Isaiah 40:31
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
It is never a good idea to belittle the ordeals that people encounter in life. Perhaps the worst thing we can say to someone who is going through a “valley of the shadow of death” experience is, “I know what you are going through.” We don’t! It is impossible for us to know what is causing the pain within a person. But the Lord knows!
I vividly recall sitting at the bedside of our oldest daughter as she was dying. Joyce had gone home and it was just Brenda and me in that quiet room. In the past weeks I had remembered her as a precocious little girl in a frilly pink dress. Now she was the mother of three beautiful children, just moments from ascending to be with her Lord.
This was no time for me to focus on the loss, but on the joys that awaited her in glory. As I considered the glory which awaited my beloved daughter, I could almost feel a pang of homesickness for heaven. One of the Scriptures I quoted for Brenda was Psalm 23. Verse 4 was especially precious: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” It was this promise that made her funeral a few days later a celebration of praise. The Lord knows!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil