The life of a Christian isn’t without test or trials, rather our assurance is in knowing that God is in control. However, as Christ himself exemplified in Luke 4:1-13, we too must equip ourselves with God’s Word as a weapon against the devil himself or as a tool for facing any test or trial. I have found this to be true in my own life.
Like Jesus, God’s Word has been the sustaining power while dealing with the illness and death of my mother-in-law. Three years ago, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment and was healed. However, a couple months later, she again became sick and this time the cancer was more severe. During the same week that we were preparing to celebrate my husband’s graduation, we were also at the hospice house watching my mother-in-law lose her life at the young age of 55. To this day, tears fill my eyes and my heart feels the pain of losing her, but I am comforted by God’s Word that Jesus Christ is my comfort and strength, her Healer and our Savior.
While we mourned for her loss, we rejoiced that she is no longer in pain and is resting in peace. God showed us his salvation by coming to this earth in the form of a human named Jesus and overcoming death. I thank God that because of his resurrection power, we have a new heaven to look forward to. A place described in Revelations 21:4 where “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’
“He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you”,
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Dear Liliana,
Thank you for your profound and anguished meditation. May I offer my heartfelt support by my prayer and my own personal suffering and that of my friends. There is only one cross, that of our dear Lord Jesus, whish we carry in union with him. Pray for me, too.
Mervyn Carapiet
Lenten Blessings,
Mervyn Carapiet
I too, lost a mother-in-law to cancer. She was a wonderful woman of God and I miss her dearly. She had several different cancers and many treatments. There were times we saw God’s healing power and times he gave grace to help us. May God continue to give us His peace and grace knowing one day we will be reunited. Blessings to you.
Liliana, it is wonderful that the certainty of the love and sacrifice of Jesus has sustained you and your husband through the loss of his mother. Your message of hope and inspiration will no doubt comfort countless others; thank you for sharing it.
It actually says in three different places in scripture that God will wipe away all tears. This repetition seems to be saying to us that this is an important message. God loves us so much and yearns to comfort us.
I found this devotional very comforting.
DAILY Bible reading is a must for the Christian today to use against the many sneaky ways the devil uses to trip us up. Thank you for that reminder. For those of us who have received Christ into our hearts- the best is yet to come!! How comforting that is when death tries to steal our joy.