Today is the eleventh anniversary of the death of Jonathan Selden, my late husband and Katie and Jonathan's dad. He died after a year-and-a-half battle with leukemia at the age of thirty-five. The following is an excerpt from a journal that he kept during his illness, and he wrote these words on December 17, 1994, just four days after learning of his diagnosis:
After [the doctor who had informed me of my illness] left my thoughts returned to Annette and our children. I think of the covenant promises, I think of the promise to Israel of living long in the land. I think of the Psalmist, in Psalm 127 for example, describing many children as a blessing from the Lord. I think of the many references to "your children's children." I also remember the verse from the book of Hebrews, one that captured my attention since my college days, "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." The doctor said that my singular goal was remission. Thankfully, through the shedding of Christ's blood I have already, before the foundations of the world were laid, received remission for my sin. "I will praise the Lord with my mouth, with all that is within me I will praise His wonderful name."
Before ever this problem of leukemia began, God had already prepared for me a solution. Nevertheless, I must get through this problem, this leukemia, this cancer. I must cling to the promises of my solution, my Redeemer, of the remission of all my sins.
Not having been brought up in the study of the Reformed catechism my memory cannot easily serve me with large portions of its comforting content. Yet there is one section of this catechism which is both part and parcel, theme and content, form and function for the entire Heidelberg Catechism, question and answer of Lord's Day One, that I freely recall at this moment. And it is truly a comfort to me in my time of need.
Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil.
He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed all things must work together for my salvation.
Therefore, by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for Him.
2 comments:
He sounds like he was Godly man, Annette. I'm glad you have such great memories - what a great treasure for Katie & Jonathon. Thanks for sharing these.
On Monday, I went to a funeral home that a friend's grandson now runs in place of his father. I had gone there to start on preparations for my mother's funeral. No, she isn't ill or anything like that. I wanted to start on things now and not at the last minute. Many people have Psalm 23 on the memorial cards, which is a wonderful passage. Others sometimes use Lord's Day 1, and this is what I chose for the card. The version I chose, however, is found in the 1934 (red) and 1959 editions of the Psalter Hymnal, which (to me) goes a bit deeper than the 1976 edition. Either way, it is our statement of faith and the theme not onlyn of the entire Catechism---it is also the theme of the entire Scriptures. Lord's Day 1 is such a beautiful confession! And the 2nd question (Lord's Day 1) is equally as beautiful:
Q. How many things are necessary for you to know, that you in this comfort may live and die happily?
A. Three; the first, how great my sins and misery are; the secdond, how I am delivered from all my sins and misery; the third, how I am to be thankful to god for such deliverance.
This third thing is what James is talking about where he talks about faith without works is dead.
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