Weekend Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Not Afraid - Fear of Death
Read: 1 Timothy 4:6-8; Isaiah 1:18
Think: Over the last two years as my mother prepared to leave this earth, it gave me lots of comfort to know where she was going and that God had prepared a place for her. As I invested in my mother during her final year of life, God also brought another family into my life that was going through the same thing. While I am not one to hide my faith, this was a particularly stretching relationship for me because the family lived in Spain.
We met through an exchange program where the son was in our home for a short time. When he returned to Spain we found out that his grandmother only had a few months to live. His mother didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Spanish, but I sensed God directing me to minister to her as we prepared to bury our mothers. We mainly communicated through email via an online translator.
After hearing this sad news, God directed me to send this family the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. I read this book as an accompaniment to a Bible study years ago. This study had really helped me to better understand Biblical truths about heaven and release my fears about dying. I found a Spanish version of the book and sent it. When I sent that book, I remember thinking that it was a risky thing to do. I wondered if the family would be receptive to this openly spiritual overture or if they would reject it—and possibly cut off our relationship. I prayed about it and released the outcome to God.
The family graciously accepted this gift. And as the months passed, this young man’s mother and I grew closer, praying for each other and supporting each other. Our mother’s passed away three weeks apart in a way that has united our families here on earth and our mother’s eternally. Even more miraculously, one week before the first anniversary of my mother’s passing, I got word that the story that united our mothers in heaven will be published in a book.
I use this story to illustrate that as we live our lives ‘all in’ as Pastor Ben challenged us to do, we will live a life without regrets. For me, studying what the Bible says about heaven really helped me to have an eternal perspective and not dwell on my circumstances or my past. I reached across cultural, religious and language barriers. The result was incredibly faith building for me and is reaping eternal consequences for our mothers.
Do: Pray about what in your life may be holding you back from living a life for God—being all in. Don’t let your past dictate where and how you live your life for God. Ask God to show you where He can use you in some small way that will have eternal consequences for you or someone you know.
Pray: Heavenly Father, help me to see myself as you see me, spotless and clean—as white as snow. Show me where you can use me to further your Kingdom. Help me to live each day with an eternal perspective and with joyful anticipation of the place you have prepared for me when I will forever be in Your presence. Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.