Victoria Falls Bridge

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Psalm 143:8 Good News Translation

⁸ Remind me each morning of your constant love,
    for I put my trust in you.
My prayers go up to you;
    show me the way I should go.

 

We had long dreamed of taking our children back to Africa to touch base with their heritage. When I mentioned it to them, they all thought it was a marvelous idea. One of them couldn’t join us for several obvious reasons. Esther stayed home “with the baggage,” and so deserves equal shares with those who went “into battle.”[2] When I contacted my physician niece, Andi, about what inoculations we should get, she instantly yearned to join us, which she did.

Sylvia and I have often traveled to places and even taken an extra person along. When it’s far away, we get off a plane, rent a car, and drive until it’s time to sleep. We find a camping spot or motel and then drive on in the morning. Now with seven of us it was impossible to be so spontaneous. Furthermore, there were unpredictable problems, including more extensive crime than we were used to. We couldn’t just sack out anywhere and expect to find our car waiting for us in the morning.

We met on more than one occasion to discuss a desired itinerary. We settled on two definite goals: First, visit Helderberg College where my Dad and Mom had spent over 20 years and I was a child. All three of our kids had been there at least 4 years while they were very young. Second, travel to Solusi University which Dad had founded and where my Mom lies buried. The rest of the trip was devoted to sightseeing and experiencing the natural wonders of Africa.

Special thanks to our daughter, Julia, and our daughter-in-law, Uni, for tirelessly searching the web for the best accommodations and rentals. All of us have expressed an appreciation for a marvelous time reconnecting with our common heritage and experiencing some of nature’s African marvels. The success of our trip was not without a lot of prayer on many sides.

Thank you, Lord, for the chance to see and experience the love and sacrifice our family gave in Africa. Give us their spirit in our daily lives now.

 

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[1] Our Group overlooking Victoria Falls Bridge: Wil, Sylvia, Uni, Fred, Andi, Julia, David

[2] 1 Samuel 30: 24.

The Gethsemane Battle

 

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1 John 4:9

Good News Translation

⁹ And God showed his love for us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.

 

After many years, last night I again read the chapter in The Desire of Ages entitled “Gethsemane”. In eloquent and deeply emotional prose, Ellen White describes how Christ wrestled with God. He knew that He had come to earth for exactly one purpose—to save the world and its inhabitants from sin. I have seen many definitions of sin: some glorify it, some condemn it, some try to lay out boundaries for it. But in the end, sin is only one thing—rebellion against God. Sin declares puny man’s attempt to deny his Creator and become independent from the only Source of Life.

In the Garden of Gethsemane Christ’s divine nature headed steadfastly forward to the only possible act of redemption for rebellious man. Christ’s human nature, however, sensed the presence of every sin in the world. It felt the eternal separation from God, the terror and despair of inevitable annihilation, the horror of the wrath of God. It buckled and crumbled under this huge weight. His human nature pled with God to find another way of salvation. “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me!” a cry wrenched from His very heart. Then in total submission to the divine within Him, He gave way to divinity: “Never the less, not My will but Thine be done!” Three times he sought reprieve but then acquiesced to His great love for sinners.

To His human view, (that was all that He could see at this point in the struggle), all mankind had turned their backs on Him. Even His chosen disciples had fallen asleep when He asked them to pray for Him. His chosen race, His favored people were bent on His destruction. Why? He had taught them, healed them, encouraged them, blessed their children, even fed them and raised their dead. He had expressed His love to them in every action. Was this why they turned away?

Of course not! When sin comes in touch with purity, divinity, perfection, it has but one response—rebellion. This rebellion was the only thing Christ sensed. Fortunately for us, His vast, unending love drove Him on to yield to the divine will and rescue His creatures in spite of their absolute rejection of Him.

When it became completely obvious that Christ was going through literal hell for us, the mightiest angel in Heaven materialized at His side, driving away all the demons that were clustered around Him and crushing out His very life. The angel strengthened Him for this, the greatest battle of the universe.

Thank You, Jesus, for fighting the battle for me, the battle that I had no hope of winning without You. I love You.

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[1] https://www.deseret.com/2019/6/12/20675446/taylor-halverson-why-did-jesus-suffer-in-an-olive-garden-called-gethsemane#olive-trees-in-the-gethsemane-garden-at-the-foot-of-the-mount-of-olives-in-jerusalem