Life

As I began to write this morning, I looked back at my last writing where I wrote about the hope in Christ. How because of His death on the cross, we can have a hope of life everlasting. Little did I know exactly one week after I wrote that, I would tragically lose someone else very precious to me. This is where our faith must rise up! Can we just read, study and write about our Savior? No, we must embrace the privilege of practicing these truths through heartaches.

In my devotions this morning, there was a continous theme. It started with Girlfriends in God, Angela L. Craig writes, "I don’t think I am the first person to blame God for unexpected life events. In the Bible, it seems that God takes responsibility for many things that the people of ancient times were not happy about - floods, barrenness, death, plagues, and much more. But could you imagine that their unexpected loss would eventually become a gift of mercy, forgiveness, restoration, and grace from a God that loved them?" As I read this, I'm reminded of a hymn that sings of trusting His heart and not His hand. We can't know why things happen the way they do in this world. However, we can trust His heart. God loves each of us dearly and only wants what is good for us. Do we sometimes choose things that aren't good for us and suffer the consequences? Unfortunately yes, we live in a world where there is so much opportunity to take the wrong path. We are just like those in the Bible who kept turning from the Lord, we too turn our backs on what His perfect will is for our own lives.

Another devotional I read was in reference to the book of Job. There is no one who suffered as much sorrow as Job (other than Jesus himself). Throughout the book of Job, we see clearly that even the righteous suffer and we do not know why. In this devotional, Hannah Whitall Smith writes, "Even to ourselves come afflictions that we cannot understand, and Satan seems so busy in the matter that it is hard to trace the hand of the Lord in it at all. But His hand is in it nevertheless, and he overrules everything. No trial comes except by His permission and for some WISE and LOVING PURPOSE which perhaps only eternity will disclose." When I think back of the brokenness of my heart and my family as a result of the loss of our loved one, I see Satan's hand all over it. He meant it all for heartache and hurt. However, I also know Jesus promises to never leave us or forsake us and I know He was there with my loved one - covering him with His mercy and grace. He was right there by his side the entire time. What a comfort! In Smith's devotional, she compares how if someone we love is sick, we will do whatever is necessary to help that person to become well...no matter what the cost. There is a precious family I know. They have a six month old daughter who has been fighting cancer. The parents continually ask for prayer for their daughter as she goes through chemo in order to become strong and whole again. Why would a parent willingly give chemo to their child? Chemotherapy causes a number of unpleasant & painful reactions to a body. However, the parents know their child must go through this pain in order to be healed. A parent's love is too tender to inflict unnecessary doses and too strong to spare the dose that is needed. Here in lies the secret. Our loving Heavenly Father has discovered in us things He knows will ruin us if it remains unchecked and He is applying the remedy. That remedy could just be a short time sorrow in our lives or it could be long term. God is God and He knows what is best for us and those we love and we must trust Him in all things, even if means the healing comes in a more glorious, Heavenly body.

I miss you buddy!