For This, I Have Jesus

While I was listening to a podcast recently, a phrase grabbed my attention; it was, in every circumstance, for this I have Jesus.  A story was being told that while a pastor in Ireland was speaking these words, a telegram was delivered to the young pianist of that church.  The telegram read, Mother very ill take first train home. At the conclusion of the sermon, this young pianist shared her telegram with the people.  She said to them that she had never travelled alone, but then she said, But for this I have Jesus. She had to travel on a midnight train, cross the channel and make connections on the other side.  These were all things that she had never done before alone; however, she spoke the words again, But for this I have Jesus.  As she travelled and experienced all the suspense of that long journey she continued to say, For this I have Jesus.  When she reached her home, her sister fell sobbing on her shoulders saying, Oh, if you had only come 10 minutes sooner, you would have seen mother who longed so much to see you again.  In a letter she had written back to her church friends she said of that initial entering of her home, Instantly I looked up and said, For this I have Jesus.  He came between me and my sorrow and vain regrets had no power over me.  The story continued through the funeral of her mother, legal matters to attend to, and through it all this young lady continued to say, For this I have Jesus.

It was like the Heavenly Father was speaking right to me, saying of my circumstances, For this YOU have Jesus too!  I would imagine this would be true of each one of us.  Whatever our circumstance—we have Jesus.  Maybe you are a young twenty something year old, like my husband was, and your spouse has died like his first wife did in 1958.  For this you have Jesus!  My husband testified that when he learned that his wife had died, he went out to his car and in the back seat got on his knees on the floor board and poured out his heart’s sorrow to the Lord, and the Lord met him there—-For that he had Jesus!  He didn’t have the $200 to begin funeral arrangements, but he had Jesus!  Only four months and twenty days later his baby daughter died, and while they were burying her, a young man was at another grave site nearby crying out in anguish and pain.  Dr. Williams was able to help him when the man incredulously asked, How do you stand it?!  Dr. Williams told him, I have Jesus, and led this man to Jesus Christ and the peace that passes all understanding.  

A list longer than we could imagine can be made of all the heart wrenching, fearful, and undesirable circumstances that can come into our lives, but praise the Lord—For this we have Jesus!  Listening to that podcast and hearing that phrase brought to memory a time recently when I went to get the mail out of our mail box and there wasn’t anything for the ministry’s finances in that mail.  There were bills to pay, and at the moment the ministry didn’t have any money with which to pay them.  I went for a walk and talked to the Lord about it.  On that walk as the Lord and I were talking, He spoke to my heart these words, You still have Me.  Whatever it is that comes into our lives–For this we have Jesus! Jesus is our peace, our comfort, our strength, our courage, our all in all.  For all that comes, we have Jesus!

Take some time to listen to Dr. Williams give an interview and share how Jesus got him through some of his most difficult trials.

Full Interview

Reflections:

• How does knowing that Jesus is with you change the way you face disappointment, grief, or uncertainty?

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• What is one area of your life where you need to intentionally remind yourself today: “For this, I still have Jesus”?

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Leave a heart if this encouraged or helped you!!