Do Not Die a Rebel Soul

God’s timing is precious and merciful, but it can also be just and final.

I feel as though much of America is in the midst of a brief pause, like that moment when a roller coaster reaches the top of the lift hill. In that instant, one is surreally suspended, able to feel the warmth of the sun and observe the scenery far below. It is the final moment of calm before the rapid descent into potential danger. That is the charm of roller coasters. You know you're probably going to exit the ride in one piece, but you can't be sure until it's over.

A pandemic is less fun and infinitely more dangerous than a roller coaster ride, but the surreal factor, that sense of waiting for the inevitable drop, is similar. While we do comprehend that some people are falling ill and even dying, the majority of us are still untouched and looking around in the sunshine. 

This moment should not be wasted. As a country faced with the specter of another month spent dodging COVID-19, our future remains unknown. Now is a good time to turn away from the cares and distractions of this world to soberly sit before the One that created you and ask, “Am I ready to die? Is my sin closet clean? Have I truly forgiven all those who have hurt me?”

More importantly, if you are not a person of faith or haven't given spiritual matters much thought, it might be prudent to finally hammer out what you do believe. 

April 1^st is known as Fools Day. The Bible states that only a fool does not believe in Jesus Christ, and those that do not believe will spend eternity forever separated from Him. The LORD says that He has revealed Himself through nature to everyone and none are without excuse. Though He requires sinless perfection and has judged all of us as having missed the mark, He is not willing for any to perish. Instead, He has offered the gift of eternal life through the sacrifice of his perfect His son, Jesus. 

Each of us has the freedom to receive or reject this gift. The choice is yours. 

C.S. Lewis once said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks into our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. No doubt pain as God’s megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. It removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of the rebel soul.”

Do not die a rebel soul. Do not let this day end without distancing yourself from the foolishness of your prideful, independent nature. Confess your sins. Repent of them. Claim Christ and His promises today while you still can. Whether you are stricken in the coming weeks or remain to navigate the aftermath, you can receive the peace that passes all understanding today and the promise of eternal life to come.

Jim has. I have. Bill did. 

This passage from Scripture is carved on my late husband's headstone; it was his favorite. "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest though this?" John 11: 25-26 (KJV)

I thank the LORD that twelve days before he was killed by a drunk driver, Bill O'Hara pressed the pause button, took stock of his life, and then did business with the LORD at the altar. He rejected the foolishness of the world, confessed his sins, and claimed Jesus Christ as his savior.

You can, too.

Kay O'Hara
April 1, 2020