|
|
by Rev. Fr. V.V. Paulose, Toronto, Canada
"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again rejoice." (Philippians 4:4).
Would you be able to rejoice in the Lord when you are in a hopeless condition?
It is easy to say rejoice in the Lord when all things are good. But what about those times when things are bad? How do you rejoice then? It is learning to trust and leaning towards God, and believing that He alone is enough to solve all our problems. It is knowing beyond a doubt that He is there, for you and lives in you. Hope is the word for joy in our lives. We should understand that the world rotates not on our head but by the word of God. God has intended a role for everybody and we should do it well. We can neither control nature nor the problems that are going to befall on us, but the response and attitude towards it are definitely in our hands. We can rejoice as St. Paul had rejoiced when he was bound by chains in jail and in the gallows of death.
Elizabeth Edwards died (1949-2010) on Tuesday, 7th December 2010 due to breast cancer. She was the wife of John Edwards, the presidential contestant of the Democratic Party in USA in 2008. Her 16 year old son was killed in a traffic accident and she had two more children later at the age of 48 and 50. The husband was unfaithful and also had a child with another woman. Since 2004, she had been battling with breast cancer and had not even revealed this to her husband during the campaign trail. Even when doctors told her that she had only a few more weeks to live, her spirit of hope and attitude of not giving up never faded. She said, “the days of our lives for all of us, are numbered. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful."
Jesus, we pray for those who are struggling with terminal illnesses, unfaithful husbands and wives, and for people on their death bed. Let them have your hope, peace, love and presence. Let your undefeatable and unyielding spirit of eternity encompass them. We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Yesterday | Today with Jesus Archives | Next
Weekly Devotionals | Sermons | Essays | Articles | Bible Study | Library - Home | Baselios Church Home
-------
Malankara World
A service of St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox
Church, Ohio
Copyright © 2009-2020 - ICBS Group. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer
Website designed, built, and hosted by
International Cyber Business Services, Inc., Hudson, Ohio
