Last month I lost a dear friend. She had struggled a long time with her health, and fought a long hard battle. Some may say she lost the fight, but I don't think so. She trusted God through it all, and in the end, she was ready to go home to glory. She knew Jesus as her personal Savior, and was trusting Him to help her family through it all. She wanted Jesus to shine through her, and since she owned a Bible book store, she was an evangelist at heart. She always wanted others to know Jesus and to live a victorious life in Him. Her smile radiated joy, and would uplift my spirit whenever I saw it.
There were many more losses of life in this month, and many I don't know about, but it seems to me, a lot of people are going home to glory, and some, like a dear friend of mine, who is in the rest home right now, are fighting the good fight to the finish. Isn't that what we all want? To have Jesus say to us, "Well done, My good and faithful servant?" I sure do. I want Him to be so pleased with me and my service to Him. I don't serve Him to get that word, but I serve Him, so that He receives glory. It says in the Bible, that our good deeds will be seen by men, so that they can give God the glory for it, when they see it being done. (my paraphrasing here).
My friend and her husband were well known in the community. They both lived their lives for God. I was unable to go to the funeral, but I did go to the viewing the day before. I am sure the funeral and service were full, as so many people's lives were touched by Pam Wendt and her husband George. I know that there were people praising God for His work in their lives and how it touched those people. That is what we want, for God to receive glory for the work in our lives and how it expands to those around us.
Praises lifted to God, reflect His glory. He inhabits the praises of His people. Sometimes it is a sacrifice to praise Him. Sometimes, our praises are given in the midst of our troubles and struggles. We need to praise in good times and bad, in joy and in sorrow, and in each day we live out our lives. As we draw to the end of our days, our joy should be more vibrant and more joyous, because we know that soon, we will see our Lord and Savior, face to face. I know, when I was so afraid of death, I did not look at death as a good thing. I struggled with finding joy in dying. I was afraid. When God took that fear away, I realized how much I could rejoice about the next step of our lives, going home to glory. Since that time, I have no fear of death, but only want my life to reflect His glory, for when that day comes, that I lay down my head and die, I know I will be heading straight to glory, and there will only be joy and life and power in that glorious day. I will see Jesus face to face, and will be sitting at His feet, worshiping Him with all my heart.
For a while, Isolino and I have been seeing the sun rainbows (sun dogs) that I have shown in this picture I took. On that day, we saw these radiant light shows all day long. We saw a rainbow around the sun, and different aspects of the sun rainbows. I have had one person tell me of sun dogs, and since that time I have looked for them, and God has let me find them. On this day, a couple shared what they had seen of the sun rainbows, and that is the first time in the close to fifteen years since first hearing of them, that anyone had told me of these beautiful rays of light and glory. It was so wonderful to share with this couple, the joy of seeing this glorious sight. I have tried to share these when I see them, with whoever is around. Yesterday, we went to Sonora, and lo and behold, we saw two sun-rainbows a rainbow around the sun, and a upside down rainbow. I shared the two sun-rainbows with a girl at the store we were at, and she had never seen them before, and she was blown away by how they were both on either side of the sun. It was a glorious sight, as one of them was radiating with a light that was glowing so brightly, it was stunning to see.
That is how sharing the good news of the gospel should be for us. A radiating light of God's glory being revealed in the darkness of this world. I heard on the radio, a man calling in and saying he had found the station and because of what they shared, he asked Jesus into his heart. Hallelujah, a ray of glory spilled out, and a soul got saved. It is our lives, lived on the principles of God's Word, living for Jesus, speaking His Word in due season, watering the lives of those around us, and sharing our testimonies of Jesus living in us, that will speak to a dying world. Let us work today, to let His Light spill out around us, to bring hope and healing to those around us, and let people praise God, giving Him glory, when they see us living the Word of God out in our lives. We need to read it, and then, we need to act upon it. It is living and active. As we apply it to our lives, those around us will see the difference and praise God.
May you be blessed with rainbows of glory in your lives. May you not fear death, but look forward with joy, to the world beyond us, that we will receive when we have fulfilled our destiny's for God. God bless each of you this weekend. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will towards men.
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