by Mike Ratliff
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:3-7 ESV)
On top of my own medical issues over the last few weeks our family has also suffered the death of nephew not much younger than my son. My daughter was close to him. She has been having quite a few emotional issues since the start of my problems and then with my nephew’s death right in the middle of it, her emotional strain has really concerned my wife and I. I had a long talk with my wife today about what is going on. I told her that I felt like that man whom the robbers beat and left for dead on the side of road and no one would stop and help him except a Samaritan. Well, the one who has stopped and helped me and is sustaining me through all of this is my Lord Jesus. He is not only sustaining me, He is also opening my spiritual eyes to many things that I was overlooking before. It is as if scales have been peeled away from my eyes. My spiritual orientation has changed as well. That part of me that used to look out for number one seems to have been hacked to pieces. In his place is a deep desire to do whatever my Lord wants any way He wants. This also has changed how I look at my fiery trials in light of eternity. Continue reading
Possessing the Treasure 