October 25th, 2017 - Thoughts for your Week
Scripture Prayer: Psalm 25: 14-15
“The Lord confides
in those who fear Him, He makes this covenant known to them. My eyes are ever
on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.”
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Genesis 50:20
Genesis 50:20
(The
following devotional is from Our Daily Bread)
Jay
Bufton turned his hospital room into a lighthouse. The fifty-two-year-old
husband, father, high school teacher, and coach was dying of cancer, but his
room—Room 5020—became a beacon of hope for friends, family, and hospital
workers. Because of his joyful attitude and strong faith, nurses wanted to be
assigned to Jay. Some even came to see him during off-hours. Even as his
once-athletic body was wasting away, he greeted anyone and everyone with a
smile and encouragement. One friend said, “Every time I visited Jay he was
upbeat, positive, and filled with hope. He was, even while looking cancer and
death in the face, living out his faith.”
At
Jay’s funeral, one speaker noted that Room 5020 had a special meaning. He
pointed to Genesis 50:20, in which Joseph says that although his brothers sold
him into slavery, God turned the tables and accomplished something good: “the
saving of many lives.” Cancer invaded Jay’s life, but by recognizing God’s hand
at work Jay could say that “God intended it for good.” That’s why Jay could
use even the ravages of cancer as an open door to tell others about Jesus. What
a legacy of unwavering trust in our Savior even as death was knocking at the
door! What a testimony of confidence in our good and trustworthy God! By God’s grace, we can have our best witness in the
worst of times.
When hard times come in our lives, it can be difficult
to navigate through them and we often ask; “why is this happening to me?”.
These past few weeks have brought a few struggles my way and, while spending
time in prayer over them, God led me to the above devotional. It was a humbling
moment for me as I wondered how I could have so quickly forgotten that there
will be tough times and why I was so surprised that they were happening to me? I’m
sure God gave Jay a special peace and ability to trust as he did. Maybe we can
all be asking for that same trust and peace; to have an attitude and heart like
Jay’s. To be open to what God might be wanting to do in and through us as He
walks us through tough times.
No matter what it is we're going through; whether we're
facing death or a physical challenge, or dealing with something from our past,
or going through something that's completely unfair; whatever it is - we need
to remember that we have the opportunity to show the world how good our God is
by the way we act and live through our crisis. When these times come, can we be ready and willing to be a beacon of
light to those around us who have no hope? Can we trust that ‘what is meant to
harm us will be used for good’?
Spend some time now asking God for that same
peace and trust, and that the Holy Spirit will empower you to be strong in the
time of crises.
"…to
give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness that they may be called trees of righteousness, the
planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
Isaiah 61:3
