Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words he breathed his last.
Luke 23:46
As Jesus' mortal body is reaching its end, Jesus pulled the last ounce of his strength to proclaim the most important of the seven last words, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!"
The Book of Job depicted his life similarly with the words Jesus cried out...
Job was a wealthy man. He had seven sons and three daughters. His flock thundered the land in thousands, and his great wealth could feed many mouths. Truly, Job was a man blessed by God, for he has kept himself free from sin and maintained his love for God.
One day, Satan afflicted Job with near-fatal suffering. His camels, sheep, and oxen are killed with his servants. A desert gust swept and trampled over the house where his children lived, killing all of them outright. And if that wasn't enough, God allowed Job to suffer painful sores all over his body.
In those times, no one knows what's running in Job's mind. Surely he should've grieved. On top of that, his wife felt so much distress with all the misfortunes that fell upon them that she said, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
With all these afflictions in the life of Job, he could've simply fell to sin and take his life. Yet, instead of listening to foul advices of men, Job fell to the ground in worship and said:
"Naked I came from
my mother's womb,
and naked
I will depart.
The LORD
gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
Given the situation, who are we in this story? Are we Job, or his wife? This is perhaps one of the profound difference of someone with God in his life and one who doesn't. Job grieved like as each one of us would have after being flushed with such a storm. He cried to God and asked for help, but God remained silent... testing him even more.
Finally, in God's proper timing, he spoke to Job and explained the difference of having God in a man's life and not. God used two examples for Job, a Leviathan and a Behemoth. Can man possibly overpower such beasts? No! But God can.
Imagine our misfortunes in life as the bestiary. Ranging from the smallest ant to the mighty lion. Some of them, man can handle by himself. But as the beasts we face get bigger than us, we start to crumble... yet, God assures us that beyond all power, above all hope, amidst all tragedy, there is one salvation... in God through Christ.
The movie Bucket List is a perfect example of an unhappy rich man and a happy not so wealthy man. The movie drew a line between people who has God in his life and people who doesn't. Money cannot make a man happy all his life, but God can.
Entrusting your spirit to God may not be easy. It requires you to drop all your personal plans, riches, and ambitions. Once you tell God, okay... Lord, lead me the way, you are in analogy saying, okay Lord... lead me to the riches this world can never have. Abundance is not simply material things. Beyond that are the things provided by God, unseen by man. Having the abundance provided in Heaven is simply different than in Earth. We may not be lead by both God and money. We can choose God or money, but not both. This is perhaps the biggest sacrifice we have to make when we decide to follow God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 blissfully summarized the 42 chapters of Job. It reminds us to TRUST in God with all of our hearts... and lean not to our OWN UNDERSTANDING. It reminds us each time we try to understand something, we have to do it in a perspective according to God's plan. As I noted, "If only man can see the world through the eyes of God, then we would know that everything around us is a blessing from Him."
Jesus uttered these wonderful words to remind us to be like him... and entrust our lives to the hand of God. If we know that we are imperfect, and we know that God is perfect, why then would we want to lead our lives knowing that somewhere along the track something can go wrong... when there is someone who can do it for us perfectly?
See the difference?
God can perfectly shape our path. We may falter and fall. If you are to choose between something that will surely lead you to abundance or something uncertain... you would choose something that is sure... is it not?
Jesus reminds us the same way in his last and most beautiful words. "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!"
Let God guide you. Let God help you do the right thing all the time. Let God shape you to be a better person. Let Him lead you the way... let him make you more and more like Jesus Christ. Let his glory fill you... and let his power rule over you. Let his love pour on us so that we can be successful in life.
Living with God in our lives is ultimately Living life in its fullest. Life can never be better when you have God to light your path. Imagine a parent who will guide you to perfection all your life. What more can you wish for?
May we all remember in our prayers to accept God in our lives. May we have the willingness to commit ourselves to God... to entrust our lives to God... and to live according to his light and love. May we not walk the way detestable to God, but each day, let us pray to God to keep us on track... to protect us from the temptations in this world and to keep us safe. Ultimately, let us pray to God to help us grow and be holy, as He and Jesus is holy.
Grace and Peace be With You. Forever and Ever!
AMEN!
