It was one year ago today we lost a dear brother, a friend, and a faithful servant of the Lord. The pain of his loss will always be with us and though our hearts are heavy we rejoice because he’s with Jesus, fully restored and rejoicing with an unspeakable joy. Throughout Scripture we see saints young and old who we can relate to because they endured much pain with a broken heart. Hannah was barren and heavy hearted for many years until God broke through and gave her Samuel. Job lost everything, yet in the end God restored his fortune and gave him twice as much as he had before. Paul and Silas were beat down, beat up, and crying out to God in the prison cell when God answered their prayers. Psalm 34:18 states, “God is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” What we see in God’s word is that those who are broken-hearted, beat down, and overburdened are in a prime position to be radically ministered to by God, and to be greatly used by Him for His glory. The truth is we all need hope, we all need joy, we all need Jesus. Weeping may stay for the night but joy comes in the morning. O death where is your sting, O grave where is your victory. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
