This week I have, once again, been reminded of the brevity and the fragile nature of human life. This week a dear brother in the Lord closed his earthly eyes only to open them in the presence of God Almighty. There is peace because those who knew him are aware that this man knew Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and there is rejoicing because the reality is that this man's struggle with illness is completed. We all understand that there is a beginning and an ending to our lives. We celebrate the beginning of life—conception, pregnancy, and the birth itself—because it is a joyful occasion but we seldom think, or want to think, about the ending of life until we are face-to-face with a situation that forces us to come to grips with this aspect of life. However, I have faced the reality of death with a new perspective in the last couple of days; a perspective that could come only from God and His gracious nature.
In preparation for a class I am teaching tomorrow, I have been studying through Genesis and pondering over God's provision in the creation account. Throughout the Genesis 1-2 account of creation God provided life to man, He provided work for man in the Garden of Eden, God provided food for man, and God provided woman for man. God gave man everything he needed to function on earth; thus, God's understanding of what mankind needed was far above anything man could comprehend on his own. For example, man was unaware of his aloneness until God created a helper for man. Adam was unaware of companionship until God provided it through Eve. God knew Adam's need before Adam knew what he needed. So think about this: through Jesus Christ's death on the cross offering a bridge of salvation for me to be in right standing with God, I serve a God who is ever- providing. It is with this perspective I have spiritually approached the passing of this dear brother.
God's ultimate provision for this situation was to take this dear man into his eternal home. While the loss of this man does leave a physical void in the lives of his loved ones and friends, God's provision took this man to an eternal rest that cannot be grasped by our human minds. From God's perspective, God did not take anything away from this man nor his family; rather, God provided unmeasured peace because this man is in his ultimate home and has received his ultimate healing. God has not withheld anything nor has He taken anything away; God is showing his gracious provision even in this situation that seems so bleak. The implication here is that, just as God provided for Adam, God provides for us even when we do not understand His provision because we cannot see from his eternal perspective. Thus, we as finite humans need God's perspective on provision or we need to at least trust that God will provide, or is providing, in His in perfect timing and through His perfect means. This is not an earth- shattering principle, but it is a practical application of God's Word. We need to allow the idea that God is provider penetrate every area of our lives, including those areas where we do not understand.
However, at the core of this principle is the idea that one must have a relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship with God Almighty is reached not by human efforts, but through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. One must understand that he is a sinner separated from Holy God because his sinful nature is opposed to the holy nature of God Almighty. However, God bridged the gap between sinful man and Himself by providing Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for sin. What does man have to do? Follow the idea of Romans 10:9-10; confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (controller of your life) and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and you will be saved. Simple yet difficult because God's provision strikes to the core of humanity—pride. We must give up ourselves and allow God to be the rightful head of our lives. Then, and only then, may we begin to understand God's provision through His perspective.
James Christopher Powell has served as assistant minister in Northwest Florida for ten years.
He studies at The Baptist College of Florida where he is working on a Master's degree in Christians Studies.
He married his wife Jennifer in March 2014.
In preparation for a class I am teaching tomorrow, I have been studying through Genesis and pondering over God's provision in the creation account. Throughout the Genesis 1-2 account of creation God provided life to man, He provided work for man in the Garden of Eden, God provided food for man, and God provided woman for man. God gave man everything he needed to function on earth; thus, God's understanding of what mankind needed was far above anything man could comprehend on his own. For example, man was unaware of his aloneness until God created a helper for man. Adam was unaware of companionship until God provided it through Eve. God knew Adam's need before Adam knew what he needed. So think about this: through Jesus Christ's death on the cross offering a bridge of salvation for me to be in right standing with God, I serve a God who is ever- providing. It is with this perspective I have spiritually approached the passing of this dear brother.
God's ultimate provision for this situation was to take this dear man into his eternal home. While the loss of this man does leave a physical void in the lives of his loved ones and friends, God's provision took this man to an eternal rest that cannot be grasped by our human minds. From God's perspective, God did not take anything away from this man nor his family; rather, God provided unmeasured peace because this man is in his ultimate home and has received his ultimate healing. God has not withheld anything nor has He taken anything away; God is showing his gracious provision even in this situation that seems so bleak. The implication here is that, just as God provided for Adam, God provides for us even when we do not understand His provision because we cannot see from his eternal perspective. Thus, we as finite humans need God's perspective on provision or we need to at least trust that God will provide, or is providing, in His in perfect timing and through His perfect means. This is not an earth- shattering principle, but it is a practical application of God's Word. We need to allow the idea that God is provider penetrate every area of our lives, including those areas where we do not understand.
However, at the core of this principle is the idea that one must have a relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship with God Almighty is reached not by human efforts, but through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. One must understand that he is a sinner separated from Holy God because his sinful nature is opposed to the holy nature of God Almighty. However, God bridged the gap between sinful man and Himself by providing Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for sin. What does man have to do? Follow the idea of Romans 10:9-10; confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (controller of your life) and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and you will be saved. Simple yet difficult because God's provision strikes to the core of humanity—pride. We must give up ourselves and allow God to be the rightful head of our lives. Then, and only then, may we begin to understand God's provision through His perspective.
James Christopher Powell has served as assistant minister in Northwest Florida for ten years.
He studies at The Baptist College of Florida where he is working on a Master's degree in Christians Studies.
He married his wife Jennifer in March 2014.
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