Close

Recent Posts

Archives

Let The Son Shine Through by Dr. Juan Harrison

Let The Son Shine Through by Dr. Juan Harrison
  • PublishedDecember 26, 2024


Let The Son Shine Through

Ever noticed that struggles and challenges have a tendency to bunch up in our lives.  I often remind us that if it’s sunny and bright, enjoy it.  It won’t be long before something changes.  Sometimes it may be a job issue or some marriage or health issue with a child or elderly parent.  They start stacking up.  I’ve reminded us that He said He won’t put more on us than we can handle.  I’ve semi-jokingly said He cuts it pretty close sometimes.

On your phone or in your local obituaries you learn about famous, infamous, and normal folks like us who finally succumbed to life’s pressures and threw in the towel.  Some were young at the height of success; others might be older folks not able to cope with a marriage issue or health problem.  One friend’s mother was suffering miserably from health issues and surgery.  She begged him to help her get some relief, whatever it might take.  Fortunately, my friend didn’t cooperate.  She eventually recovered back to a semblance of her old self.

If we’ve never been that low, it may be hard to conceive of the thought of giving up all that we have here.  Sometimes the physical, spiritual, and emotional pain is just about too much.  For believers our faith can be tested to the point like Jesus when He asked for the cup of pain and loneliness to be removed.  Fortunately, He finally said “Not my will but thine.”  I’d like to think I would be as faithful, but I might end up as “Oh ye of little faith.”  Some of my Bible heroes messed up like Peter and were forgiven.  Some like Judas should have done better, but he took the sad lonely exit he didn’t have to take.

As I watch nonbelievers struggle with death defying issues, I’m wondering how they’re holding it together.  I have to rely on faith.  They have to rely on self and personal endurance.  Technically, we both may find ourselves following the mantra of one day at a time, one foot in front of another.  Ask anyone who went in for surgery, had a bad experience and ended up with a lot longer stay and some pretty tough memories.  A nonbeliever may find such an experience only helps increase their belief that they can make it through on their own.  Hopefully a believer will give credit to God for survival and live to tell others how He brought him through it.  One person said the Son shined through.

Almost any experience can be used to make us stronger or weaker.  I’ve seen people using a blower in a windstorm trying to corral a bunch of leaves.  Trying to survive on your own can be almost as futile.  Sometimes you have to finally give up and say, “Let the Son shine through.”  He will.

By Dr. Juan Harrison

 

 

 



Written By
Contributor

Front Porch News Hopkins County is the #1-ranked online news source for the greater Hopkins County, Texas area. We provide up-to-date happenings, photos of life, and current events in Sulphur Springs and surrounding communities. With our incredible 32,000+ social media following and easy-to-access website, we get news and content about our great community to more people. We have the combined reach of every radio station, newspaper and other news website in Hopkins County combined!