April

   Answering the call to an emergency some years ago, a Pastor knocked on the family’s door. Not getting an answer, only a shout from inside the house, calling, come on in; he ventured inside. There he saw a woman holding her child and the father slapping the little girl in the face. He wasn’t slapping her enough to leave bruises, but enough to cause the pastor to wince. As they were slapping the girl they were also yelling at her and every once in a while they were giving her a painful pinch. The Pastor wondered if he was witnessing child abuse.

   But it wasn’t child abuse at all. The little girl had swallowed some pills, too many pills. The mother exclaimed, until the ambulance arrives, I must keep her awake!  The medical technicians told her, do whatever is necessary to keep her awake!

   What the Pastor witnessed as a horrible scene, was actually a scene of tremendous love. They were doing this not to hurt but to help. God’s motivation in your life and mine is the same. At times we have to feel a pinch or a hard slap from our Heavenly Father. When we feel it we need to know that God, our Father, does not hate us, but He loves us very much. Whatever painful thing we are experiencing is for our good. Anyone who does not know Jesus as Savior, is not smart enough, strong enough, fast enough or holy enough to get to Heaven on their own. God wants all who love Him to know that they can possess joy, peace, hope and happiness through the living connection each has with Jesus.

   If God’s pruning is hurting, realize that He is reaching out to you and me, in love. For those who are Christians, believing that Jesus washed way every sin is a fact. Yet sometimes even Christians question as to why God is pruning them. We ask, why do bad things happen to good people?

   For anyone who has ever taken their child for a shot at the doctor’s office; they did not take that child there because hated the child. They did it out of love. Their child saw pain; but they saw purpose. Now if human parents act in their children’s best interest, how can we doubt that God our Father will do any less? He is a loving God who always does what’s best for us. He always does what needs to be done, even though sometimes it may hurt!

Pastor David

( An excerpt from a Lutheran Hour Sermon preached on May 18, 2003)

 

         

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