ODB: following our example
January 11, 2010 READ: 1 Timothy 4:12-16 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers. —1 Timothy 4:12 Alyssa, who is 6 and just learning to read, often saw her parents and grandparents reading their Bibles in the morning. Early one day, she woke up before everyone else. Grandma found [...]
ODJ: opportunity for joy
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy (v.2).
READ: James 1:1-12
Sometimes the Bible puzzles me. For instance, the book of James starts out by telling us that when tough things happen, “consider it an opportunity for great joy” (James 1:2). Really? “Great joy?” I don’t know about you, but sometimes even a little joy can be hard to come by.
I’ve wondered how a verse like this applies when someone we care about passes away? Personally, I don’t think my heart has ever ached as much as when my brother’s wife died of cancer. The pain I felt and saw in my brother and his children was, at times, unbearable. So when we lose someone to death, does the Bible tell us to quit hurting and just be happy? Thankfully, no. Our natural response when someone dies is to grieve. Jesus Himself grieved the loss of His dear friend Lazarus (John 11:35). But for those who know Jesus, grief is never the end of the story.
Just hours before He was tortured and put to death on a cross, Jesus informed His first followers, “You will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to Me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy” (John 16:20). Hmmm—grief that turns into joy. There it is again. But how is that possible? Jesus goes on to say, “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy” (John 16:22).
As Christians, we can look at death differently. It doesn’t take away the sting of our loss today, but the hope of a great reunion with those who have gone before us brings a true sense of joy that carries us through our pain. —Jeff Olson
When has God provided you with joy amid the pain of life? How do Jesus’ words encourage you when you face suffering?
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Loading ...Spelling Mistake
By Tracy Phua, Singapore Sometimes when we type too fast, it is not uncommon for us to miss out a letter by mistake. It dawned on me recently how important that missing letter might be, and how it might totally spell (pun intended) disaster for missing that tiny detail! For example, you may have wanted [...]
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