TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Recently, a dear friend of mine successfully underwent  a surgical amputation of the lower part of one of her legs.  Medical complications associated with an injury had caused her to face one of the most difficult physical health decisions in her life.  I went to visit this courageous lady soon after the surgery.  I am a man of faith but was not certain as to how I,

upon seeing her,  might respond to her life changing condition.

When I entered her hospital room – she said to me with clearly apparent optimism, perhaps it was really joy, O’ hi Brother. She took control of our visit, telling me the details of her injury and the resulting surgery.  She proceeded enthusiastically to tell me of her rehabilitation plans.   I knew my friend to be a person of great faith but never before had I seen her faith in action as she expressed it that day.  She said to me as I departed, “Brother….I am alright, I’ll finish rehabilitation, get fitted for a prosthesis, learn to use it and I’ll go on with my life.

My main thoughts upon leaving the hospital were, that I had just heard a testimony of faith and courage, and that I would share the good news.  Bad news tends to travel more often and faster than good news. 

I hear about bad news, usually several times a week, and upon hearing it I sometimes recall that old phrase: “if it wasn’t for bad news, there would be no news at all”. Today Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson passed away, “More Bad News.” The truth however, is that there is far more good news in the world than there is bad news. 

I thank God for the security of knowing that no good news can be as good as the best news ever to hit planet earth.  This news is that God in Jesus Christ divested himself of his royal and regal glory and rapped himself in incarnated flesh, came down through forty two generations (Matthew Chapter One), was born on the back-side of the Roman Empire, in the land of Palestine.  There He was born to a virgin teenager in a town called Bethlehem.  He grew up to be a man.  He went on and did miracles and then on that Easter week-end, that Friday, He died by crucifixion.  He was buried and on Sunday morning God the Father raised Him from the dead.  This is the Gospel, the Good News, the News regarding the gift of Eternal Life.