He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Today is the day after Resurrection Day – The deepest longings of all humanity have been fulfilled. Jesus Christ abolished death, giving us hope for all eternity. The Alpha and the Omega forever reigns eternal and we have life through him! This is the best news ever!
But when Monday comes, when we are reminded of the trials, pain, illness, broken relationships, sorrow, and even impending death, do we still have hope? What is our perspective like in the midst of suffering?
The 20th anniversary of my dad’s homegoing was earlier this month. It still feels like yesterday that he was throwing a baseball around with my kids and bouncing my youngest on his knee. If you have lost a loved one, you’d likely agree you never get over that person being gone – you just get more used to it. My dad died of complications from an experimental chemotherapy being tested to cure lymphatic melanoma. The chemo was brutal on his body, but his soul had never been more at peace. A few months into the treatment I started to notice a deep peace in my dad, so I told him what I observed. His response was priceless and one that I will never forget. He looked up with dreamy eyes and said, “I’ve seen a glimpse of eternity”.
My dad loved Jesus with all of his heart. He studied Scripture diligently and loved to teach others about his Lord. He knew when his time here on earth was done, what awaited was a zillion times better! I’m sure he felt fear, he experienced extreme physical pain, and I know he was concerned for my mom and the rest of our family he would leave behind, but his sights were set on his living God. He had an eternal perspective.
John tells us in Revelation 1:18 that his gentle and glorious Savior laid his hand on him and said, “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore…” The resurrection of Jesus isn’t just an event in the past—it is a present and eternal reality that gives us unshakable hope in the face of suffering, fear, and even death. We are invited into a personal relationship with our Savior, the only one who was, and is, and is to come. This is our present reality. This is our hope.
What trial or hardship are you facing today? It may be something that will end here on earth or it may not. God’s promise to you is that he will never leave you or forsake you. He sees you and he hurts with you. Your Lord is reaching out his gentle hand and saying, “Come see a glimpse of eternity – I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! – And because of that, you too will get to spend eternity with me! And ohh, but wait – it starts now. I am your personal friend who loves you and is with you in this trial – right here, right now.” This is YOUR Lord.
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director