God's reminder
 

By Jim Killebrew

[July 02, 2014]  I have always found it amazing that anywhere you open to in the Bible and start reading I can always see Jesus in any of those passages because we are this side of the cross.

Just now to test this hypothesis I picked up a Bible at my desk and randomly opened it and it fell to 1 Chronicles 4:27: "Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah."

Then I thought, Judah was the clan from which Jesus was born years later.

I then tried again and this time randomly landed on Proverbs 22:17-18: "Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready for your lips."

Then I thought that Jesus is the wisest Teacher of all, and He promised to put His "Law" in my heart.

My friend sent me a story form Joni Eareckson that reminds me of the example like the one I just mentioned about the Bible. As a Christian I believe God has given us the ability to look at any experience we have and see the presence of Jesus in it. All we have to do is yield ourselves to His Will and He allows us to see that everything we experience is somehow related to Him and His provision for us.

"The Wall Won't Hurt You"
Joni Eareckson
"For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. Psalm 18:29, NKJV"

"Corie is 19 years old, a little under five feet tall, has one of the most winsome smiles I've ever encountered, and has Down Syndrome. Corie's speech is a little slurred and her nouns and verbs don't always match. But that just adds to her charm. One summer at a Family Retreat she asked me excitedly, "Are you going rock wall and come down and watching me climb it all the way to the top and back down okay?" I replied, 'You bet!'"

"I watched the conference staff workers strap my new friend into her helmet and climbing harness. Corie was ready! She gave me a happy 'thumbs up,' turned to the wall, grabbed a rock, and away she went. She was so fast! This girl had no fear! After she had conquered her goal and scooted back down the wall, everyone cheered."

"But Heather, who was next, was too nervous to cheer. It was her very first climb... and she has Down syndrome, too. "Are you ready?" the staff worker asked her. She could only stare at him with a blank expression. But then Corie stepped in. "Headder, you are going, too, up?" she said. Slipping an arm around her friend, Corie said softly, "Okay it is, Headder. The wall won't hurt you." That was all Heather needed to hear. In the next instant she was scrambling up the wall. Halfway up, she meekly called down, 'It doesn't hurt!'"

"Are you facing an intimidating wall right now... a medical problem, an unexpected bill, a strained relationship, or a wrestling match with temptation? God has a purpose, and knows all about what you're facing. Look up, take heart and say, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13)."

Ms. Eareckson's thoughts help us to understand that sometimes we face "walls" of discouragement and pain. Our experiences may seem far away from what God is doing in our lives. However, during good times, or not so good times, every experience for the Christian is a reminder that God has shed His Grace on each of us. We can see Him and His working in and through us as we yield ourselves to Him and allow His Spirit to work through us.

Sometimes it may seem that he is far away and there seems to be no purpose in what we are going through, but with His Grace, the shadows are dispelled, the curtain is drawn and we see clearly how an event has given us strength to grow in Him. It is like the famous poem, "Footprints" when there was only one set of footprints in the sand and Jesus says, "It was then when I carried you."

[By JIM KILLEBREW]