Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks put the circumstances of our lives, both good and bad into God’s hands and help us see them through His eyes. Last night our beloved daughter-in-law Melinda slipped from this world into the presence of Jesus. And while we are overwhelmed with grief and shock, these words are promises to which we cling. Melinda has finished her race. Her battle with cancer is finished. And while that pernicious disease claimed her physical life, it could not touch her soul. That remained fully and exclusively in the hands of Jesus with whom she now lives. Nancy and I didn’t know how to process the news that came in three words. “She is gone.” Yet as sadness rolls over my heart I sense the message echo back from Heaven, ” She has arrived!”
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” John 11:21-22 ESV
The Bible plainly tells us that Jesus loved Martha, and maybe one of the things Jesus loved so much about her was her outspoken way of saying everything that was in her heart. Whether she was complaining about her sister, inviting Jesus into her home, or sending for him in her time of need, Martha was always direct. I have so often heard of her failures and preoccupation with the duties of the pots and pans, yet there was also in her a unique ability to grow because she held nothing back.
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. John 11:5-6 ESV
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” are the words to a song that practically everybody knows, and here is a Bible verse that starts with a list of some of those folks. The puzzling thing to me here is that Jesus loved them, but it appears He decided to do absolutely nothing to help out. Is that what it feels like in your prayer life sometimes I know that it certainly seems the case for the people in the nursing homes I visit. Each week we come and sing, serve communion and pray, but each week the crowd sits in their wheelchairs, maybe one of them is in the hospital, or another has passed away. “Where is Jesus? “, we might ask. The astonishing, perplexing and confusing answer is that He is right where He was 2,000 years ago that afternoon in Bethany. He is sitting and waiting for the right time to come and tell Martha the most wonderful news of all. “I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?” (verses 25-26). Yes, in spite of how it seems and no matter how confusing things appear, Jesus is the resurrection, and the worse things appear, the better will be His coming.
Some people have commented on this blog about how important it is to do nursing home outreach but are unsure of where or how to start. This week’s message gives a pretty accurate glimpse into how this wonderful mixed-up ministry functions. Doors slam. People are wheeled in (and out), the loudspeaker occasionally gives announcements, and the lunch ladies wheel their carts through on their way to residents who can’t get out of their rooms. My prayer is that you will be encouraged to see that through all the craziness, Jesus still reaches out and touches hearts and touches hearts because no matter how long hopes have lain in their graves, Jesus is still the Resurrection and the Life!
No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Hebrews 12:11 NLT
I love playing guitar, and one of my favorite things is to sit alone and play worship music after putting on a set of new strings. But on the other hand, my least favorite thing is changing those blasted strings! One by one, the old strings must be unwound, then, after carefully pulling out each peg, new ones can be put in their place. Then, slowly and gently, each one has to be stretched till its sound equals the pitch pipe’s note. Finally, when everything sounds great, you play a few chords and -voila! = it is immediately out of tune! Yep, those new strings aren’t ready for prime time, till they’ve been played and retuned, over and over. Restringing my guitar today, reminded of the verse from Hebrews about discipline, and how God has been doing some needed restringing in my life this week.
I had used my busyness as an excuse and failed to keep my promise to visit someone. Though I probably visited a hundred people that week, I failed to listen to the Spirit’s prompting to make time in my schedule. “I will get there next week.” I thought. But sadly, my friend didn’t have another week, because yesterday he passed away. As I prayed in the room with friends and family, the daughter’s words of the previous night rang in my ears, “Pastor Pete, you didn’t come!” Yes, I am sorry, and yes, she forgave me and best of all, yes, he had prayed with her to receive Christ the previous week when I wasn’t there. The hands of God are turning the tuning pegs of my life today and unwinding old habits and stretching my heart, till it sounds more like Heaven’s melody and less like the world around me.
How wonderful God’s mercy, that restores and helps us even in our failures. For me that blessing came when I heard our friend tell us of her final conversation with her dad. Though he could no longer communicate his eyes looked around till he saw his daughter. Then, she held his hand saying, “It’s okay daddy. The sun is shining and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s a good day to go to Heaven.” Then, just moments later, he slipped into the arms of Jesus, and those words will forever remind me that, God is never too busy.
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