ALL IS WELL
NOTE FROM BARNEY: Thank you all for the outpouring of love, support and prayer since Linda’s passing early Saturday morning. I haven’t had the opportunity to respond to all your emails and texts, but I will. What a blessing it is to know, that because of Jesus, Linda and I will be together again. My heart is devastated, but overflowing with hope. This article from Barney’s Bullet archives expresses that powerful truth. For those of you in Sonoma County, I will be preaching this Sunday at Santa Rosa Christian Church on the topic of “Why Does God Allow Pain & Suffering?” The message will also be available on Santa Rosa Christian Church’s YouTube channel.
In March of 1912, three members of Robert Scott’s Antarctic expedition sat huddled in an ice hut, awaiting death. On perhaps the final day of his life, Dr. Edward Wilson, wrote these words to his wife, “Don’t be unhappy… All is well… We will all meet after death, and death has no terrors… All the things I had hoped to do with you after this Expedition are as nothing now, but there are greater things for us in the world to come… All is well.”
What would cause a man to pen the words, “All is well,” as he sat freezing to death? Because he clung to an undeniable confidence that death would open the door to an unending new life. In contrast, Bertrand Russell, arguably the leading atheist of the twentieth century, in Free Man’s Worship, wrote that the foundation of life itself is built upon “unyielding despair.” That certainly motivates someone to get out of bed in the morning!
First Thessalonians 4:13 contains this haunting phrase, “We don’t want you to grieve like other people who have no hope” (GW). Imagine a life without hope— a life without Jesus. Our greatest hope would be eternal nothingness… grim, unyielding despair. It’s too horrible to imagine.
But Jesus promises life after life to his followers. 1 Corinthians 15:20 states, “Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life.” In verse 54 he adds, “The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal. Then the Scriptures will come true, ‘Death has lost the battle!’” In verse 57 he caps it off. “But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!” (CEV) That’s why followers of Jesus can live in unshakeable hope. Through his resurrection, we share in his victory over death!
Quite a contrast with the “unyielding despair” of Bertrand Russell. Like Edward Wilson, we can cling to God’s promise, knowing that in death we step into the most amazing life we could ever imagine.
We have a choice: immerse our hearts in hope, or cave into despair. Hope in Jesus enables us to rise above our circumstances, as we soar on a higher level and embrace the everlasting joy offered through the resurrection. Even in the worst of circumstances, we can say, “All…is…well.”
Principle: Hope in Jesus enables us to say, “All is well.”
Ponder:
What specific aspects of this world pull your attention away from focusing on Jesus and the hope he offers?
How can you begin to focus more on this hope today?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, thank you for the hope you offer, even in the midst of life’s worst circumstances. I open my heart to you today to receive your offer of life and hope.”