It seems lately, that trouble and trials seem to be around
every corner. I have
witnessed the pain endured by families who have lost loved ones and have
been by the bedside of friends in the midst of disease and despair.
Personally, my wife and I have endured the pain of the loss of an
unborn child.
The natural first reaction and question is “Why?”.
In this newsletter, I’d like to share a few truths that have
comforted me. First of all, I
know that God loves me. I
know that He has my best interest at heart.
I know that before I was even conceived, that somehow He knew each
success I would have, each failure I would endure, each mistake I would
make and every sin I would commit. In
spite of that, He still loved me. I
know that I don’t deserve Heaven after I die.
God is perfect and pure and I am a sinner.
Being a just God, He demanded justice and punishment, but loving me
as He did, since someone had to pay the price, He sent His son to die on a
Cross in my place. The penalty was paid and because I accepted God’s
free gift of His son, I am assured of Heaven.
My place in Heaven is secure because of Jesus, but while I
am here on earth, problems still come.
With the security of Heaven as a backdrop, let’s consider one of
God’s promises. Romans 8:28
states “ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the
good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for
them.” (NLT) No matter what
trial comes our way, none of our problems could occur without God’s
permission. Although the devil may intend for certain circumstances to do
us harm and cause pain, God will somehow use every situation for His
ultimate good.
Usually our closest times with God are when we are in the
midst of a tremendous burden, trial or tribulation. God uses trials to bring us closer to Him.
God could have kept Daniel out of the lion’s den, could have kept
Joseph out of jail or a myriad of other historical examples, but God used
them to strengthen the character of His children for even greater service
later in life. God also
specializes in turning good out of the worst that Satan can throw at us.
The ultimate example was the travesty that occurred to God’s son
on the cross. Satan thought
he had won the victory, but God turned that worst day in the history of
the human race, into the shining culmination of His plan of love and
redemption.
When adverse circumstances, trials, sickness, injustice and
other situations get you down, remember a phrase that Corrie ten Boom, who
suffered in a Nazi concentration camp made famous: “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed.
If you look within, you’ll be depressed.
But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest!!”
If you focus on your illness, your situation, life’s problems,
the world situation, or if you let those types of issues take prominence
in your life, you will never be at peace.
If instead, through these trials, you finally turn whole heartedly
to God, get in His word the Bible and get close to Him in prayer, you will
slowly notice that God did ultimately use that adverse situation for good
in at least one respect. You
are closer to Him, which produces more peace and ultimately more
contentment in your life. Sometimes God may not always answer in the way that we
desire. God knows the big
picture. We don’t.
He can see years down the road where we can only see today.
From His perspective, not granting healing on earth of a loved one
is the greatest gift He could offer.
Although it is very painful to us, God truly delivers the ultimate
healing when a loved one is taken to be with Him.
Who better to look after our loved one than our Heavenly Father?
What better place to be than Heaven?
Singing about such a loving God is why Legacy sings.
We look forward for the remainder of the year in sharing the good
news about His great love and mercy.
Legacy will be going into the recording studio during August for
our next project and we are truly excited.
We ask that you would keep us in your prayers during the recording
session that Holy Spirit would anoint this CD and that lives would be
touched through the songs recorded. Please
check our schedule for the dates we will be close to your area.
We would love to see you and always enjoy seeing our many friends
we have met through the years. May
God bless you all.
In His Service,
Tim Perry for Legacy