Dear
Fellow Children of God,
How does a child of God face grief? That is an important question in my world right
now. Perhaps we are always dealing with loss
in some form or another. As Vacancy
Pastor of First Lutheran Church I recently conducted two funerals. One of those services was somewhat expected
for an elderly person who had been seriously ill for a while. But, the other death was a sudden and
unexpected loss of a young person killed in an automobile accident. In both cases, the questions are real. How do we deal with our loss? How does a Christian face death?
On another level there are many who are ill. As the
minister in this congregation, I am visiting many. In addition, on my daily prayer list are over
150 people, most of whom face losses and challenges. Some of them may recover from their illness
or their trials. But, for some, their
life has permanently changed in a way they would not choose. How does a person face the loss of health? How
does a child of God face broken relationships, the loss of the future they had planned
and hoped for?
Katherine Kubler-Ross years ago studied and named the
stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. When we lose a loved one, when we lose the
future we planned for because of illness, or disaster, or change, all of these
responses are a normal and an understandable way to react. So, how DOES a disciple of Jesus work their
way through their own gauntlet of loss?
In truth, because we live in a world which has rebelled
and sinned against its Creator and against its Lord, we should not be surprised
at the trials and tears which we experience.
And everyone in this life does face pain, tears, death and mourning.
Therefore, none of us know what the next day will
bring. But, . . . there is one thing we DO
know. A Christian does know the love and
the deliverance of God! In 1 Thessalonians
4 God teaches the believers in this city, through the writing of Paul. “13
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep,
that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thessalonians. 4:13-14) Please notice that the believers in
Thessalonika are not forbidden to grieve.
They are told how to grieve,
how to face our trials and losses.
God is telling us that we can face the losses of life,
the death of loved ones, our own illness, the changes in our world which we do
not want, we can face this grief with HOPE.
Our Lord teaches us not to grieve like those who do not have hope. And, we are reminded that OUR sure hope is
Jesus. We do not know what tomorrow
holds, but we do know our eternal future, because of Jesus. “For
since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God
will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
We do not know the
circumstance tomorrow will bring, but we do know who is with us. David wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for YOU ARE WITH ME; your rod and your
staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm. 23:4) In the deep, darkness of life, our powerful
and loving Lord and Shepherd is right there alongside us!
When we face loss in
this life, it is painful. Christians do
not have to deny that pain. Such
suffering is part of life in a world separated from the Lord. But, we can face that pain with the hope we
have in and through Jesus, through His death and His resurrection. We can face our grief because Jesus is by our
side.
How does a child of God face grief? We
can face our losses differently than the rest of people in our world, because
we face all of life with Jesus. Even in
the midst our loss and pain, Jesus gives us hope for today, and hope for
eternity. And, . . . what a joy it is to share the hope of
Jesus with someone who needs and wants that hope in their trials.
A Child of God, Facing
Loss and Grief With Hope – IN JESUS!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. I am supposed to be working
half time, so I am only in the office 3 ½ days a week. I am also finding time for golf with friends,
and yes time for . . . fishing. J
Here are pictures from two trips this past week to Orange Lake.
·
On Friday, October 13, I took my brother-in-law,
Mark Reaves, fishing with me on Orange Lake.
The weather was beautiful. The
weeds, especially the hydrilla, were horrible.
Nevertheless we brought home 2 of the 4 fish we caught. Here are pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/sWKCLfNUjaKaAwZZA
·
After a very busy week, and after worship and teaching
multiple classes on Sunday, October 15, I went to Orange Lake again on Sunday
afternoon. The weeds may be bad, but it
is the closest fishing hole to our Florida home, and there are a lot of
fish. I found a new place on the lake to
throw my bait and I caught 4 largemouth bass which I brought home. These two fish in this picture are the
largest of the fish. https://photos.app.goo.gl/2cwRCEghdK9685eh7
*******
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired
at the end of August 2019 from serving as full-time senior pastor of St. John
Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was
writing a weekly devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the
Pastor." When I retired many asked
me to continue writing these devotions.
So I have continued writing.
However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion
"Journeys Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior pastor at St.
John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who asked to receive it. (Currently I am serving as Vacancy Pastor for
First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL.)
So, if you stopped receiving these
devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive
them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is
jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions help
each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan
Rockey
Child
of God
Husband,
Father, Son, Grandfather
Vacancy Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Gainesville, FL
Pastor
Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer, AK
“1 John 3:1 How great is the love the
Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that
is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 a)
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