We’ve just made our way through the busiest, and perhaps for some, the most stressful season of the year. Gifts were given. Meals were served. Catching-up with family members has renewed a longing to be with them longer than what the holidays will allow.
For me personally, the last few weeks have included all kinds of experiences, both good and bad.
Over Christmas break we celebrated with my brother-in-law and his wife in Kansas, who announced that they will be having a baby next summer. That’s certainly a good reason to celebrate. We’re so happy for them!
However, we’re also extremely saddened by the unexpected death of a young 22-year-old husband who was just newly married in 2015 to a young woman at IBC. We grieve and mourn with our friends in Christ who by the grace of God will persevere in this trial.
No doubt, like me you too have had some remarkable experiences over the past few weeks of this holiday season, some good and some bad.
But in the midst of both the good and bad, I want to draw your attention to the only ever-sustaining, never-ending source of nourishment and joy that can be found. He is the living one. The one who was dead but who is now alive forevermore.
He is the faithful witness of the Father, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. He is the alpha and the omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.
He is the one in whose presence all we can do is fall on our faces as though dead. He is the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us into a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.
He is the one to whom is due all glory and dominion unto the age of the ages, for from him and through him and to him are all things.
So no matter what you’ve just experienced over the holiday season, I want to encourage you to set your focus on Jesus Christ. He is our source of life.
For further encouragement, here are some words from Revelation chapter 1.
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
And a few more encouraging words from Paul’s doxology in Romans 11.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.