“For he Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.’” (Hebrews 13:5)
It has been said, “On the wings of time, grief flies away.” In most cases, time often does heal a lot of wounds. But there are occasions when nothing seems to drown the grief that some people experience over the death of a loved one.
Several years ago, I read this memorial on an obituary page in the local newspapers. It was written by a daughter to her father, who had died twenty years ago:
Daddy,
As I sit here last night trying to comfort myself with a song,
I now realize what it feels like to be alone.
As I walk in this life with a frown on my face,
I realize how much I miss your warm embrace.
I ask myself why? Why are we born only to die?
I believe the answer to my question dwells in the sky!
I love you, Daddy.
Buffy
Her words troubled me. I didn’t know whether Buffy was a Christian, but if she was, she was not relying on her faith to help her with the answers.
First, we are not born to die. We are born to live, to live in fellowship with the Lord. He does not want us to wander through life with a frown on our face. He wants us to experience joy as we never thought we could.
Please don’t think that I don’t understand long-term grief. I lost my mother at the age of seven forty-nine years ago and still have questions I want to ask her. Do I ever grieve for her? Of course, but my mother was a saint of God, so I know I’ll get to see her again – and I will have an eternity to get the answers to all those questions.
Obviously, Buffy didn’t have the hope I have. Now I don’t look forward to the grief that comes with losing a loved one. But when it comes, I cling to the hope that the Gospel provides. The Apostle Paul said it this way: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint.” (Romans 5:1-5)
The truth is if we have hope, we may be disappointed by the trials that the world brings our way, but we will never be devastated – at least not for very long.
Dr. Larry Dossey is a Dallas physician who has become convinced that prayer and medicine can work together. He once told the story of a terminally ill patient he noticed praying before he entered his room. His curiosity got the best of him, so he asked what he was praying for. “I’m not praying for anything,” his patient told him. “I’m praying because I know that I am not alone.”
What troubled me most about Buffy’s letter to her dad was she felt alone. Christians are never alone! In fact, God himself said he would never leave or forsake us. Jesus, just before he ascended to sit at the right hand of God, said “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
I feel for Christians who have forgotten what God’s Word says. The truth is, in times of trouble, we should stand firmly on his promises. Otherwise, as I believe the case is with Buffy, our faith is futile.
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