safe in His arms.

Smith Randle Bailey met our Lord Jesus Christ face to face yesterday at 10:50 AM.


May the Lord have mercy on his precious parents, Jon and Kori who wrote the following on Baby Smith's blog:

Smith Randle Bailey saw Jesus at 10:50 AM. He is now in the loving care of His Creator. We were honored to have him as our son.

God is still good,

Jon & Kori

I Corinthians 15:55

I am rendered utterly speechless at the display of their overwhelming faith and steadfast surrender to Christ's will. What Satan meant for harm has already produced a radical testimony to all in their lives and all who have visited their blog.

Nevertheless, since they are still here on earth, I am devastated beyond belief that they have to wait to see their precious baby boy again. I beseech you to pray for my dear friends and their families.

I do not seek to explain such tragedies, especially when they occur to such faithful, Godly people, but I do know that God is good, all the time. And that all the time, God is good. May He be their perfect portion and may the one who experienced the ultimate suffering surround them with His love.

I am reminded at this time of one of my favorite quotes:

I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the one Nietzsche ridiculed as “God on the Cross.” In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us.
— John Stott

To Kori and Jon, we grieve with you during this time and will continue to stand by your side in prayer, support and petitions to Christ, our Father. May the Holy Spirit pray for you when you feel you can pray no more. May you be "safe in His arms."

Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."