It’s such a cold word…death. There is so much finality to it. It’s the end. Nothing is ever the same after the death of someone you love. It's as if your whole world stops revolving for a while. Emotions run rampant. Fear. Sadness. Loneliness. Hurt. Pain.
In the cold, dark moments of losing someone we love through death, too often, grieving and pain and tears often overshadow everything we've ever known. Whether death creeps in slowly after years of pain, incredible suffering, heart wrenching memory loss and a lifetime of disease; or suddenly and unexpectedly snatches our sister or husband or grandpa or child … the agony of losing someone you love can be almost unbearable.
And yet…even in the depths of the most excruciating loss, there is hope. How do I know? I’ve been there. Perhaps you have too.
You see, the scripture says:
"We do not grieve as those who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13b)Who are those who have no hope? Well, for a while that was me…I had no hope…I had put all my hope in things of this world. You see my hope was resting on my mama and my daddy...they loved me, had my best interest at heart, nurtured me, disciplined me...and yet, they left me. Not intentionally. They didn't want to leave. Yet, they failed me. They abandoned me. You see, death shattered my world. Just about 18 months apart...they left me. And I grieved as someone who had no hope…. everything I was clinging to was.....gone.
BUT GOD….
In the darkness of my grieving and the profound sorrow that saturated every fiber of my life, I saw a tiny sliver of hope…Jesus.
You see
everything in this life will pass away, but Jesus remains. And He promises that in Hebrews 13:5:
“Never
will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Not only will
He never leave you…He is close, and He is recording every sorrow and collecting
every tear.
“The
Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
(Psalm 34:18)
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your
bottle. You have recorded each one in
your book.” (Psalm 56:8)
So, today, if
you are grieving the loss of someone you love dearly, perhaps they were your
whole wide world…cry out to Jesus. He’s
waiting for you…He will meet you just where you are and carry you through this
dark valley. He promises us this:
“I will be your God throughout your
lifetime – until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.”
(Isaiah 46:4)
Friend, the heartache
is real, the pain is intense and the nights may seem like an eternity. But this too shall pass, for He says:
“Weeping
may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning!” (Psalm 30:5)
