Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend. I want to give you an update on Jack, who you prayed for recently. He is out of ICU and in rehab at the very place his wife has happened to be for a while. We got a picture of them both in wheelchairs as they hugged and kissed each other after God’s miracle of healing on Jack’s life. What a reunion for them!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Most of us don’t choose struggles in life, but they happen to us and we must deal with them. The fourth and fifth-century desert fathers had a different outlook on struggles, seeing them as healthy and necessary to drive us to the Lord. Al and I recently struggled with minor health issues and I had not thought to thank the Lord for them, but thought more to pray that they may soon disappear. Instead, I should have been praying that the Lord would teach me through them, develop my character and lead me into greater intimacy.
Our goal in life should not be to live a comfortable life and to be successful in the eyes of the world, but rather to draw closer to the Lord and develop mature character that we can have an influence on others to know Him. Struggles that fight against our flesh are good for our souls as they help us realize how much we need the Lord. One who exemplified this was St. Antony of Egypt, who grew up in a rich home and who after his parents died managed the responsibilities of the home and his younger sister. But while going to church one day, he wondered what it would be like for him to forsake everything to follow the Lord. The sermon text at church was from Matt 19:21, about if you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor. That is exactly what he did and then entrusted the care of his sister to friends. He withdrew and lived in an abandoned fortress for 20 years in isolation where he did battle with the enemy and came through the testing with humility, peace and great love for the Lord. Others sought him, and eventually he left his desired solitude and spent the last part of his life healing the sick, mentoring disciples, and serving those who had suffered for their faith. He especially encouraged others to prefer nothing in the world above the love of Christ.
When Constantine assumed the throne, he issued the Edict of Milan (A.D. 313) giving Christianity legal status in the Roman empire. Church attendance grew, but it wasn’t long before Christianity became almost fashionable. What resulted was a worldly church; not persecution but privilege. The enemy they fought was now within. It sounds like the church today. We all have to face the darkness of our own souls. Let us not seek a life of comfort, but rather victory over our struggles that draw us closer to the Lord.
Challenge for today: Thank the Lord for the very struggles that help you realize how much you need Him.