John 16:7 “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

When God takes something away from us, we have such trouble believing that He has something even better prepared for us. In this case, the idea of losing Jesus was absolutely devastating to the disciples, but they had no concept of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus was limited to one physical location at a time, just as we are, but the Holy Spirit has no such limitations. When Mary Magdalene realized it was Jesus she was talking to after His resurrection, she put a hammerlock on His ankles. However, He gently told her it wasn’t time for that. (John 20:7) Physical presence is well and good, but the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is even better, because He binds all believers together into one Body of Christ. Of course, this principle applies far more broadly than this. To receive what God has for us, we have to let go of what we have already. Jesus famously said repeatedly that this principle applies to life itself. (Luke 9:24, 17:33) There are people in Northeast Japan right now who, having lost everything material, are discovering what is really important, and many with insight are profoundly grateful. Job had the right idea: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the Name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) That is faith and trust.

I have experienced this many times myself, on a wide variety of levels, but I still have trouble letting go sometimes. The particular thing, circumstance, or person may indeed never be replaced, but a growing fellowship and intimacy with God is more than worth everything else put together. I am reminded of a friend whose computer has “gone south” just as he is starting to enter graduate school. It’s hard on him, but my immediate response is that what he had wasn’t appropriate for what he is going to be doing now, and the Lord had to take it from him to make him be willing to consider something different. That’s not so hard to see in someone else, but I tend to kick and scream when I’m the one facing the “loss.” I need to keep growing in trusting God that in His economy, there is no such thing as true loss, but only ultimate gain as we draw close to Him.

Father, I do pray peace, faith, and wisdom for my friend. May he recognize what Your best for him at this juncture is, and trust You for the financial/material supply. I pray that as I minister to the flock that I would guide them into the kind of trust You’ve been speaking to me about this morning, not belittling their losses but helping them lift their eyes to You. May we be a people who indeed value Your kingdom and Your righteousness above all else, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!