| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope” Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3-4 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Thinking about Rebecca” Yesterday a great lady left this world and went home to heaven. Rebecca Foster was many things to many people but to me she was first and foremost a great friend and a dear sister in Christ. Over the course of her fifty-five years of life she was also a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, nurse, Chief Nursing Officer at Cumberland Medical Center, Reginal Director for the office of Congressman John Rose, recording artist, Music Director at Oak Hill Baptist Church for almost fifteen years, and a great friend to many. But most important of all, Rebecca was a Christian. A strong Christian. A woman of great faith. Last year Rebecca was diagnosed with colon cancer. She underwent a surgical procedure and months of chemotherapy to deal with it, and was ultimately declared to be cancer-free. During those long months of therapy and recovery Rebecca never missed a beat. She continued her work for Congressman Rose and she continued leading our music every Sunday. She did so with a smile and an upbeat attitude. You would never have known she was fighting cancer. She didn’t talk about it and she didn’t give in to it. Several months ago, the cancer reappeared. Only this time it was widespread, aggressive, and spreading quickly. Treating it was going to require radical surgery and extensive chemotherapy. Rebecca handled this new development exactly the same way – she committed it to the Lord, she resolved to do her part by submitting to the treatments, and then she simply got on with living life fully. She went places; she did things; she continued her work for Congressman Rose; with her daughter Brooke she continued to lead music at our church every Sunday; and she lived – she really and fully lived, and she did it with a smile and with great faith. The cancer spread quickly and Rebecca got sicker and weaker. Yet, she continued to live life large. This past Sunday (three days before she died) she was in church, on the stage, leading music with Brooke. With hands raised to heaven and with gusto she sang her heart out. She sometimes had to hold onto the pulpit to steady herself, but in typical Rebecca fashion, she would not give in and she would not give up. On Tuesday (the day before she died) she was so weak she had trouble getting out of bed. So, she stayed in bed, with her laptop, still doing work for Congressman Rose. Then on Wednesday morning she went home to heaven and received her eternal reward. This month’s theme for our daily devotional messages has been “renewed hope.” It has been about all the ways in which God renews us and gives us a new sense of hope as we carry on in life despite trials, challenges, and difficult circumstances. Sometimes that renewed hope comes to us through Bible verses like 1 Peter 1:3-4, cited above, which speak of the hope we have of heaven. Other times the source of hope and inspiration comes to us in the form of the example set for us by people of great faith – like Rebecca Foster. There’s much more to this story about how Rebecca handled all of this with dignity, grace, and great faith – more than can be told in a single daily devotional. So, we will continue this tomorrow. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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Oak Hill Baptist Church 
Can you imagine the joy she has right now with Jesus? What a precious lady. Thanks for sharing.