As 2020 fades into the rearview mirror, the media, reflecting the desires of the average person, are focusing on a relevant question: When will things return to normal? In addition to a worldwide pandemic, we have faced racial unrest, deep divisions in government and a record- setting number of storms and fires. Strangely, apart from religious broadcasting, there has been little mention of God. Closer to home, our churches have been forced to shut down or operate under greatly reduced capacity; and, I have not been able to have normal visits with Linda for the past eight months. It would seem any thinking person would recognize there is an underlying spiritual component. For followers of Christ, a different question must be asked: Do I want, even if it would be possible, to return to things as they used to be; or do I want to better understand and submit to God’s plan for my life?
God’s Promise
In 1972, while on a tour of Israel, when Jerusalem came into sight, our guide had the driver pull over; and with great emotion, he read:
I will raise my eyes to the mountains;
From where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who watches over you will not slumber.
Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your protector;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul (Psalm 121 1-7 NASB).
This psalm was sung by the Jews during their pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the sacred feasts. The symbolism is powerful: Jerusalem was believed to be the dwelling place of God and he alone could protect from disaster.
Personal Application
After the death of Jeffery, Linda never wanted to return to life as it had been. Believing God wanted her time of trouble and sorrow to become foundational for understanding his greater plan, she became an avid reader of the Bible. One night sitting up in bed, she startled me out of sleep with these words: “Jeffery is not dead, he is alive!” My first inclination was to think she may have snapped; however, that fear quickly gave way to praise when she read: But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:31-32 NASB).
Over the years, Linda’s desire for a relationship with Christ moved beyond a desire to be protected from sorrow and trouble into a hunger for his kingdom to be manifested on earth. Now, even though Alzheimer’s is robbing her of memory and personality, she still relishes being in his presence. Her answers to these questions illustrate my point:
- “Have you ever seen Jesus?” When she replied “no,” I asked: “Have you ever felt his presence?” And she replied, “Oh yes!”
- “Have you ever seen angels?” When she replied “no,” I asked: “Have you ever felt their presence?” And she replied, “Oh yes!”
In many ways, Linda is living out Jesus’s admonition: “Believe me,” he said, “unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3 PHILLIPS).
Antidote for Faulty Thinking
Let’s return to a question for followers of Christ: “Do I want, even if it would be possible, to return to things as they used to be; or do I want to understand and submit to God’s plan for my life?” Apart from the Word of God, normal is defined as whatever two- thirds of the populace believe at any given time. That approach has resulted in rejection of the sanctity of life, gender confusion and failure to understand God’s purpose for Israel.
Linda’s well-worn, marked- up Bible highlights a scene in Heaven, which when understood and received, anchors us in the present and prepares us to face whatever life brings our way:
Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:11–12 NLT).
Contrary to the belief of many, the more Heavenly minded one becomes, the more prepared they are to live victoriously through trouble and sorrow in this life.
Ron Harvard Ministries 