Overcoming The Impossible: Devotional #2

I am Yester Yeghiazaryan, the pastor of the “Church of God” Armenia. When I look back on my past, I see how difficult and at the same time how wonderful the path I have walked with my Savior Jesus Christ has been. Even before being born, I had already gone through a severe trial in my mother’s womb. As my mother had a difficult pregnancy, the doctor suggested that she terminate it to save her life. But my mom persisted and continued the pregnancy, refusing to stop it.

I was born into a pastoral family during the time of the Soviet Union. Armenia, being part of the Soviet Union, was deeply influenced by it. I remember how policemen knocked on our door and took my father. Simply being a pastor was enough for him to be detained by the Investigative Committee. Our family was persecuted, yet despite all these hardships, we continued to faithfully serve Christ. Seeing my family’s love for Jesus and their devoted ministry, I also began to walk with determination on the path of Christ.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a revival began in Armenia. Although Armenia was the first country to officially accept Christianity, seventy years of communism had tried to erase godliness. The post-Soviet years were difficult socially and economically. The former Soviet republics, including my country, tried to become independent after a long pause. Yet through all these difficulties, material and social, the most important thing was that a wonderful revival had begun in Armenia.

In the 1990s, in the midst of war and difficult living conditions, churches began to grow rapidly. This brought us unimaginable joy. We served our beloved Savior as a whole family, and day by day, the number of people being saved continued to increase.

It was 2005. I was engaged, and we were preparing for my wedding. July 25 was my birthday, and July 19 was my fiancé’s birthday, so we chose a date in between, July 24, to celebrate both. We picked a beautiful place in nature, near a forest and a river. After finishing our meal, my eldest sister, Nune, suggested that we pray once again and bless Everything felt perfect.

Some of us decided to cross to the other side of the river. The river seemed shallow and we could even see the stones beneath the water. I took the first step, unaware that there was a six-meter-deep hollow. I immediately sank into the cold water. I could not swim, and for a moment, I realized this might be the end of my life. With that thought, I cried out, “Jesus!” with all my strength. In that instant, I felt someone grab my arm tightly and push me upward. After that, I remember nothing.

When I came to my senses, I realized that something terrible had happened. My family was crying and praying out loud. I remember my mother calling desperately, “Jesus, save!” At first, I did not understand, but then I learned that my eldest sister, Nune, had seen me sinking and jumped in to save me, not knowing how to swim. That was typical of her, as she had often shown devoted love in that way. It was her hand that pushed me up in the water.

My fiancé later told me that while pulling me out, he was nearly drowning himself. But after calling on “Jesus,” he felt a stone under his feet. Leaning on it, he found strength and was able to pull me out of the water.

Only after three hours was it possible to recover my sister’s body. I could not comprehend reality. I remember my mother, who, from the first moment she realized that my sister had gone to the Lord, began praying that Jesus would give us the strength to bear such a painful loss.

My sister, Nune, was the kindest, most peaceable, God-fearing, and devoted servant of Jesus that I have ever known. Throughout her spiritual life, she served in the church as a worship singer. She played instruments, translated spiritual songs, and preached the Gospel in her surroundings. Losing her physically was devastating for us. Her teenage children remained in the care of my parents because their father chose to remarry and refused responsibility for them.

Our family found ourselves in a situation for which we were not prepared. I could find no way out of my self-condemnation and blamed myself for my sister’s death. Many servants of God and pastors visited us, offering comfort and helping me overcome this heavy burden of guilt.

One day, a pastor said to me: “Now you know what it means to be loved so much that someone is ready to give their life for you. And now you can preach how great the love of Jesus is, who gave His life at the cost of His own. Through your hardship, you have felt it in your own skin.” I heard him, but one thought filled my mind: “I am so broken that I will never be able to serve.” Yet I kept his words in my heart, even though they felt far from reality at the time.

Years passed. The comfort of the Holy Spirit strengthened us, and the hope of seeing my sister again empowered us. In 2012, on Easter Sunday, I was scheduled to preach. I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to give me a word, as it was necessary to prepare well for the festive service. He gently spoke to my mind and made me realize that, after seven years, it was time for me to preach about the love of Christ (John 15:13), a sacrificial love that I had personally experienced. Goosebumps rose on my skin, and one thought came to my mind: will I be able to do it?

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” When we try with our own strength, we realize our inability but with Jesus, all things are possible. I stood before the congregation and began to preach about the sacrificial love of Christ while crying. I did something I had thought I would never be able to do.

Our Lord does not promise a perfect life, but He promises to be with us through everything. He transforms our weakness into strength, and in our inability, He enables us to do all things through Him. When it seems we have fallen so badly that we will never rise again, let us remember that the final word belongs to Jesus, and that His power is made perfect in our weakness.

In 2016, my husband died. By then, I already had experience seeking the supernatural comfort of the Holy Spirit. I had to be strong to raise my son. It is not easy to explain to an eight-year-old boy that his father is no longer on this earth. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I overcame this as well. I am thankful to my parents, sisters, brother, their families, and the church community for their support during my hardships. But one truth remains: in the deepest abysses of our lives, only His hand can reach us and help us.

Throughout these years, there have been many achievements. God has filled our lives with miracles and power, and His presence has helped us not only to find comfort but also to serve for the Kingdom of Christ simultaneously. Of course, there were challenges in ministry, which we overcame with the help of Jesus. My parents’ lives were an example of how, after being hit so hard, it is possible to continue serving God with faithfulness.

In 2021, my father, the pastor of the church, went to the Lord. Alongside the loss, there was a need to lead the ministry fully. I am thankful to my spiritual leaders – Dr. Sushil Matthew and Dr. Tom Rosson, who, after my father’s passing, encouraged me to take on the heaviness of the ministry.

I remember that when I was a teenager, I had my “portion” in the Bible (I do not know how I received it but it was Isaiah 54). Only now, looking back, I understand that this chapter has been fulfilled along my life journey. Today, I am a church pastor, and I continue to rely on God, who has faithfully held my hand through both difficulties and successes. The challenges we overcome through Christ make us stronger.

Now, the greatest purpose of my life, according to Isaiah 54:2–3, is to spread the Kingdom of Christ. Our country is surrounded by three Islamic nations, and people everywhere need the light of Christ. Therefore, small Armenia can be a great gateway for the Kingdom of Christ. My vision is to plant churches along Armenia’s borders. We already have a church in the village of Aygehovit (Azerbaijan border), and we have started a ministry in Arazap village (Turkey border). May God’s blessing be upon our church in Yerevan so that this ministry spreads across all border regions.

I pray that you will be strengthened and encouraged through Jesus. You can do everything through Him who has overcome death and hell. He is the way for the lost. Call on Him in your confusion and hardship, and He will answer you (Jeremiah 33:3).