Many years ago, a verse in the Bible spoke to directly to me at the exact moment I needed to hear it. A week before that, the phone rang, and Mom was on the other end. “Jim’s been in a car accident! He’s in the hospital, and he’s got a bad head injury.” I gulped as tears welled up. My younger brother had been struck by a drunk driver. It happened while he was working at his part-time roadwork job.
Through this heartbreaking experience, God gave me specific direction through His Word, the Bible. On the morning of Jim’s funeral, I read a passage that said, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart.” (Psalm 27:14) Be of good courage: That day it meant I should get out of bed, get dressed, and drive to the funeral. God promised to give me strength to face it. I got up, dressed, and went. Was it easy? No, it was the most awful day of my life. But through the whole ordeal I found strength I never experienced before.
That Bible verse was a lifeline—God’s word became the lifeline Jim had been. I have never stopped missing my brother, but little by little, increasingly, I was learning to depend on God and His Word. Much of my spiritual growth could be attributed to Jim’s influence, for which I am grateful.
Not every challenge is so life changing as was that tragedy. But each day, as I read God’s word, He may give encouragement or direction about a decision. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” May it guide you on your way.
