An Answer for Our Hope

This is also published at the 'Harvest'ed Text - Other blog at the church website.

Over the last few days, as we dealt first with Heather's bleeding, then with uncertainty about what was happening, then with the certainty of miscarriage and the prospect of possibly significant physical and emotional suffering, God has given us peace.

It's real peace, mind you, not the grit-your-teeth-and-pull-yourself-up-by-your-psychoemotional-northwest-iowa-bootsraps peace. It's not numbness, nor mind over matter, but a vigorous trust in a real God who has brought us near to Himself through our real Savior, Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I want everyone to know this peace. I want everyone to know how glorious is the God who saved me and to live in constant application of the reality of His glory; and, in this situation, the application of that is peace.

A dear friend from a previous congregation emailed this week with surprise that I would know the gender, a question about what 'Ezekiel' means, and with an observation about God's timing and care for us in our current situation. If you have heard (as everyone who has had more than a 2 minute conversation with me has!) what my other children's names mean--Kessedi Christi, Emmet Elijah, and Karissa Christi--then you might, like our friend, be curious to know the origin of Ezekiel Elijah.

Here is the response I sent; I hope that any of you who are suffering now, or still hurting from previous suffering, or may yet suffer soon will be able to find the same comfort from the same Scriptures about the same God. Praise God from whom all blessings--and if you are in Christ, there is no condemnation; it's all blessing!--flow!

We didn't know; it was either Ezekiel or Katarina, but Heather's hunch was boy--and she has been correct so far. Ezekiel means "God is my strength."
Ezekiel Elijah = "God is my strength--my God, Yahweh" (Hebrew)
Katarina Christi = "Cleansed in Christ" (Greek)
What a powerful, wonderful thing a name can be! It makes me excited to discover what is the name that God has for me that no one else will know but He and I (Rev 2:17)

Thank you for your love and prayers; you are so right about His ways and timing. I was just thinking earlier about His nature, and how especially His unchangeableness (technical term is "immutability") is such a comfort to me right now.

The One who does all things well (Mk 7.27, Gen 1.31) has not somehow found a way to fumble things just this once.
The One who loves with an everlasting love (Ps 103.17, Is 54.8, Jer 31.3) did not suffer a temporary blip in His affections.
The One whose eternal power is clear since the creation (Rom 1.20, Deut 33.27, Ps 90.2) was not going through a momentary lapse of ability.

God never changes--what comfort there is in such a basic Bible doctrine! Those who believe that theology is just bearded men arguing about Latin words will not know the comfort of those who delight to know the exact nature of the God who saves.

This is the closest death has ever dared come to me, and it can only come as close as my Lord permits. He is enabling me now to comfort others; there are things a pastor cannot gain except through experience. There are even aspects of Christian growth that are impossible without suffering (James 1:2-4, Rom 5:3-5).

I've added the bold. I think you should look up the Scriptures and meditate on the doctrines. Thank God for doctrine! So there it is: a reason for the hope that is in us (1Pet 3:15). To borrow a phrase from (I think) Gatorade: "Is it in you?"