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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
The One Who Stands With You
March 23, 2007
I stood in the corner of the room trying to decide what to say or what to
do. As I looked on, I felt impotent to act in the face of such a tragedy.
Then I heard his sister-in-law say to someone on the other end of the
phone, “Death came calling to our house tonight.” What does one say to
that? Tears welled up in my eyes and I looked away in fear that someone
would see me. After all, I was supposed to be the strong one. I was there
to pray and assure the family that God was with them.
It was then that a verse of scripture came back to me. It is touted as the
shortest verse in the Bible, yet it speaks volumes about God’s response to
the tragedies we face in this life. Upon receiving word that his friend
Lazarus had taken a turn for the worse, Jesus came to the village of
Bethany. He was confronted by the grieving members of the family who
delivered the news that his friend had indeed died. Then the man who had
performed miracles and captured the imagination of the masses did
something that no one expected. It says in John 11:35 that upon hearing
the news of Lazaras’ death, “Jesus wept.”
This weeping was not the muffled groan of anguish that could be kept
silent in polite company. This was the unashamed wail of sorrow and grief
that gripped the very heart of our Lord. This sound that came hurtling
from the depths of his soul found its source in the broken heart of our
Heavenly Father.
The truth is that God feels our pain when we lose someone we love. He
comes to our side and puts his arms around us and he weeps with us. For
you see God knows better than anyone else what it feels like to lose
someone special. His only begotten son died a cruel death upon the cross.
On that day the scriptures tell us that the sky went dark as God’s grief
touched the earth. So God understands more than we can imagine.
Every time someone we love dies, God relives that Good Friday experience
and He weeps with us as though our loved one was His own. In our grief,
God stands us with us, even as He stood with that family I visited the
other night at the emergency room.
The good news is that God gave us all a glimpse of the future when He
raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. The Apostle Paul says that all
who believe can have the same hope that even as Jesus rose, our loved
ones will rise again in the kingdom of God. His resurrection is the proof
we have that God’s promise is true. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Although there was much mourning that night I spent with the grieving
family, the dawn brought a sense of hope and victory. Maybe death came
calling but God spent the night in the house. He reminded the family that
their loved one was with Him now. God wiped away their tears and
reminded them of His love and His plan for those who enter the eternal
sleep. With His presence there, God lifted them up and promised to walk
with them through this dark valley and bring them out on the other side.
There is an old gospel song that speaks to this topic so well:
“God has not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our
lives thro’; God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow,
peace without pain. But God has promised strength for the day, rest for
the laborer, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above,
unfailing sympathy, undying love.
God is as good as His word. When you call on God, He will be there. Let
us all praise His name!
God bless. See you in church. Cal.
March 23, 2007
I stood in the corner of the room trying to decide what to say or what to
do. As I looked on, I felt impotent to act in the face of such a tragedy.
Then I heard his sister-in-law say to someone on the other end of the
phone, “Death came calling to our house tonight.” What does one say to
that? Tears welled up in my eyes and I looked away in fear that someone
would see me. After all, I was supposed to be the strong one. I was there
to pray and assure the family that God was with them.
It was then that a verse of scripture came back to me. It is touted as the
shortest verse in the Bible, yet it speaks volumes about God’s response to
the tragedies we face in this life. Upon receiving word that his friend
Lazarus had taken a turn for the worse, Jesus came to the village of
Bethany. He was confronted by the grieving members of the family who
delivered the news that his friend had indeed died. Then the man who had
performed miracles and captured the imagination of the masses did
something that no one expected. It says in John 11:35 that upon hearing
the news of Lazaras’ death, “Jesus wept.”
This weeping was not the muffled groan of anguish that could be kept
silent in polite company. This was the unashamed wail of sorrow and grief
that gripped the very heart of our Lord. This sound that came hurtling
from the depths of his soul found its source in the broken heart of our
Heavenly Father.
The truth is that God feels our pain when we lose someone we love. He
comes to our side and puts his arms around us and he weeps with us. For
you see God knows better than anyone else what it feels like to lose
someone special. His only begotten son died a cruel death upon the cross.
On that day the scriptures tell us that the sky went dark as God’s grief
touched the earth. So God understands more than we can imagine.
Every time someone we love dies, God relives that Good Friday experience
and He weeps with us as though our loved one was His own. In our grief,
God stands us with us, even as He stood with that family I visited the
other night at the emergency room.
The good news is that God gave us all a glimpse of the future when He
raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. The Apostle Paul says that all
who believe can have the same hope that even as Jesus rose, our loved
ones will rise again in the kingdom of God. His resurrection is the proof
we have that God’s promise is true. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Although there was much mourning that night I spent with the grieving
family, the dawn brought a sense of hope and victory. Maybe death came
calling but God spent the night in the house. He reminded the family that
their loved one was with Him now. God wiped away their tears and
reminded them of His love and His plan for those who enter the eternal
sleep. With His presence there, God lifted them up and promised to walk
with them through this dark valley and bring them out on the other side.
There is an old gospel song that speaks to this topic so well:
“God has not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our
lives thro’; God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow,
peace without pain. But God has promised strength for the day, rest for
the laborer, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above,
unfailing sympathy, undying love.
God is as good as His word. When you call on God, He will be there. Let
us all praise His name!
God bless. See you in church. Cal.
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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