Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 Dignity of Labour and Divine

 1 Kings 17: 17-24

V. 18 "And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!"

There are many circumstances in our lives where we may feel defeated. Many families go through hardships such as the loss of a loved one, battling cancer, having a child with disabilities, marriage struggles, or financial difficulties. We may ask questions similar to the widow who owned the house where Elijah was staying. Why me? Why is it that I have to go through hardships while I see so many families that do not? Is it because I have sinned and this is my punishment? This theme was also seen when Jesus came upon a man who was born blind. It was assumed that the blind man or his parents had sinned and therefore was punished. In John 9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” We should not assume that hardships are an act of punishment, but God may be preparing us for the works of God to be displayed in us.

Elijah performs a miracle and brings the widow’s son to life. We find the meaning of hope in this passage. For in this life, we may suffer, but we must look to the future and find hope in the eternal life to come. As we see in 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Our life may have many ups and downs, but we can find hope in that if we put our faith in God we will be led to eternal glory.

It’s often thought that bad things should not happen to good people. There was a pastor whose daughter was murdered. How could this be? Shouldn’t bad things only happen to “bad” people? Matthew 5:44-46 says, “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even tax collectors do the same?” The rain falls on both the just and unjust. God extends mercy and grace to those who don't deserve it. We should cast our worries and doubts on him through times of trouble or wavering faith. We should remember that God is faithful in his love for us. He can transform and strengthen us through our pain.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to continue to trust in you through our daily struggles. Let us be able to find hope in you and continue to follow the path to eternal glory. Amen.

Thought of the day

"There is not a single thing that Jesus cannot change, control, and conquer because he is the living Lord." - Franklin Graham

 

Mrs. Sonia Varughese
Epiphany Mar Thoma Church, NY

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum