Till We Are Home

When God rescued Israel from Egypt, bringing them through the Red Sea, the children of Israel were instructed to continue looking back on the Exodus at least annually during the celebration of the Passover (Ex 12). But God also wanted His people to continuously look back at the Exodus as evidence of His salvific work in their lives – they were to trust Him in their struggles while looking back to the Exodus as evidence that He would continue to help them. 

Today, Christians look back to the cross. There we see that God did everything to save His people. Because of the cross, we can be confident that God indeed works all things for our good (Rom 8:28). Today as I reflect back on this past year, not only do I “remember the deeds of the Lord,” from this past year, but also, “I will remember your wonders of old.” (Ps 77:11) In remembering, then I shall proclaim the following, “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” (Ps 66:16) 

The Lord has done much for my soul over the past year. To name a few:

• We started the year with our college-aged ministry at a conference in Kentucky. The conference was amazing, and all the young adults thoroughly enjoyed the teaching, worship, and fellowship. Jill and I serve together as the leaders and our oldest two kiddos are part of the group which is truly a blessing.
• By God’s grace, He continued to heal my bride from her bout with tongue cancer and treatment that started and completed last year. The recovery took months and since the treatment focused on her mouth and throat, there was much struggle since that area is so sensitive. However, He is good and has continued to heal her over this year; plus, He used this to strengthen our marriage in so many different ways. In sickness and in health…
• The latter part of this year, the elders at our church kindly granted me a 1-year sabbatical rest from being an elder (lay) which has been so helpful to recover from and reflect on the past 3 years. 
• God ministered to our family greatly as we care for both of our moms who are walking through dementia. 
• I started this blog.
• He brought us greater joy this Advent season than we experienced the previous two years, yet He was near to us in the sorrows that still came as we missed our girl. 

God has been so good – He is good and is always good. And, yes, sorrows abound; I can recount so many. But my hope is not to recount sorrows to wallow in self-pity, but instead learn from them, lean into the Lord, and ask that He opens my eyes to what He is doing. For when my heart hurts and painfully looks back on what I’ve lost, I need to look further back to the cross. 

At the cross, I see how the Father gave up His only Son that I may have life. 

At the cross, I see what it cost Jesus to pay the penalty for my sin. 

At the cross, I see how great the Father’s love for me – so when sorrow and despair come, I know He will lovingly provide Himself as my help (just as Christ provided Himself as the propitiation). 

I’m ending 2024 very thankful for what the Lord is doing in our life. May the Lord be glorified as 2024 ends, and if He is willing for another year, to be glorified in 2025. As God’s people have done since the Exodus, may we reflect on what our God has done for us, especially at the cross. And may we sing His praises and our thanksgiving through the sorrow and the joys…

Till we are home…