The very fact that we are still breathing means that God has not finished His work in and through us here on this earth. And, as Psalm 150 reminds us, since we have breath, we can praise the Lord!
2nd Corinthians chapter 4 has a reminder of God's faithfulness:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
It can be helpful to consider what God has done in our lives, including saving us to new life through Jesus. 1st Peter chapter 1 gives us some great principles to think upon:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ...
It is certainly an exciting time for the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program as it enters the Final Four this weekend, a feat that was accomplished by the football team a few months ago as it likewise finished among the top 4 teams in America.
Someone who will be front and center for tomorrow night's game was also present in a key role for the football team's Rose Bowl appearance on New Year's Day.
But, considering what he endured a few years ago, the certainty of him even being on this earth was not a given. In fact, he said in 2022, according to a Sports Illustrated Bama Central article:
“My belief is that God spared my life, and for whatever reason I was shown incredible favor. I was not only allowed to live, but be fully healed and fully restored and was given a platform to share the story of what had been done for me. Nothing that I earned or did to deserve it, but it mirrors God’s gift of salvation for us. It’s a free gift to us. I was incredibly blessed."
His story was actually presented in a feature during the NCAA men's regional coverage this weekend, and it was actually quite well-done.
If you're not familiar with what Crimson Tide sports announcer Chris Stewart has endured - the article offered this summary:
The small amount of pain Stewart endures on occasion serves as a reminder of what he went through the last five years; how he suffered a stroke, underwent bypass surgery and was treated for an infection that followed.
In 2016, Chris's wife found him in pain, and he ended up in the emergency room:
“I wound up at the St. Vincent’s ER (in Birmingham),” Chris said. “There was no indication I had a stroke initially. They ran tests to figure out what was wrong and they were negative. On the second cat scan it was revealed I had two clots on the brain.”
He had surgery to remove the clots, had a stent put in, and was sent on his way. But, years later, Chris had bypass surgery. The Bama Central article noted:
But just as life seemed to be back to some sense of normal for Stewart and his family, another health issue hit. In August of 2019 Stewart underwent bypass surgery and later was re-admitted due to post-surgery infection.
It was a tough fight for Stewart, who spent three months in the hospital battling the infection.
“I didn’t get mail there, but I probably could have,” Stewart said of his extended hospital stay.
As the story reported, Chris went to a social function for the surgeon who had operated on his blood clots - at the event, he shared with a nurse that he was experiencing some "tingling and tightness" in his arm. Soon, he went in for tests, revealing a 95% blockage. According to the story, Stewart said, "I feel like in a way the stroke saved my life.”
Life can sometimes seem so fragile - if not for the sustaining hand of God, I would imagine that most of us could point to a time when our lives might come to an end...but they didn't. So, we have to ask the questions, I think: why am I here? And...Why has God chosen to give life to me and what does He desire to do through me?
Fact is, we have been born again by the Spirit of God and adopted into His family and our lives have meaning. Though we encounter adversity and endure suffering in our lives, that doesn't mean that God has forgotten us - actually, the opposite is true: He walks with us in our suffering. We have a relationship with our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, who gave His life and has risen to new life. The Holy Spirit guides and empowers us for His service. When we are tempted to feel down and out or rejected, God will affirm His presence to us. So, rejoice, even in the midst of those trying times - God's work in you isn't finished here on earth. And, we have the promise that we will live for Him forever in eternity.
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