The
What Ifs
Now Think On This
Steve Martin
"…looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2, NKJV)
We all have asked the “What if?” questions. Usually they come
after a major tragedy in our life, or before a long anticipated event is about
to happen, and we start asking the question.
Our son was involved in a single car accident very
recently, resulting in the hospital ER and the ICU; with one surgery completed
and another yet to come. On top of that, no insurance was in place by him to
cover anything. No auto coverage except the bare bones, and no medical
insurance either. It didn’t take long for the “What if” questions to start
coming, both of those that came inwardly to our minds and the ones that came from
without, from others who heard of the tragedy.
After seeing the mangled 2009 Hyundai Elantra he had been driving,
just bought the week before, at its final towed location, the questions really
started to flow in my brain.
“What if he had hit that tree head on?”
“What if there had been a passenger on that side, which took the
major blunt of the horrible wreck?”
“What if another vehicle had been coming head on the other side of
the median which he had crossed over during that midnight moment, which
normally has much traffic on that city street?”
More and more they came, as further observations were made of Ben
lying in the hospital bed fully sedated, the vehicle and the tree.
But then there was the tree. We most certainly know of the other
tree, the one which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ hung on, to save us from
the world which seeks to kill and destroy, and the eternal damnation hereafter
for those with no hope.
Paul put it this way, “If there
is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah has not been raised; and if
the Messiah has not been raised, then what we have proclaimed is in vain; also
your trust is in vain; furthermore, we are shown up as false witnesses for God
in having testified that God raised up the Messiah, whom he did not raise if it
is true that the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised,
then the Messiah has not been raised either; and if the Messiah has not been
raised, your trust is useless, and you are still in your sins. Also, if this is
the case, those who died in union with the Messiah are lost.
If it is only for this life that
we have put our hope in the Messiah, we are more pitiable than anyone. But the
fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of
those who have died. For since death came through a man, also the resurrection
of the dead has come through a man.” (1 Cor 15:13-22, Complete Jewish Bible)
So I am most grateful for the “what”
that did occur. I am most grateful that our son’s life was spared, to fulfill
the call on his life which began 37 years ago at birth. I am most grateful for
the uncertainties that will become certainties – being certain because His Lord
still has him in the palm of His hand, directing his steps along the way, using
His guardian angels to cover the missteps with their protection assignments on
that path.
Both Ben, Laurie and I and his family will face a lot of “what ifs”
in the coming days, but we are standing on solid ground that our Lord Jesus’
grace, provision and assurance will always be ours, as we keep our eyes fixed
on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
The “what ifs” have, and will yet to be, the completed “See what
the Lord has done.”
For this and all things we certainly give thanks to the Lord for
His abundant grace and His ongoing mercy and love daily in each of our lives.
You can be certain of that too.
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People, Inc.
P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd
share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it.
You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
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Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit
USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father
in the nations.
If these messages minister to you,
please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each
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Todah rabah! (Hebrew
– Thank you very much.)
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Now Think On This - In the Year of our
Lord 02.04.17 - #274 – “The What Ifs” – Saturday 8:30 am
All previous editions of Now
Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the
website: Now Think On This
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