DAILY DEVOT IONAL 6
Eunice Lee, Arcola Covenant Community Lay Leader
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18 And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. - Matthew 28:20
Holy Week and the season of Lent have taken on a deeper significance for me since the passing of Pastor John Suh last year.
All through the Lenten season, ACC members signed up for hourly prayer circle slots and to write Daily Bread messages to our beloved Pastor and his family to provide hope, love, and encouragement in their time of need. In return, until Day 34, the day before he passed away, Pastor John responded to nearly all the devotion writers with poignant and hopeful emails which were like mini sermons, testimonials, and pep talks. In this way, despite his advancing illness, he continued to pastor to us with joy until the very end, revealing his great love for God and for ACC.
Pastor John took his last breath on Holy Monday. We held a glorious funeral service for him on Maundy Thursday, attended by a standing room-only crowd of 500. He was buried on Good Friday. We gathered at his grave early in the morning on Holy Saturday. ACC’s first Sunday worship service after his passing was on Easter Sunday.
You might think it unfortunate timing, but it was God’s plan to time Pastor John’s passing to be the perfect ending to his short-lived but powerful and enduring legacy at ACC – allowing Pastor John to be the instrument through which we experienced Holy Week on a personal and profound level. Our sorrow at Jesus’ crucifixion was heightened when we gathered on Good Friday and grieved for Pastor John, recognizing the heavy cross he bore so joyfully while suffering unfathomable pain. The hope and elation we felt in Christ’s resurrection was intensified as we rejoiced in Pastor John’s resurrection to his eternal home on Easter Sunday.
Last year’s Holy Week was an opportunity for me to witness the miracle of God’s divine and compassionate timing. Amidst my despair and mourning, He helped me begin my healing process, strengthened with the deep faith that He was with Pastor John, and with ACC, every step of the way. What a precious and loving God He is!
PRAYER:
Father God, thank you for knowing when we are brokenhearted and need your solace. Thank you that you are always with us until the end of time. Thank you for using others in our lives to reflect Jesus’ love and show us how to surrender ourselves before you.
We pray that our hearts and minds can always be open to hear your voice and feel your presence so that we may discern the ways you lead, reassure, use, and love us. During this season of Lent, help us to reflect more intentionally on your teachings and connect to you more intimately through our prayers, fasting, and worship.
We love you and praise you, our Strength, our Hope, and our Comfort. Amen