Corona Devo 1765
I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” ~John 16:33 GNT
Those were not exactly the words of Jesus that I had wanted to hear, but when I read my "verse of the day" at 10 PM last night in the emergency room, these were (His) words that greeted me, and they fit.
The world will make you suffer... (John 16:33)
Yes, yes it will.
Are you suffering in some way today?
The world will make you suffer... (John 16:33)
~~~
About 9 PM yesterday our son said he was having stomach pain, (and for him to even mention a discomfort, I knew that it must be a significant "pain"), and we wondered if it could be his appendix?
As God would have it, we "happened" to have a cousin and her husband (both physician assistants) in town and a few minutes away. They both diagnosed him with (probable) appendicitis, and at their recommendation, we headed to the emergency room (stat).
And...they were right.
From the E.R., we were assigned a hospital room around 4 A.M., and as a kind nurse wheeled our (in-pain) son down a long empty hallway, we passed a cleaning lady. She met my eyes and stopped pushing her cart. She came over to me and said, "It's going to be alright. He's got all of this under control. You just have to trust and believe."
I knew we were speaking of the same "He", and I knew what she said was true. I knew God had our son in His hands, and I do trust and believe in Him. But to have a stranger speak God's truth and love into your heart during trauma...that is (spiritually) leveling.
I started to cry as I agreed with her, and when she wrapped her arms around me in a hug, I held this (new) sister-in-Christ tight.
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” ~Genesis 16:13
God sees us in our struggles. The Lord meets us in the deep waters and in the fire. He loves us always, but sometimes He reveals that love in especially beautiful (unexplainable) ways, and I heard the Lord speak life into me through a cleaning lady in the hospital hallway today.
They scheduled his surgery for 3:30 PM, and as we welcomed the dawn, we settled in to wait.
But as God would have it, we didn't have to wait long. At 9:30 AM, a nurse came in and announced (in a surprised tone) that our son had been moved "way up" in the surgery schedule, and he was next.
I praised the Lord for this (timely) development, not only because we had not slept overnight, but also because appendixes can burst, and I had no idea what state our son's was in. How we advanced in status I did not know, but I praised the Lord for it.
A few minutes later I found out how God had orchestrated it when I received a text from a friend of mine and sister in Christ:
I'm not sure that my (humble) friend would call herself an angel, but I sure would. What a blessing it was to not wait all day for surgery (after waiting all night), and to have the best of the best caring-for and treating our son.
The Lord is with us in our trials and hardships. He meets us there in spirit, and also through His people too.
Life is hard sometimes. We will struggle and (unfortunately) God tells us that we will have trouble.
Are you having trouble today?
But don't miss the rest of the story, or in this case, the rest of the verse. Yes, we'll have troubles, but Yes,...God is bigger than them.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33 NIV
The surgery went quickly, and when they called me into a private room to wait and meet with the surgeon about the outcome, there was a chalkboard in the room with one tiny phrase scribbled on it.
But it wasn't a phrase, it was a verse, and just the one I needed to read:
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ ~Isaiah 41:10
I literally watched and felt the hand of God move throughout our day. Our Lord is amazing. And He is not just with me, He is with and for all of His children.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” ~Deuteronomy 31:6
God is with you today.
God doesn't promise us no problems, but He sure does show Himself faithful as we persevere with Him through them.
Staying in touch and prayer with family and friends throughout the day, I think my brother gave the most accurate faith-assessment of the day's events:
~~~
Are we suffering today?
Are we experiencing troubles today?
Are we aware that God has overcome the world today?
He has.
sarah
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