Have you assumed a surrendered life to God promises an easy life? Have you equated a life for Jesus as a comfortable life filled with all joy and no pain?
Last night, here at our BIG Life Missouri Lake Retreat, we gathered in the family room in our pajamas and we began sharing our stories. Random stories of “I’m a taxidermist, I hula hoop, I used to competitively drive mud trucks and I’m a homeless traveling gypsy. (One of those is me, the others are most certainly not.)
Then Emily shared. Emily is a stunning beautiful blonde who is well put together with a certain touch of class, yet air of your new best friend. She shared how 4 years ago, her 7 year old little boy died in a drowning accident. This unspeakable loss broke her and brought her to a place of such immense pain that she planned to end her own life. She simply couldn’t go on. BUT GOD.
But God has been healing her heart, renewing her spirit, and doing what only he can do … he’s been turning all this intended harm into a work of his goodness that saves many lives. Her testimony is one of faith and promise in the midst of unimaginable loss and grief. She showed us a Jesus that never leaves, with sufficient grace to cover our worst disappointments and disasters.
Emily reminded us a surrendered life to God never promises an easy life. Emily reminded us a life for Jesus does not equate comfort with all joy and no pain. However, that life, given to Jesus, does mean a hope beyond all hopes and a story that brings glory to God.
In the mental hospital as she was fighting for her own will to survive, she met a man who’s child had been murdered. In this man’s immense pain he had lost his faith in God. And this divine encounter, amidst the hardest of circumstances life could ever hand them, allowed Emily to illuminate the path for that hurting Dad’s way back to God.
My friends, maybe your life experience has fallen far short of how you thought it was supposed to be as a beloved daughter of the King. And maybe it’s time to surrender all of that to the only hands who can hold it for you, and let a relationship with God Almighty use all the intended harm in your life for something eternally good now.
As we study the book of Revelation together over the next several days and weeks, remember we are promised God’s blessings for reading, hearing and obeying what this book of the Bible reveals. This is the revealing of Jesus, our judge and our redeemer.
This often avoided last book in your Bible is written by John, and as we discussed yesterday, John personally knew Jesus. He walked this earth with Jesus … literally. John was in the boat on the night the waves were taking them under and Jesus came out walking on the waves, calming the storm. John was serving in the crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children, who were miraculously feasting off only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. His feet were washed by Jesus. He was the one who knew without a doubt, Jesus loved him. It was John’s entire identity. I’m the one Jesus loves.
So, after 60 plus years of faithfully spreading the gospel, telling nothing but the truths of Jesus, and leading countless souls to salvation, you would assume he is greatly rewarded. Like in my mind, that kind of dedication deserves success. That kind of commitment deserves overflowing blessings and a place of honor. But instead, do you know where John is when he’s visited by this angel of God and told to write the words we read today in Revelation?
He’s in exile on the island of Patmos. I’m an island girl, but this is not the island you want to be on!
The island of Patmos is nothing but a harsh desolate rock covered in thorns where the unwanted were sent into banishment. And this is where John is. John – the one who’s complete identity is being loved by Jesus.