Rely on and Remember God's Words

I hope you are having a wonderful Easter or Resurrection holiday season. I know that I am. This time last week I was looking forward to some time off from work for the holiday. Then by midweek mom was readmitted to the hospital due to an infection. At first we were told she was going to be in for a few days and then as long as two weeks. I took the news really hard and mom was upset about spending another major holiday in the hospital.
As dad and I were preparing to go to the hospital on Good Friday, mom called and told us she was going to be released. We were all very surprised and very happy. As dad and I drove to the hospital, he admitted to me he was fearful that once we got there, we were going to be told that in fact she could not come home. My father is not a man of fear. He is so positive that it drives me crazy. In the midst of a storm he sees a ray of sunshine. This fear was uncharacteristic of my dad. He walks in faith, not fear, but in this moment fear was winning out. It was because we have been through this before and he knew the pain of disappointment. He also knew how upset mom would be and how much it would take all of us to make her feel better. I guess he just didn't have the strength to face the possibility of disappointment. We have been going through this for almost two years, and we are all tired of it.
We got to the hospital and were delighted to learn that in fact mom was coming home. It was the best Good Friday ever. We had a great Easter too. Today mom had to go into the clinic and as I was helping get washed she admitted to me that she feared that she may be readmitted. I understood her fear, it has happened before, more than once. I called her a little while ago and so far she is doing fine and will be coming home later today.
I admire both of my parents. They are people of faith and hope, but fear is something that they have experienced and when they do, they have admitted it and it has allowed them to release the fear and hold onto their faith that is based on God's word.
Who you place your faith in is so important. I know a young woman who works for an organization that is downsizing due to budget problems from the U.S. economic problems. The contact states that the person with the least amount of seniority will be let go first. The young lady had the least amount of seniority and was upset, and rightly so. She then took action and got three good job offers. Then she was told that she had nothing to worry about, that her position was safe. She turned down all three job offers. When the final decision was made she was devastated that she indeed was going to loose her position. Someone in a more powerful position made the final decision, which in fact was the legal and fair thing to do. Not only did this young lady put her faith in the words of someone who had limited power and influence, but then she contacted the employer of the job she turned down and lied about why she had not accepted the position. It was too late, the position was gone, and it would of been close to her home, and she would no longer have a long difficult commute. This young lady learned a very painful lesson.
Who do you put your faith in? Whose words do you believe? God's word are true even when they don't make sense or seem to have gotten lost. In Luke 24: 1-8 it states, "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' Then they remembered his words." (NIV)
Jesus had told his followers what was going to happen to him, but they could not grasp the concept. Then he was arrested, put on trail, tortured, and publicly murdered. That is a lot for anyone to witness, let alone understand. When the women went to the tomb, they were going to do what was expected to a dead body of a human, the thing they did not understand that Jesus was not only human, but also divine. Jesus knew his followers did not understand him and two angels were at the tomb waiting for the women. They had to remind them of Jesus' words. When they women did, they rejoiced and shared the good news.
No matter what you face remember you are most powerful at your weakest moment, because it is at that moment that you let go and let God and with God all things are possible. Have faith in his word, his word is true, even if you think that it is too late, it is never to late when it comes to God. Rejoice! Our redeemer lives! Share the good news!