Marvelous Light Chris Tomlin
Romans 8:30-32
These whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.31What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
Today we went to Church and started our worship, after the music, with the Lord's Prayer. Suddenly I was struck by the reality of we all will fall to our death.
When I was in college, I began working for a company in Dallas during the summers and Christmas, and stayed for eight years. The second summer, I was dismayed because I'd really had a marvelous job the first year working on their magazine. The next year, the company wide magazine had folded. I was in the insurance department filing claims - in a drawer. The bright spot were the two women who were wonderful Christians. This was the summer of my parents divorcing after 25 years. We were losing my wonderful father to alcoholism and my mother's 25 year friend - also would die of alcohol related cancer before she was 70. And we were loosing our home, which was very lovely. My brother was ten and he would become a latch key child. My father's best friend from high school left him, and he and his wife would change houses, move, to be a block from us - to keep my brother after school. We went out to eat on Friday nights - 3 people splitting Nachos and having water.
I got - from the divorce - and loss of our home - a new/used nice car. As my dad departed. The car was not an adequate replacement for - Daddy. We all have one we'd like to save - and a swing and a miss.
Well the summer I worked in insurance, I adored the two ladies the same age as my mother. Delma had been divorced for 3 years and she spoke upward and able of Divorce recovery telling adventures how her college aged son's were always not respectful as their lives revolved around themselves in a college orbit. She was very Christian and very spirited and she was making sure her sons understood they would not have the motherly benefits of her attention without respect. We sometimes laughed at the ways Delma just didn't do what they ordered her to do and what their dumbfounded responses were. She'd divorced because her husband was an airlines pilot and directed the male household to his liking. And was gone all the time.
The other lady, Meredith, laughed along with us as this newly single mom set her house in proper order. Delma hoped this time to marry someone who would remain in Church. Meredith and Delma both were beautiful . Meredith has a very southern accent and very Baptist and oh, so sweet to me. I truly did adore her. And I had to go out of town to Mississippi the next week to see my grandmother. When I returned, my friend a generation ahead of me, Meredith, was crying. I went in to ask why. And Delma propelled me out of the room. I was told that circumstances had immeasurably changed for our friend. That first vacation Sunday Meredith and her 52 year old husband had sat in the same row they had sat for 25 years. He had had a pressing week at work and he nodded off. She held his hand and prayed for her wonderful husband, and she squeezed his hand and prayed for him to rest. As the service ended, he fell to her. He had a smile on his face, and was in Heaven.
You can't really tell someone 19, going through their parent's divorce, this story without crying. And I cried and cried. I was told to hush and not upset our Meredith. And instead, she came in to the filing room. We sat on the rolling footstools we sat on and cried and cried. And I told my friend, her husband was like Enoch. And she stopped crying and said how in the world would someone 19 years old know of Enoch. I reminded her I'd made a promise at age 16 to read the Bible. I said to her that her husband must have been that close to the Lord. And Meredith said no one has been as impressed as you at his death. She told me about the funeral I'd missed. I asked her how she could work - how was it possible and Meredith annouced and said, "I quit, but I will come back in a week and give two weeks notice."
I was thanked for being so amazed at her husband's passing. And thanked and thanked for being with a reason of the Lord. And I said with all the people at that huge funeral, how could other people not be stunned. And she said, "I don't know." Now she had hurt feelings. So I suggested maybe the funeral and the luncheon were a blur. And suddenly she smiled, through her tears, and said, "I don't even remember the eulogy." We agreed later someone would tell her.
Two weeks later we had another conversation and Delma was asked to close the door to the filing room. So my southern friend told me she'd dreamed that I'd be blessed to pass away like her husband did. Let me tell you, I sat up completely straight and absolutely shocked. I was horrified. Meredith immediately was affronted and I just couldn't even speak, my mouth moved but no words came out. And she began to giggle. We giggled a lot. I couldn't laugh. I was concerned, puzzled and floored. And she said, "I'm sorry. I meant when you are very, very old."
That was 1982. And I forgot until recently this year.
So Church began and suddenly facing Edward's illness and my mom's, I realized this was probably, hopefully True. I have known a co-worker, a sister-in-law and a cousin, in recent times, to have had their God given and God told dreams - come to be part of the life revealed by the Lord. Many, many believers have dreams they know are from the Lord God, our Father. These brighten our faith to share. The more we trust God, the more we find God faithful.
Luke 11
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
And I thought what would be a better gift from God ~ I will trust God. I will pray not to not fear passing on. To only step to Jesus in peace of old, old age.
I pray for Father God to be merciful to all of us. And I count on Him. And believe Him.
Psalm 40:5
Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.
Psalm 8:3
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
God does not act towards us without mercy. My southern friend, Meredith, remarried about two years later. She said she was sorry her late husband had not known her second husband, they would have been best friends. Her second husband said they would have time in Heaven. It was a huge Baptist Church and they did not ever meet, before. My friend smiled and she held her new husband's hand a lot.
Delma remarried and she said she was pleased to leave without burning down the insurance files and we all laughed.
With God all things are possible.
We will all have events in believers lives that strengthen us.
Jesus makes parallels. Jesus makes us aware Jesus is alive. Jesus will provide signs when we pray and look to Him. God is always God. Only God is the One who is Good. We worship a Living God. Creator of All Things. And His son Jesus Christ. The Scriptures tell us there is a Book of Life. Psalm 139 says all of our days are written in His Book of Life before we are conceived.
From time to time, God assures us - His Plan is Living as well.
Jesus the Lord is our Hope and our Future.
We touch one another. Being uplifting - is never forgotten. Really.
Father God,
No one is Righteous before you. We know that none follow the law and where sin is increased, that Your Grace abounds. Saying rightfully so, that I know I am far from perfect in may ways. And yet, Father God gives me grace. And His Grace is marvelous to behold. Drawing us to Him.
With Jesus' help, we will be covered in His Name
an our righteous in HIm will flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
With God's grace we are planted in the house of the Lord;
we will flourish in the courts of our God!
We will still bear fruit in old age;
we are ever full of sap and green,
salt and light
to we declare with joy the Lord is upright;
He is our rock, and there is no unrighteousness in The Lord God Almighty.
We lift high our concerns to the Lord of Heaven and earth,
we lift high our loved ones to His Love and tender care,
we lift high our communities, and Churches, and neighborhoods.
We look with joy to the times ahead in Jesus.
He will answer our prayers and for our Nation
and for the people who with sincerity call on Jesus the Lord everywhere.
Praise God we are in Jesus Christ - forever and ever. Alleluia.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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