be extended to include all people who believe and place their trust in Jesus Christ, Because God himself has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5).
When death claims somebody you dearly love, there is a void which, seemingly, cannot be filled. It is now that you need God’s promises urgently. Suddenly they develop an entirely new meaning. In the midst of your loneliness He assures you that you are never really alone, because He is there, with you and for you!
God is righteous and holy, therefore He will never deceive you. God is merciful and good, therefore He will never forget you. God is eternal and true, therefore He will never change. God is almighty, therefore nothing is impossible for Him.
What God promises, He can and will do! Praise the Lord, o my soul.
Holy God,
and in Jesus Christ my heavenly Father,
I praise You for the privilege to build
upon your promises through a steadfast
faith and the merit of my Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?”
(Heb 13:6)
IF GOD SENDS US ON STONY PATHS, HE PROVIDES STRONG SHOES
— Corrie ten Boom.
4 To whom do I entrust my sorrow?
All things are possible for those who place their trust in God!
As your trust increases, you will experience the faithfulness of God in your life in increasing measure. God is filled with compassion and sympathy for you and He will never fail you – not even in your deepest sorrow and agony. He only expects you to trust Him totally and unconditionally.
The greater the burden of the pain you carry, the greater becomes your need for somebody whom you can trust implicitly. Only God Almighty can fulfil this demand. He wills for you only what is good, and only He is capable of transforming evil into good, sorrow into joy and tears into laughter.
The fact that you are ignorant as to the way in which He will change your life, is no excuse for not trusting Him. God never makes a mistake and every experience along your way completes a part of the tapestry He is weaving with your life.
We usually trust our doctors unconditionally even though we do not understand the surgery which they may conduct on our bodies. Why not, then, trust the omnipotent and loving God with your life? One aspect which underlines suffering and loss anew, is your inability to understand what has happened to you and to predict what the future holds. It is exactly at times like these that an unshakeable trust in God gives you the peace of mind you are searching for so desperately. God will carry out his plan in your life and eventually you will come to exclaim in amazement: He has done everything well!
The greater your trust in God, the more bountiful your rewards will be as you receive what you have asked of Him. Thomas Merton underscored a deep spiritual truth when he said, “Ultimately, faith is the only key to the universe. The final meaning of human existence and the answers to the questions on which all our happiness depends, cannot be found in any other way.”
God transforms the sorrows of those who trust Him whole-heartedly into joyful songs of deliverance.
Lord and Master,
I lay myself, my sorrow
and my confusion at your feet,
in the silent faith that your will
shall be done in my life.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this
(Ps 37:5).
THERE IS NO TRUE FREEDOM EXCEPT THE FREEDOM OF THOSE CLINGING TO GOD
— Augustine of Hippo
5 Heavenly comfort
If we could only have a vague conception of the glory of heaven, we would rather mourn for ourselves who are left behind than for our loved ones who have left this world. God’s provision for those who believe in Him is so perfect that there are only joy and fulfilment for them in his holy presence.
The book Revelations repeatedly grants us glimpses of this heavenly glory; of those who live there, elevated above pain and tribulation, being lovingly comforted by Him sitting on the throne; their hunger being satisfied in green pastures and their thirst being quenched by fountains of living water; and God Himself wiping the last lingering tears from their eyes (Rev 7:16-17).
If we could but partially realise their joy, it would comfort our grieving and broken hearts to a great extent. It is good to know that there is no sorrow on earth which God cannot heal in heaven.
Upon his ascension Jesus promised to send us a Comforter who would abide with us forever: the Holy Spirit! His God-given task is to teach us the paths of truth and to comfort us on earth as Jesus will comfort us in heaven (Jn 14).
The knowledge that our departed loved ones are the inheritors of all the riches and glorious gifts which we signify with the word “heaven”, gives us reason to rejoice in the abundant mercy and grace of God. It gives us the courage to take up the tangled strings of our lives with faith in our hearts. Those who do not have this comfort, might despair. However, this heavenly comfort enables us to remain steadfast and firm under the greatest sorrow.
“To believe in heaven is not to run away from life; it is to run towards it” (Joseph D Blinco).
Heavenly Father,
in your love and tender mercy,
comfort all those who are grieving,
and strengthen them to accept the
challenges of a new way of life.
Do this in the power of
our risen Lord,
Jesus Christ.
However, as it is written:
No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those
who love him
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit
(1 Cor 2:9-10).
THERE ARE NO CROWN-BEARERS IN HEAVEN BUT THOSE WHO WERE CROSS-BEARERS ON EARTH
— Charles H Spurgeon.
6
