Issue 890 – Unknown – October 22, 2022
Notice: There will be no Gleanings tomorrow. After prayer and consideration, I have chosen to move to a six days a week format. Gleanings will continue to run Mondays – Saturdays.
Today’s image was sent to me by my dear friends Tim and Priscilla. This grave marker is located in a cemetery near where they live. The tragic inscription reads, ‘Baby found on prairie. May 28, 1913.”
There are many unknowns here. Who was this child? What could happen in the parents’ lives that could cause them to leave an infant on the prairie? Was the child left here after it died or abandoned to die? What happened to the parents, and how did they deal with this loss throughout their subsequent lives? Were there other children, and how did this loss impact them?
No matter the circumstances, this is a tragic mystery. The parents are long gone, and we will never know the answers, but my heart aches for them and the child.
All lives in this fallen world come with a degree of loss and tragedy. Everyone dies (unless the Lord returns during their lifetime), and all of us will have to deal with grieving a friend or loved one. As we age, we find ourselves in the situation where our friends and loved ones die more frequently.
The world’s response to this truth is primarily fear and denial. We worship youth and go to extreme lengths to prolong life.
(Paradoxically, we also abort unborn children by the millions and “euthanize” the unwanted or unproductive. That’s a topic for another day.)
For a believer, death is nothing to be feared. I have no fear of death, although I confess that I have preferences regarding the manner of my death. I’d prefer quick and painless, although I know God knows what is best, and I will trust in Him regardless.
Believers can look to the thief on the cross and know the same awaits them. When we die, we will be with the Lord in a paradise beyond anything we can imagine.
“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” Luke 23:43
The fate of the unbeliever after death is not nearly so pleasant. I would be afraid of it as well.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 2 Thessalonians 1:9
People will joke about hell and how they will enjoy being with their friends, but the truth is there will be no joy.
If the death of an unknown infant causes us sorrow, how much more so should the eternal suffering of those who reject Christ? It should inspire us to follow Christ’s command to reach out to the lost souls of this life and share the gospel.
If you are reading this and are not a follower of Jesus Christ, I implore you to examine His claims and take the step to be spared what you are destined for. Find everlasting freedom in Jesus today.
Praise His name.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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