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Writings by Barri Cae Mallin

Suddenly

Tuesday 25 November 2003 - 14:46:06

Three years ago, over America's Thanksgiving holiday, my father suddenly died. Although he was in frail health, our family never expected his death to occur so soon. Suddenly, in a few moments, our family's dynamics were forever changed.

All of us experience suddenly's. September 11, 2001, our world experienced a suddenly. Maybe you have experienced a heart attack, received a cancer diagnosis, were told that your spouse was leaving the marriage, your child ran away, or you were released from employment. In an instant, your life has suddenly changed.

Miriam and Aaron experienced one of God's suddenly's. In Numbers 12, we read that they had been complaining about Moses. God heard them, He came down to them in a pillar of cloud, He chastened them and when He departed, Miriam had leprosy. Not a good suddenly.

The word suddenly in Hebrew is peh-tah, and it means instantly, quickly, unexpectedly.
Proverbs 29:1 says
A man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

Ecclesiastes 9:12 says
Moreover, man does not know his time:
like fish caught in a treacherous net, and birds trapped in a snare,
so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.

I cannot help but despair when I remember those people who attended the Passover
Seder in Netanya on Wednesday night. They never would have imagined what terror
suddenly came upon them.

Not all suddenly's in the Bible are tragic.

We read in Luke 2:13-14
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

Acts 9:3-5
And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus,
and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him,
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
And he said, "Who art Thou, Lord?"
And He said, "I am Jesus"

Acts 16:25-26
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God,
and the prisoners were listening to them;
and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison
house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened,
and everyone's chains were unfastened.

But there is even a Greater Suddenly

Luke 24:1-6
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb,
bringing the spices which they had prepared.
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, (Hiney in Hebrew)
two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel;
and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground,
the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead?
"He is not here, but He has risen"

What good news for all of our bad suddenly's ! No matter what unexpected suddenly's we
will encounter, God has put His signature of Good News on Yeshua's Resurrection.

He is not here, but He has risen

Writings by Barri Cae Mallin

Suddenly

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