All Right – March 27, 2023

“Everything is all right,” she said.
2 Kings 4:26

All Right

The painting depicts a scene of utter disaster. A family’s home has burned to the ground. All that remains is the chimney. Near the front of the picture are two figures. One is a small boy. The boy is sobbing, overwhelmed by the shock of what just happened. The other figure is an old man. The old man is speaking to the grief-stricken boy. At the bottom of the painting are the old man’s words. They are simple words, but they are profound. To the small boy the old man says, “Hush, child. God ain’t dead.”

In our Bible passage today, a mother is facing a nightmare. Her child has just died. Grief has overwhelmed her. And yet, even in her sorrow, she refuses to give in to hopelessness. She refuses to give in to despair. Instead, she looks to the Lord. She looks to the master of life and death. And when asked how her family is doing, she replies, “Everything is all right.”

True, her reply may simply be a way to hold her emotions together until she has the opportunity to unburden her heart before the Lord. Nevertheless, her reply reminds us of the security you and I possess—a security that surrounds us regardless of circumstances.

Into this world of disaster, tragedy, and death, God the Son came. God the Son became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ. On our behalf he lived the spotless life that we, in our sinful brokenness, have failed to live. And in our place, he carried the crimes, atrocities, betrayals, failures—including yours and mine—he carried them all to the cross and paid for them in full through his suffering and death. And then, to assure us that he really is who he claims to be, and has done what he’s promised to do, he raised himself from the dead.

This means not only that we stand forgiven through faith in him. It also means we possess his sure promise that he will never leave or forsake us. Never. Therefore, on the darkest of days, you and I can still boldly say, “Everything is all right.”

Prayer:
Lord, remind me today that, in you, everything is all right. No matter what. Amen.