August 3, 2022 – Click here to listen
A reader wrote and shared with me that he had lost two sons to very tragic, senseless, mind-numbing, circumstances which I will not share details, and he almost lost his third son to an accident when he got trapped in an avalanche while riding a snowmobile. Further, this gentleman spent two years fighting a war overseas and suffered through a divorce because of it. He wrote: “Like many others in this life, I sometimes feel a kinship with Job. And I ask myself, ‘What’s Next’. But the Lord has been my Shepherd. He gives me my strength. The only good that comes out of the death of a child is that when other people suffer the same tragedy, you have credibility when you go to console them. I have prayed for the young man who was injured in the ATV accident. May he fully recover and become a great surgeon, inspired by what he has to go through. God Bless his parents and entire family and friends. I know all are hurting.”
I responded, “I’m deeply sorry to hear of the tragedy that you have endured. Lesser men would have folded. I have prayed often in life that I would never outlive one of my kids. So far so good with not even a close call, but I realize it could happen in a nanosecond. I told my wife after our very bad day yesterday that all we need do is think back on our lives to cheer up. In my case, I was rescued off the mean streets and gained salvation. I was blessed with a wonderful wife and three loving sons and seven wonderful grandchildren. I was blessed beyond measure financially. I have friends all over the world. So, I take my singular day of woe and compare it to a lifetime of God’s blessings. To me, it is like one poorly written page in the midst of a long book that is beautifully written. Made me feel better.
The reader responded, “I had fallen into a little depression over the past few days. Seems like so much bad stuff going on all around us. I was beginning to think that I didn’t have a friend in the world. Then just a few minutes ago, a fellow called and invited me to see his new shop and have lunch. Cheered me right up. The only sorrow I feel is the sorrow you have when you can’t do anything about problems. Prayer is all we have at times when we see our world as we know it changing for the worse.
I think God might have prompted his friend to come over and see his shop and go to lunch and cheer him on.
As I pondered all of this, I received another email from another reader and she simply wrote: “Bob, The word I am getting for my own set of dire situations is, ‘Keep Trusting Me.'”
That about sums it up doesn’t it? We live in a precarious world full of danger and strife. Through it all, we have Jesus who has promised to be with us forever and we need to trust him through hard times and good times. Satan wants to discourage us and destroy our lives and is working hard to accomplish that but remember he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Only trust Him – Only trust Him now!
1 John 4:3
. . . and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time. You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them . . .