THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

Last Thursday, Jeanne Obadja, a friend in ministry, went home to be with the Lord. I knew her when we both served together as faculty members of a seminary in Jakarta 25 years ago. Since then we never had the chance to serve together but from time to time we bumped into each other; God continued to use her. When I saw her picture moments before she moved to heaven, she looked skinny, but was still positive. She knew her time was up, but she never gave up.

When I heard the news of her passing, I grieved. That night I couldn’t sleep well but it was a good thing that I couldn’t sleep well. You see, Santy was in pain the whole night, but she didn’t want to wake me up. However, because I woke up at 3 am and couldn’t sleep anymore, I became aware of her pain. We decided to go to the hospital and by the grace of God she received the treatment that she needed for her gallbladder’s stones. As Romans 8:28 attests, everything works out together for good for those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. Amen! In life Jeanne was a blessing; in death she was still a blessing. Thank you!

During his visit to the US, the great theologian Karl Barth was asked what he thought to be the greatest theological truth. Of course, what was expected was an answer filled with complex theological insights but what came out of his mouth was a simple theological truth that even a child can understand it and even sing it. Karl Barth answered, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

There are so many things we don’t understand about life—and death. There are so many questions that call for explanations but at the end of the day, what matters is to know that Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me; yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

Pastor Paul