Month: July 2023

I just ran across an unfamiliar verse of one of my favorite old hymns. “Though Satan may buffet; though trials may come let this blest assurance control; that Christ has regarded my helpless estate and shed his own blood for my soul.” It reminded me of a Christian waitress named Dale who told us modern worship music didn’t mention the blood of Jesus enough for her. She preferred the old hymns.

I read a few years ago about a baby girl who was dying from a rare blood disorder. Her five year old brother had recovered from the same disorder and had the antibodies in his blood his sister needed. The toddler immediately agreed to a transfusion if it would help his sister live. After the procedure, the little boy asked the doctor how long it would be until he died. He thought his sister needed all of his blood and he was willing to die so his sister could live. It was love that drove his decision and love that caused Jesus to bleed out on the cross for you and me so we can live eternally.

A young pastor I know was diagnosed with a blood disorder. God healed him and he still proclaims to this day that the blood of a Jewish carpenter flows through his veins. His ministry and the church he and his wife founded are growing each week. God obviously was not finished with him yet,

i don’t know about you, but I want to be so filled with God’s Holy Spirit that when a mosquito bites me, she will fly away singing “There is power in the blood”.

The first recorded words of God in the Bible are, “Let there be light!” In the eighth chapter of John, Jesus says”I am the light of the world.” In the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus says to his followers “You are the light of the world”. Was He passing the torch of God’s light to us, or are we to reflect His light? The short answer is BOTH. We reflect His light with the help of the Holy Spirit He has provided for us.

We are in this dark world but we are warned not to be like this world. Have you ever noticed that on a bright sunny day some sidewalks seem to sparkle and glisten? That is because the contractor added ground glass to the cement so the surface has more traction when hardened. Those particles of glass are in the cement but are not cement and that becomes evident when they reflect light from the sun. As Christians, we are in the world but different from the world and that difference becomes clear when we reflect the light of the Son.

Doctor Elisabeth Kubler-Ross encountered the inner light we have, when she studied death and dying. She likened humans to stained glass windows. We are attractive when reflecting the light of day, but most beautiful when illuminated by a light from within during our darkest hours. I don’t know if she discovered the source of that inner light herself, but she certainly recognized it in others.

I don’t know about you but, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.”

Leo Tolstoy wrote, “If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you are a human being.” I experience both daily.

We think of physical pain as a bad thing that needs to be controlled, but it is actually a symptom of something wrong with our body. It is our body’s cry for help. Medical science used to seek to find the root cause of the pain and correct that. Now, they want to try to relieve the pain without correcting the source of the problem. As a result, many seem to have become pill pushers.

Mental, emotional and spiritual pain are more complicated because the source is usually something or someone in our environment. That cause may not be easily controlled, or may be out of our control altogether. Thankfully, through our Creator, we have both the diagnosis and the cure for whatever is ailing us. All we have to do is approach Him in prayer and listen with our spirit for His remedy.

Jesus suffered physical pain,mental anguish,and the spiritual pain of separation from his Father while on the cross. The word “excruciating” describes the intensity of pain during crucifixion. Then add to that the burden of bearing the sins of the world, including yours and mine. Jesus understands our pain and brings us through it stronger than before.

Some of the most powerful hymns have been written from pain and despair. Thomas A. Dorsey wrote “Precious Lord Take My Hand” after his wife and infant daughter both died during child birth. “Precious Lord take my hand,  lift me up; let me stand. I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m worn.” That was a prayer from his heart.

Horacio Spafford lost his wife and child in a storm at sea before writing “It Is Well With My Soul”. “When sorrows like sea billows roll.” That line came straight from his soul.

Rev. Joseph M. Scriven, a preacher in Canada, wrote a poem to console his mother who was very lonely in Europe. That poem, which began, “What a Friend We Have In Jesus” was later set to music and has consoled millions of lonely souls.

Shortly after I lost my wife of fifty years, I began to write my blog. The one thing I have in common with those men is that God was with me in my time of pain and grief. A very good friend recently reminded me that whatever Christians are going through, we are “going through” and not stuck there because God is with us all the way to the other side. I am gratified to know that my blog has blessed people around the world and I keep the encouragement while giving God all of the praise, just as i’m sure those men mentioned above did.

I started my blog again on Sunday and intended to post again on Wednesday. Then someone hacked into my home phone line and was making calls on my line while blocking me from using it. I spent the better part of Wednesday and Thursday getting that corrected. It  seems like Satan is using distractions more and more to get Christians off track, especially when we are making progress for the Lord. One of our senior pastors even posted on FaceBook about that problem.

I am reminded of the scriptural account of Simon Peter walking on the water toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:22-33) He took that first leap of faith stepping out of the boat and onto the water. He was making good progress until he took his eyes off of Jesus and noticed the storm raging around him. When we take our attention off of Jesus, fear and doubt begin to creep in and we begin to sink into earthly cares, but just as He lifted Peter out of the water and back to the safety of the boat, He will lift us from fear and doubt into the safety of His presence and our calling.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”