Hello,
Someone said, “It is probably a good thing that we can’t see into the
future, because if we knew what was ahead of us we probably wouldn’t want to
step into it.”
A week ago we had 10 inches of snow, and the top of Laurel Ridge had 23
inches of snow. Schools closed,
trees fell and closed roads, electricity was shut off…not supposed to happen in
mid-April, at least not from snow.
We lost our electricity around 9:00 a.m., which meant no heat and no
power to our water pump…no water.
Fortunately, we had a forewarning of the storms arrival, so we filled
all of our bathtubs with water so we could flush our toilets. We also found out that our house is
pretty well insulated, because by the time the electricity returned at 3:30,
even though it was below freezing outside, we only lost a degree of temperature
inside.
The world that we live in gives us glimpses of what might lie ahead of
us, and there are things that we can do to prepare for those things…filling
bath tubs, carrying insurance, saving some money. But there are some things that just come out of
nowhere….that like an April snowstorm aren’t supposed to happen…car accidents,
betrayals, a child’s death, a parents breakup. There’s no preparing for these sorts of things. But they happen…and they could happen
to you or me. I am thankful that I
don’t know the future, because I know that if my future included any of these
sorts of things I would be terrified to step into the future.
Yesterday in church we heard these words of Jesus from the Gospel of
John, “I am the good shepherd…I lay down my life for my sheep.” Amidst the uncertainty of the future
and the dangers that might lie ahead, Jesus places this certain promise in our
ears. “As a shepherd who leads, I
have already been there, and as a shepherd who cares, I will lead you through.”
I, as I suspect you do, too, hope that there are few wolves stalking me
in the future, but it is more than a hope….it is a certainty….that if a wolf is
lying in wait for me in the future, Jesus, who has promised to watch over me as
a shepherd, will not turn tail and run away. No, he will take on any wolf with the power of God almighty,
and against him and his divine power, no wolf stands a chance.
I am thankful that I don’t have an exact picture of what lies ahead, and
I am even more thankful that in future’s fuzziness, there is one thing that is
clear – Jesus, the Good Shepherd will be there.”
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall
not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me
in the paths of righteousness for his names sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and
thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in
the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth
over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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