Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 8:39 (New International Version)

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

I went to a funeral this past week. The deceased – a friend from church – was 44 years old, died of cancer, and left behind a wife and five children (age 3 through 13). A terrible tragedy.

Before dying, this man made a video which was played during the memorial service. He made statements like:

I have never been hungry

I have never slept out in the cold

I have a wonderful wife and children

To his statements, I must add some of my own:

I have never been shot (or even shot at)

I have never been beaten (or seen any of these things happen to my family)

I have never been evicted from my home

I have never been persecuted for worshiping God

And then this verse – tell how much God has done for you.

I don’t know if I will live long enough to tell how much God has done for you. I pray that I spend my time wisely so I can tell as much as possible.