Day 3 "Praise You with my Last Breath"

            With hands shivering as he lifted his spoon, pain gripping his entire body, he greeted me with a warm smile as I pulled up a chair, jokingly saying, “The princess has finally graced us with her presence”. My brother is an inspiration to me because of his ability to look past his own suffering, and spread joy to other people through his pain. Faced with the slow consuming horror of cancer at a young age of 29, my brother fought through years of pain and challenges. Yet the only memories of him that I have today were of his ever-giving love and care in the midst of his agony. How he played soccer with me to fulfill my childish wants and quietly suffered in pain every night that week, how he used his suffering to relate to his patients (he was an oncologist himself), and how he lifted his hands up in front of the church in faith to receive healing again and again, and how he fought his last days with undying faith and joy.

The song “Blessed be Your Name” by Matt Redman writes,

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

How often do we only praise God amidst good times, and not through the bad? True faith is tested in times of suffering, when the offering and praise comes with pain. On the road marked with suffering, the phrase “Blessed be your name” becomes the most meaningful.

Another song “How can I Keep from Singing Your Praise” by Chris Tomlin writes,

I can sing with my last breath,

Sing for I know,

That I’ll sing, with the Angels,

And the Saints around the throne!

My grandmother passed away in old age in the midst of singing praise songs, and her last word was “Amen”; what an exit to heaven!  

In the Psalms David writes about grief, pain, and suffering. Job too suffered. There is horrible poverty, corruption, and horrendous acts in the world that we live in. Just read the newspapers. Many times we see unfair situations and we might doubt God’s sovereignty for a moment.

I go east, but he is not there,

I go west, but he is concealed

I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden

I look to the south, but he is concealed.

But I will trust you, oh Lord, for you are my God.

[Job 23:8-9]

But, David, Job, they both end with verses of praise.  Today my friend told me of a 13-year-old boy he had met who inspired him with his ever joyful and lovable nature. He later found out that the boy had tuberculosis, and had lived almost half his life in the hospital without hope of many more years to live. However, with the peace of God in his heart, this boy lived to spread hope and life to others.

But He knows where I’m going.

And when He tests me,

I will come out as pure as gold.

[Job 23:10]

Through the tests of life, will you stand firm in faith and come out refined as gold?