My Redeemer lives

Even when all seemed dark and depressing around him, Job was able to proclaim:

I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. (Job 19:25)

There is so much depth in this single sentence and it reminds us of God's promise to come to us in our times of need. It is one thing to be able to say these words when all is going well, but it is something entirely different when we are staring at the cliff face.

In the Complete Jewish Bible, it comes across in a slightly different way, but still holds the good news:

“But I know that my Redeemer lives, that in the end he will rise on the dust."

May these words offer you the hope you need today.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Blessing in disguise - Lent #23

Have you ever experienced something that appeared to be disastrous, frustrating and even painful, yet in the end it ended up being a 'blessing in disguise?' I guess there are a whole lot of examples that one could think of in this regard:

• You make a wrong decision that appears disastrous, but leads to something surprising.
• You run late for work, which makes you frustrated, only to discover you missed an accident by a two minutes.
• There is an illness in the family that leads to a greater sense of love and unity in the family - it brings everyone together like never before.
• You have your phone stolen and the insurance company pays you out for a new one.
• A relationship comes to an end, but then you discover a whole lot about yourself?
• You have to endure another evening of load shedding, only to enjoy quality time with the family.
• It seems as though Jesus has been killed on the cross, but 3 days later He rolls back the stone and conquers death.

I love the way that St Paul remind us that God always brings purpose out of our problems.

Romans 8 - "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." - v.1-2

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory." v.28-30

Anton St.Maarten - "It is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse.”

Living in Grace
D3LM3

In the end...

What happens in the end, is really important! This covers all facets of our lives - we must simply avoid making judgements before the 'End' comes. Take as an example, the brilliant victory for the Sharks Rugby team this past weekend. 15 minutes into the game and every Sharks fan started to wonder how much we would lose by? Playing against the Crusaders with 15 men is hard enough, but trying to beat them with 14 is nigh impossible. Needless to say, when the team was reduced to 13 men later on in the game, everyone assumed.....Game Over! However, we now know that somehow the Sharks managed to pull off a miraculous victory - It's written in the history books for all to witness!

So, when Job looked at his dismal life, he was persuaded by his cynical friends to right God off. They told him to pack it all in and to turn is back on God. But Job refused. He knew something that we should all learn - it is not finished until God says so!

"I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth." - Job 19:25

May this truth fill your heart with gladness and joy. In the end, God is triumphant. God is always the last one standing.

"Everything is alright in the end. If it is not alright, then it is not the end!" - Unknown

Living in Grace
D3LM3