I prepare a daily devotional each week that is included in the bulletin handed out at the church I pastor (Fort Mill Church of God). In that devotional I reserve Saturday’s entry for my wife Sonja and I call it “Sonja gets the last word…”
Her entry for this past Saturday really touched my heart. It is about a dear friend, brother-in-Christ, prayer partner and member of mine named Larry Jackson (and his dear wife, Cindy). I know today is not Saturday, but trust me, Sonja gets the last word more often than Saturday 🙂 – today is as good a day as any so the following is her Saturday devotional; I hope you’re blessed by it as much as I was…
“Praise the Lord!” is a phrase we often hear bandied about by those who walk with God. It rolls off our tongue as our default exclamation when we hear good news. This is appropriate, for the Bible encourages us to praise the Lord always – in every situation. The tricky part comes when the situation is difficult. Anybody can praise the Lord when they are healthy and whole, but when you run across someone who radiates God’s peace and gives Him praise from a broken body, you are in the presence of a genuine miracle.
Week after week we are privileged to witness such a miracle. Against tremendous odds and in spite of the obstacles, Sunday after Sunday, Larry and Cindy Jackson make their way to Fort Mill Church of God. While excuses to stay out of church are a dime a dozen, these two do not allow the incredible challenges of life with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) to keep them out of God’s house. What a modern day witness to the truth of God’s word!
Consider 2 Corinthians 12:9-10…
- “But [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me… For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Yes, God can miraculously heal Larry (and we pray and believe for that), but in the meantime, the greater miracle is the joy and love that overflows from a life that praises in spite of the pain.
Thank you Larry and Cindy for living out “sufficient grace” and modeling what lives and marriages look like that are being perfected through weakness.
All I can say is, “Praise the Lord!”
The ONE THING 
Sonja….that was beautiful and I praise the Lord for both of them. They are a shining example of what you can do when God is number one in your life. Love to you Sonja and I am glad you get the last word because it is always a good word!!! Ann & Joe
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Dear Brother Kemp,Thank you for the Blessed Teachings and it is strengthening me much to study and to share with other people in India, you are doing great for Lord. Evangelist Babu
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