I was nearly side-swiped by a truck merging with my car on the freeway this morning, when I averted sudden death thanks to a vacant spot in the next lane - more accurately, thanks to God's sovereign care. It reminded me that the exact timing of my death is in God's hands, and that he is in control of every tiny circumstance. Nothing to fear, when he knows us and loves us so much!
Clearly, I'm not the only one who thinks about death. The post my brush with mortality received quite a few responses this week. I was very encouraged by what people said, so I thought I'd share their comments with you (anonymously, of course.)
- I told one friend how ridiculous I felt speaking of my fear of being on the edge of death when I obviously wasn't(!) She said that whether I'm sick or not is irrelevant, because I was writing about "the fear of the unknown, or more precisely the lack of fear of the unknown (praise God!)" She reminded me of how amazingly God works in us - that he changed the way I respond to death, even when I wasn't looking.
- a couple of people were struck by the fact that God's supernatural power is available to us in the midst of grief and suffering. One wrote that she has been feeling like her faith is weak and wondering how she would cope with severe suffering, and was encouraged to be reminded that the grace we need is from God, not us.
- a friend who has dealt with similar (but more serious) uncertainty in her own life said that she felt many of the same things, and that she found it "great to be able to rest in the assurance of God's sovereignty and love." She reminded me, very helpfully, that even our grief is temporary if we are Christians, for we can be confident of being reunited with those we love in eternity.
- other relevant Bible passages people suggested included Hebrews 12 (one of my own favourites), Lamentations 3 (a great example of arguing yourself out of discouragement), and Psalm 139.
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