Taking Hold – Reflecting on Ellie

Recently my wife and I remembered the death of our daughter as it was the anniversary of the day she died (28.07.20). As with such important times, we tread carefully. It is a time of remembrance, of reflection, of joy at life, and morning of death. Also, as it was the first anniversary – the establishing of family tradition.

The Lord ushers us through times of trial and discipline. It is unavoidable. It is certainly unpleasant. But under the sovereignty of God it is not without purpose, care and hopefully – on our part – thankfulness.

Let me share a reflection as I consider the tragedy of our daughter’s death.

It is a reflection on the words of our former principal Mark Thompson from Moore Theological College. He wrote to us during that time and said, “Take hold of the God you know and who has hold of you both.”

The Christian life is a life of faith. What exactly does faith entail though? First of all you must know the object in which you place your faith. There is an intellectual aspect to this faith (an important aspect which is sometimes misunderstood or forgotten, or misused even).

The object of Christian faith is the Lord Jesus Christ. What must you know about this person? Well, we must know that he is our Lord and our saviour. We must know that he died in our place and we must know it is out of love that he did so.

We might call this the propositional knowledge of our faith. These are propositions that we believe. Facts we assent to.

But to know these facts is not enough. Indeed to merely know them is insulting. For it is only fitting that possessing such knowledge we would then trust in the person of Christ. And this is what I want us to focus on today – the ‘who’ that we take hold of.

Our faith is in the person of Christ (or more broadly speaking, in God). The act of personally trusting in God is what must follow.

And so as we learn about God, we learn that he is good, just, righteous, holy, gracious, loving et cetera… We must not only be learning propositions, but we must be growing in a personal knowledge leading to the relational act of trusting in that person. Is this not the essence of the Christian faith, to know the person of God and not merely to know about God?

Yes it is.

During times of suffering we will come undone if we have not grasped this distinction. If our understanding of God is knowing things about the great “it” rather than knowing “Him”.

In times of suffering should you grasp after ideas then you will find no substance in your hands to hold onto.

But instead, if you “Take hold of the God you know…” then you will find yourself holding on to a person.

And the great thing about this person is that he will be holding on to you.

This you can trust.