when he lost them all to death, he bore no thought of rebellion against God in his heart.
To rebel against our “unhappy fate” (as it is sometimes incorrectly called) is in actual fact revolt against God Himself. Death is part of God’s plan for our life. Acceptance of it in faith is a sign of Christian maturity. Of this acceptance C S Lewis said, “A man can accept what Christ has done without knowing how it works; indeed: he certainly won’t know how it works until he’s accepted it.”
To turn away from God is to bear your cross of sorrow and pain alone and without the support of others. This simply leads to despair. It causes a rift between you and God, because a rebellious heart resists God’s love and comfort. Neither can your problem be solved by immersing yourself in your daily task. This would be like taking a tranquillizer to still your pain: at its best it brings but temporary relief, it does not address the cause of your problem. The more we deceive ourselves, the more unbearable and painful the truth becomes. God never puts his children in a fiery furnace without being there with them. If we do not learn and do not grow spiritually in our times of tribulation, our suffering holds only loss. The experience of thousands of God’s faithful children proves this to be the optimal time for growth, on condition that one struggles through it with the right attitude of mind.
The only way in which a Christian can cope with his or her sorrow is to follow the example of our Lord and Master: accept life calmly, courageously and with dignity, raise your cross with a fearless heart and a straight back. Deliverance from grief is found in the certainty that the true meaning of life is not found on this side of Calvary or the grave, but on the other side!
Dear Saviour and Redeemer,
even though I haven’t all the answers,
I have You and your love.
I cling to You in these moments of sorrow,
in the steadfast knowledge that your love
will keep me from despair.
“Shall we accept good from God, and
not trouble?” In all this,
Job did not sin in what he said
(Job 2:10).
THE STRANGEST TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL IS THAT REDEMPTION IS BORN OF SUFFERING
— Milo L Chapman
7 Let him go
Take off the grave clothes and let him go, Jesus said to the friends of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead (Jn 11:44). Lazarus had to be loosened from his linen grave clothes so as to return to life and those who loved him.
When a loved one dies, we must allow him or her to go to the new and glorified life with Jesus Christ. This may prove to be one of the most difficult things in all the world, for the past is yet so vivid and eternity is beyond our imagination.
For the bereaved, Isaiah has a message of comfort from the heart of God, Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isa 43:18-20).
God requires of us to relinquish the past to Him and to march forward in faith and courage. Even the good things and the happy times of the past, if we cling to them and try to relive them, can impair our spiritual growth. We can jeopardise God’s will for our lives by such an attitude. In the final analysis it is in the submission to his will that we find peace.
God can open up his perfect will for our future if we commit our loved ones to Him. This does not mean that we deny our love for the departed, but simply that we are looking forward and not backward. It is only then that God can lead us to the festival in the Father’s house where joyful reunion and eternal happiness awaits us.
The relatives around the bedside of an old Scottish preacher whispered to one another, “He is near the land of the dying!” Overhearing them, he answered, “Nay! I am now in the land of the dying. I am near the land of the living!”
Our approach to life and death is often so warped that we cling to that which we should let go and forget truths which we should remember.
Resurrected Saviour,
help me to handle the present
to the best of my ability
and to look forward to that
which You have
prepared for me.
The dead man came out,
his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen …
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go”
(Jn 11:44).
THE WORD GOD ENGRAVED ON MAN’S FOREHEAD IS “HOPE”
— Victor Hugo.
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