Devotional Index

October Devotional

Various Thoughts

About two months ago I had the opportunity to do a grave side funeral for a child who had been stillborn at six months. The doctors induced labor when they realized that the child had died. The result was a beautifully developed one and a half pound little boy. Seeing pictures of that little child in his mother's arms once again reinforced in my heart and mind the fact that that little child in the mother's womb had been a living human being. One who sees that miracle of development- the hands, the eyes, the tiny little feet,- cannot but know that what they are seeing was a developing miracle of life from God. To deny that is to be sadly, spiritually and probably willfully blind.

Every one of us who is a believer in Jesus Christ, and believes that our human lives are the result of the direct in-breathing of God (Genesis 2:7) ought to seek to do what we can to preserve those little lives. We can teach our children the value of life. We cam speak to the young people God give us contact with about the godly point of view of the sanctity of life. I have had some opportunity, for example, with some of the young people who ride our church van. We can also donate items and also volunteer to counsel at our local pregnancy care centers.

It was really encouraging earlier today to hear from the director of our Agape Women's Resource Center that the young women who have come through the doors, recently, are already committed to keeping their unborn children. Someone has been influencing these young women in the right direction. May God use us to be a part of that influence for life.

Wasn't it a real boost to our cause recently when Vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin rejected the idea of aborting her Downs Syndrome child? We owe her a hearty thank you for the excellent example she set. Interestingly, a few days after the Republican Convention in Minneapolis, I called a friend to discuss doing something together. He told me he could not because that day his family was celebrating the thirty-sixth birthday of their Downs Syndrome daughter. He has often shared with me what a blessing that little lady has been to them. What joys, what learning experiences and what growing opportunities in life we would miss if we just make our "problems" go away. That little son of the Palins will be a real joy and blessing to them in years to come.

I know I have rambled around to a number of thoughts and subjects. Allow me to come back to where I started. When we buried that stillborn infant that beautiful Saturday afternoon, do you know where we buried him? He was buried at the grave side of his Grandmother. We believe that in the mercy of God that little child is with our Lord. But, because of her faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and because in His grace, God many years ago saved that grandmother. Those two are together today before the throne of God in heaven. Will you be there one day? Death is described in the scriptures as our enemy. It is an enemy that, by ourselves, we cannot defeat. We stand disarmed and powerless before the dragon of death. But our Lord Jesus Christ by His cross and through the grave pulled the stinger of sin out of the dragon's tail (I Corinthians 15:55-57) and then He arose the victor over death and the grave:

"Guilty, vile and helpless we.
Spotless Lamb of God was He.
Full atonement can it be?
Hallelujah, What a Savior!"

Pastor Ron Sherid
Calvary Baptist Church, Sparta
Board Member, Agape Women's Resource Center, LaCrosse