"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows, like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has caused me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul.'"
As the third and final term of my Chronological Bible School continues, I have experienced seemingly face-value, [yet, if we allow ourselves to admit it, they are incredibly profound] truths. While reading the gospel of Matthew, I recommitted myself to being known as one who is marked by "fear and great joy" like the women who discovered that Jesus had been raised from the dead and fulfilled the Law and the Prophets once and for all (Matthew 28:8). This concept of fear [Greek: φόβος phóbos] is translated throughout the New Testament roughly 47 times- taking on various forms in its translation- including "terror," "awe," "respect," and "reverence." Application of each of these hermeneutical expressions translates to specific situations of our lives still today! Deeply recognizing the Omnipotence of God is something that should bring finite humans, such as myself, to a place of awe and humility. This is a state I long to exist in: constantly reflecting on what it means to profess this Jesus is King as an eternal reality that surpasses the atmosphere of any trial or affliction that life presents.
Spending six months studying the Old Testament had begun to feel like I had actually been waiting two thousand years for the Messiah- the Son of Abraham- the King of the Jews who had been prophesied to bless all the families of the world (Genesis 12:3). Finally, He had come- and He conquered all that had been foretold. In Luke, I was gripped with the idea that the risen Jesus "opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:27, 32, 44-45). In Acts, I sat and color coded my Bible with tears rolling down my cheeks, realizing the weight of what it means to honestly believe that the Bible is a True Story- the Truest. I reflected on the historical account of the early church and the lives of the disciples, and now I have colored penciled markings, coffee, and tears staining page after blessed page. Testimonies. Boldness. Preaching rooted in beliefs so firm they endured persecution and death. Being empowered by the Holy Spirit to write books and letters that were passed down for thousands of years and are considered God-breathed Scripture. And the Lord sees fit to open MY mind to understand the Scriptures. How humbling a thought.
This week we are studying a few of the New Testament Epistles: James, Galatians, and I & II Thessalonians.
I volunteered to read a passage from Scripture in class on Thursday and was overcome with emotion just a few lines in:"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
- I Thessalonians 4:13-18
My immediate thought, [though not conducive with the inductive study method's mindset of the Original Reader practice], was...
I know someone who has fallen asleep.
My daddy. 22 July 2016 will mark the ten year anniversary of his passing.
Choked up but receiving all sorts of gracious smiles (and a comforting hand on my knee from my deskmate, Bethany), I finished reading the passage aloud and our class engaged in studying the text.
Text meaning the very Word of God.God meaning a Good and Loving Father who floods with comfort all those who turn to Him in their distress.
This same God embraced a family whose earthly father... brother... friend... was taken from them before they could have ever seen fit and simultaneously welcomed a son who awoke on the other side of eternity. All theological interpretations on the timing of this awakening aside, I can say with confidence that my family does not have to grieve as though we are those who have no hope.
Indeed, some say there is nothing past the last sleep. But it is by "faith, the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen[1]" and our souls in union with God, “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God[2]” that allows us to rest assured when we consider those who fall asleep. It is faith in the God of hope who fills us with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may abound in hope[3] that allowed our family to boldly proclaim the hymn “It is Well” at my father’s funeral, because we know the story continues after our earthly death.
It is the same God who extends to you and I the grace to believe, that we may be marked by reverent fear and great joy, and the same Father who teaches us to "rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who had been given to us." (Romans 5:5)
"Encourage one another with these words..."May you see testimony of God's adoption over my life. Know you are invited to present your heart and your afflictions before the Lord. He is faithful to sustain and comfort the hurt, those who are suffering persecution, those who are experiencing broken relationships or losing loved ones to death. Come to Him with the burden of losing your job, or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time; the big and the small trials. Our faith in God is justified. Place your hope in Jesus.
"And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul!"
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul!"
