June 1
Walking at 2 A.M.
Re 3:4 ….and they shall walk with me in white:
for they
are worthy.
It was early Saturday. The phone call we had
dreaded, but anticipated, finally came. We were expecting to hear of his
passing. He was back in the hospital again. But this time it was worse. Cancer
had taken its toll over the last several years. It was just a matter of time.
A week earlier we were planning a 4 day
get-away. We knew he was back in the hospital, but the hospital was a three
hour drive away from where we live. As most people today, we are busy. We had
planned a short vacation with some friends. How could we squeeze in a visit to
our old friend in the hospital? We had been friends with him and his wife for
over 50 years. Maybe there would be time after returning from our four day
get-away.
My wife and I finally decided to go to the
hospital on our way to catch our train. It meant a couple hours of extra
driving but you don’t have lots of friendships that last 50 plus years.
We were able to spend about half an hour with
him in between radiation, ultra sounds and a battery of procedures. The time
was spent chatting, laughing and praying with him and his wife. He smiled,
waved and thanked us for coming as we left. It was a warm and wonderful visit.
The call came four days later, just before
checking out of our motel and heading home. But it wasn’t what we expected to
hear. His wife said that at 2 AM that morning he had gotten up and started
walking. What a miracle!
The Bible records lots of miracles, but none
greater than this one. The Doctors had no explanation of how a terminally ill
cancer patient could get up and walk. But the Bible explains what had happened.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
Our friendship started when all of us were attending the
same church. It was a Christ centered Bible believing kind of church. We all
knew Christ as our personal savior and that mutual strong faith was what had
maintained our friendship over so many years, even after we were separated by
moving hours away.
Ro 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not even cancer could separate our friend from the love
of Christ. That was the main reason he was able to get up and walk.
Ps 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the
LORD:
he is their strength in the time of trouble.
The Bible is filled with wonderful verses of assurance
that are such a great comfort during a time of life and death emergencies.
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Notice the verse above does not say we are passed from
life to death, but from death to life!
That was the reason our friends wife could say with confidence that her
husband had started walking at two AM. She knew and trusted the promise in 2
Corinthians 5:8
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say,
and willing rather to be absent from the body,
and to be present with the Lord.
Her husband had departed from his earthly
tabernacle at 2 AM. She had told us on
the phone that he had started walking at 2 AM. Her focus was not on his
lifeless body, but on his spirit which was no longer constrained by his cancer
filled body. The unique way she phrased the news was a little confusing until
we realized what she said was much more accurate than telling us her husband
had died.
It truly is a miracle when a person can accept
Christ and as a result leave the burdens of life behind as they begin their new
walk in glory.
Our devotional thought is twofold today. First,
if you do not know Christ as your personal savior, you need to consider how
great your need is. You are but a heartbeat from being lost. Our lives hang by
the thread of our last breath, or our next heartbeat. Life insurance does not
insure your life. If you have accepted Christ then consider those who you know
and love who have not. Offer a prayer for them now. Do all that is in your
power to warn them of their need.
Mt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men,
that they may
see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Secondly, do not err in planning to do something
at a more convenient time. Waiting until our vacation was over before visiting
our friend in the hospital would have robbed us of seeing him alive, and his recognizing
us. I cannot imagine the remorse that would have haunted me if I had decided to
wait to see him and then learned it was too late. Thank God that we did not
make the mistake of thinking there would always be another opportunity to see
him.
It is so easy to put things off. Who should you
go visit? What important thing have you
been putting off? How long have you made excuses for not doing what you know
you should do? Losing a friend of 50
plus years helps put things in perspective.
Please pause a moment and meditate on these thoughts. Then go do what
you know you should.
2Co 6:2 …behold,
now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the
day of salvation.
