These sufferings of ours are for your benefit. And the more of you who are won to Christ, the more there are to thank Him for His great kindness, and the more the Lord is glorified. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. II Corinthians 4:15-16
When our son Calvin died at age 17, and I asked God for a verse to help me get through the times of despair that I knew would come, He gave me verse 15.
He assured me through that verse that I could find a purpose in Calvin’s death, and I desperately needed to see at least a glimpse of God’s purposes in taking Calvin to Heaven so early in his life. In His mercy and grace, the Lord has allowed us to see a number of people accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord since Calvin died, who have either stated that they were affected by his life and death, OR the people who shared the gospel with them have stated that Cal’s death brought them face to face with their responsibility toward those that God brings across their paths. And isn’t that the true purpose of our lives… to glorify God? So, even though I will never completely understand God’s timing, I can see His using Calvin’s “early” death in our understanding as part of God’s plan in our lives and even the lives of some that we do not know to see eternity in a more urgent light. Who do you know today who may not be prepared to meet God face to face? Are you ready? If not, what are you waiting for? If you are, who has God placed in your life who needs hope?
