UP FROM THE GRAVE





 As I stare at the screen this 5:17 am, the words of a very old hymn cross my mind and heart, "UP from the grave HE arose with a mighty triumph ore HIS foes. He arose a victim ore the dark domain, but HE lives forever with HIS saints to reign, HE arose, HE arose, Hallelujah, Christ Arose. Death could not keep its prey...."  This my friend is an exciting FACT for me.

A reminder again A PROMISE MADE, A PROMISE KEPT. I get it! With heaven's gain of my Daddy, first husband, Phillip, and now first son, David, the resurrection of the LORD JESUS, HIS grace, and their choice to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, regardless of how flawed in expression, they too are alive with Christ. Eternal life began the moment, they said, "Yes" to Christ and they are living out the rest of their eternity in the heavens.

 I confess, it is with sorrow that I will not hear some of David's words, remembering that with him as with me, imperfect, flawed, finite, and fragile, but there are two phrases I will cherish: "IT WHAT IT IS" and the occasional, "I LOVE YOU". When he said, "I love you" I knew he was not just talking and saying words. Some of his phrases are best forgotten. So folk, IT IS WHAT IT IS, and by the grace of my faithful LORD, HE will give me the courage to walk out this daily "two steps forward and three steps backward" as I miss his physical presence and rely on an enduring and dynamic STRENGTH which is from HIM alone. THIS will be an ongoing challenge for now.  IT IS WHAT IT IS...BUT GOD! #IHAVETHREESONS









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THOSE SEEING CAN BECOME BLIND

Image
John 9 is the story of the healing of the blind beggar.  Not only is it a marvelous story of the miraculous healing of the man as he is given his sight, but a sad story of the religious of whom Jesus said, "For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind ." The religious have seen the miracle, even though it has taken place on a Sabbath, and they interview the man and his parents for their stories and understanding. I find it so thrilling that the healed man speaks so articulately and logically with the religious in their "interview" with him.  His statement, " Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where HE comes from, yet HE opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." What truth he has spoken to the religious wh...
Read more

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress...
Read more

A DONKEY SPEAKS!

Image
    Numbers has been full of repetitive accounts of the Israelites and their disobedience.  They have now made several laps around Mt. Sinai, many of the original people have died off, or been killed for their arrogant and presumptuous actions against the LORD, Moses, and Aaron. The overriding truth of the accounts is the merciful grace of the LORD! Moses is in his last days of leadership.  The forty years are coming to an end and they are moving toward a second attempt to enter the Promise Land.  They have been victorious in taking land, and they are moving further into the interior of the land of Moab.  The king and the residents of Moab are "filled with dread because of the Israelites.  The king of Moab, Balak, sends messages to Balaam, who is a sorcerer and is able to to place curses or blessings on others.  King Balak wants to know how to defeat "this horde" that is licking up everything around them.  Of course, he is desirous th...
Read more