A dark place, but with a great Light
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
I had a good friend, a brother in Christ, leave me a message yesterday about someone close to him that died. His voice told of how he was hurting as expected, but his voice spoke of the peace and comfort God brings. He asked me of writing about it, and I have struggled of how to write about one of the toughest subjects – death. We will or have all dealt with it’s pain in our lifetime. The pain that it brings many times seems unbearable, but how is it that some seem to cope better? Without a doubt they will tell you it is always their faith. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. When we are going through these difficult times resting on God’s comfort, He is glorified. Those around us are drawn to Him through the toughest of tribulations, by those of us who are held in His arms of comfort.
The scripture above speaks of walking through that valley, and Matthew Henry put it so well. “It is a walk through it; they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safely to the mountain of spices on the other side of it. Because there is no evil in it to a child of God; death cannot separate us from the love of God, and therefore it can do us no real harm; it kills the body, but cannot touch the soul. Why should it be dreadful when there is nothing in it hurtful? Because the saints have God’s gracious presence with them in their dying moments; he is then at their right hand, and therefore why should they be moved?” There is great comfort in those words to the believer without attaching all the cliche’s to them.
There is immeasurable comfort in God’s Word. Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. The Spirit will seem to press us into God’s Word during these difficult times, and we will find comfort in the Scriptures. There is no comfort to those who do not know God, but they may be drawn to God by how a believer copes. God’s plans are beyond our understanding, and death is a part of that eternal plan. But as a child of God we can rest in His Sovereignty and the comfort of spending time with our loved ones for eternity in paradise.
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