My friend described the night his world changed.
One phone call . . . with words . . . so powerful that life has never been the same again.Loss.
Pain.
Devastation.
It was as if he had been thrown into the deepest and darkest place on earth. He described it as being in a continual state of drowning. There was no end to it.
He repeatedly replayed and reviewed the past in his thoughts, conversations, and even in his dreams . . . "If only . . .
If, I only had done . . .He had regret after regret. It was all he could think about.
If, I only had said . . .
If only . . .
There was no way to go back.
If, you are unable to relate to this kind of life-changing situation, I encourage you to pay attention. There are few, if any, in this world that escapes some kind of pain that turns life upside down.Life shifted with words that were more powerful than the words said to him on that one fateful night.
It is difficult to imagine that anything could overpower the force of the words he had received from the phone call; however, it was the honest words from the recorded conversation between Jesus and Martha, a grieving woman, that shifted my friend's mind, heart, and soul: :
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11: 21-26).
The words became alive in his spirit. The impact of the words surprised him; he had felt numb for so long.
He had blamed God . . . thinking God had not been present in the circumstance . . . and in some way God had let him down.
The things is . . . he knew God . . . but he did not actively live in a relationship with God. He gave everything to God . . . the anger . . . the hurt . . . the devastation . . . asking Christ to be his life.
His life was resurrected.
He became alive in Christ.
God will make a way in the Red Seas of our life, resurrecting our life.
The story of Exodus tells how the people sang to God after they walked through the Red Sea rather than drowning in it.. It was like beginning all over again . . . a new life . . . in the place God had provided for them through the pathway in the sea:
Who among the gods
is like you, LORD?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
We do not need to drown in the difficult life changing places.
God will provide a way to go through the Red Seas of your life, the places that are difficult, devastating, and even dark.
Choose to be alive in Christ each day.
Pray, seek Jesus as Martha did.
Be honest with Jesus.
Receive and allow Jesus' words to change you today: "I am the resurrection and the life."
Pause and celebrate being alive in Christ.
Learning to KickStart the day alive in Christ,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)