There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. (Heb. 4:9)
God has blessed me tremendously in so many ways. I cannot deny the gifts the Lord has given me in the form of family, friends, job, health, and other areas. Thankfully, I have known very little tragedy in my years, and I know many cannot say the same.
But I have known plenty of pain in my life. A few circumstances come to mind: a devastating break-up in college, the three times my sister lost babies during pregnancy (and tragically birthed two of those little ones), the year my grandparents died six weeks apart, and perhaps the most painful and difficult moment to date—the day my son was born. While his birth was a joyful day I’ll never forget, it was also full of disappointment and confusion. Born ten weeks early with an unconnected esophagus, the shock of learning that news about his anatomy ripped me apart. Our lives were turned upside down, knowing we would have a long road ahead of us.
Despite these gut-wrenching situations, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7) became deeply rooted in my heart in those challenging days, weeks, and months of my son’s health journey. Because of that peace, I could rest with full confidence that Jesus was carrying me and that everything would be okay according to his will.
List the difficult circumstances in which God has given you peace.
Tricia Rife lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Adam, and son, Andrew. She loves taking regular trips to Walt Disney World.
© 2019 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
