There is not a field of endeavor or place to go where the question, “How can this be?” does not stare us in the face sooner or later. We can dodge the question, bury it with activity, pretend that bad things really don’t happen, or seek refuge in our pleasures and wants for a little while. But sooner or later the brevity of life or an event or a scene before us awakens the questions again. We are born with His imprint on our soul, and He awaits, perchance we will turn to him. Sometimes all this takes time. For some life is longer; for many it is shorter; for quite a few people, it is really short. We don’t run universe, so we don’t know. How we conduct our lives, however, says a lot about what we truly believe. And when the going gets tough, who we believe usually becomes more apparent.
How about you? I urge readers, who may not know God in a personal relationship, to consider these things without a lot of procrastination. You don’t know what tomorrow brings. The good news of the Lord Jesus Christ, on the other hand, lays a foundation in the heart that removes the sting of death, because this brief time, while immensely important, is but a beginning. Why is it important? It sets the tone of your life. Little decisions, things said, reactions, and goals met or abandoned all contribute a record that shows what we really believe and aim for.
Consider these two ladies. Meet my friends, Esthella and Linda. Each one knows Jesus Christ, have been through a lot, have weakening bodies due to high grade cancers, and are not afraid of death. Neither is upset at God for bad things; they know they live in a broken world. Though the world is broken, they share about Jesus in one way or another, pray regularly, and assist or minister to others if given the opportunity. In pain or difficulty they have grace. They know their citizenship is not on earth. They count their days, and fully know their lives are brief. Each one has paid what the world might consider a high cost to maintain belief when things are not going right. Their faith has been proven through circumstances but has also affected others.
Can you do that? Do you know Him well enough to say, “Amen. He lives!”? That life he led, the cross he bore, and the tomb he briefly lay in, and his rising from the dead attest to his ability to forgive sin and birth us again by his Spirit. Time is granted for each one to come to him regardless of culture, age, or baggage from sin. Once born again, he provides a way to know him more, live a life differently, and look beyond the brief days we have here. I love these two ladies. I especially love Linda, since she is my wife. I share the same faith in Christ and know his refreshing in challenging times as well.
What about you? Can you rejoice with me, or is Christ foreign to you? You need only turn from your puny way to the way of life in Christ. He is able to forgive, forget sins, and anchor your soul. Then good things, bad things, health or sickness get put in perspective. This period of time is so important, but it is brief and passes. There is time enough to you to turn to him and live a few years, and then it ends. Why not develop a life that has a signature that says, “I am his?”
Read the simple Bible stories of the Samaritan woman in John 4 or Nicodemus in John 3 if you want more affirmation. Coming to God is not meant to be complicated. And the work in each of us that needs fixing cannot be done by us. He does it, and does it willingly, if we choose to come and hold to him.
