Seeing Jesus

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me Psalm 23:4 Joni Eareckson Tada, a woman much acquainted with suffering, said that "There is nothing more heavenly than seeing Christ in your hell." I know that she's right. I know it from my experience, and I know it through the testimonies of so many others. Just today a lovely young woman who has gone through two deep losses in the last two years, shared with me how she "saw" Jesus in the midst of her suffering. It was beautiful to hear, and I don't doubt a word of it. I have similar instances where He "showed up" in the midst of my pain and heartache. On a bitterly cold winter night near Christmas, on the lonely church campground I was living at, I returned home from work. I was feeling more lonely and forgotten than I ever had. Satan was tormenting me about it all, throwing darts at my mind about the seeming absence of Christ and His faithfulness. When I got into the little cottage I was staying in, I went to my Bible and came upon Paul's words concerning his trial before Caesar. He said, "At my first defense, no one stood with me, all had abandoned me, but Christ came and stood with me." His words leaped out of the pages of His Holy Word. I knew exactly how Paul must have felt. What happened next is mystical but remains as real to me as if it happened just yesterday. As I contemplated what I had read, I suddenly "saw" in my mind a scene of myself, being attacked by the devil in the form of a lion. Scripture says that he goes about seeking whom he might devour. He was certainly trying to do so with me. Suddenly, I saw my Lord Jesus enter the scene and wrap me in His arms of love. With a gesture, He put the lion to flight. The scene ended, but I knew it was real. He had come. Indeed, He'd never left, and He showed me that He hadn't. Like the old hymn goes, "He was there all the time." That's how I know how true Eareckson's words are. Nothing is more heavenly than when Jesus Christ appears in our hell. If you're walking through hell today, beloved, don't stop. Press on. He'll give you the strength to keep going, and I believe that if you're at that point of giving up, as I was, He will appear. He will put the tormentor to flight. He'll remind you again, that He's been there all the time. He never promised to keep us from suffering. He has promised to be there with us in the middle of it and take us all the way through, stronger, deeper in Him than we ever thought we could be. He has never promised to answer every question or make every hard place easy. He has promised to walk through it with us, or when needed, carry us through. A young woman named McKinnon Galloway who has been suffering through painful surgeries and debilitating physical losses since the age of 16 said, "Faith is not having all the answers. It's holding onto God when nothing else makes sense." Hold on. I believe that as you do, the old hymn words will come true for you. "It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. One look at His dear face, all sorrows will erase." This will be fully true in eternity, but I believe that as you cling to Him, you will also see Him. Hold on! Blessings, Pastor O