Good Christian men, rejoice!

Good Christian men, rejoice!
With heart, and soul, and voice!
Now ye need not fear the grave
Peace! Peace! Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain His everlasting hall
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!

Heinrich Suso, German, died in 1366

I was thinking, as I was listening to this carol the other day, that it is not the grave I fear. If anything, it is the tribulation of this world on the way to the grave. My husband and I, by ourselves, live very happy lives. I am blessed with my sweet dh. His care for me is a daily, tender constant in my life, and I strive to reciprocate in kind.

But also daily the world intrudes on our bliss with strife, trials, grief; just the general tribulation that is common to men everywhere. But that is the joy and the hope of the coming of Jesus: His salvation is not for the next life only. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: He has come, and He is with us now. He who has accepted me as His own, has also undertaken the obligation of my life. He will be glorified through it, not only by that which is praiseworthy, but also by that which seeks to derail me; for He will make it serve His glory.

It is with true confident expectation that I can say, when tribulation hits, “I wonder how You will work this out to the praise of Your glorious grace, dear Savior!!!”

“In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33