A man rejected not only by his biological parents, but also through years of torment at the hands of his adoptive parents.
The phone call stating that there was an accident and you need to get to the hospital right away.
The divorce papers get handed over after you fought and fought for healing.
A baby is born only to live an hour and die.
Sometimes the hurt, pain and destruction of this world is so palpable my brain feels like it can't fire any more. How do you pray in this? Where are the words?
Despite the world being a fallen and bad place, He is good. So very good.
It doesn't make sense. Life hurts and everything bursts at the seams sometimes. What do we do? Where do we go? How do we stop the hemorrhaging when it seems unstoppable?
We get weary and long with a pounding heart for the day when weariness is no more. But, what about now? There will be a day when the battle is over and we receive the reward in full, but today with the divorce papers, the medical report, the rejection and everything threatens to rip the life away from us...
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." -John 10:10 {Jesus}
There's a thief and he doesn't stop. He doesn't stop until he's stolen, killed, and destroyed. He prowls for us and he lies. I don't need to tell you because you look to your left and you look to your right and it's there. The destruction that never seems to end.
But, Jesus came to give us life. The abundant kind.
"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." -Romans 8:11
The Spirit who raised HIM is in us. He gives life to our mortal, decaying, ripping-at-the-seams bodies. Abundantly He gives it.
The thief that works to steal our health, our life, our joy wants us to miss it. He wants us to miss the praise of Jesus by the graveside. The thanksgiving despite the diagnosis. The joy despite the falling-apart-ness of life on earth.
May the Spirit give us life today. And, tomorrow. And, the day after. Until it's all fulfilled and we can know all of the praise, joy and faith were worth it
