Why, God? Why would you take one so young? Why do they have to endure so much pain? These questions have been running through my mind this morning. A young couple I know lost a baby just a day after he had been born with complications. The two have already been through so much in the past few years—a miscarriage, job loss, ongoing unemployment. My heart breaks for them as they prepare to bury their baby.
So does God’s.
In Psalm 34, David was inspired by God to write, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). We may not understand why certain things happen in life, but we can know with confidence that God is with us in them. He cares. He hears our anguished cries (Psalm 34:15).
Jesus told His disciples that “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He knows what we’re enduring, for “He suffered death for us . . . . Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Our Lord faced the darkest of days, and He knows How to comfort us in our distress this day.
When we “call to Him,” God is there (Psalm 34:17). Though grief threatens to overwhelm us, He “is [our] refuge, and His everlasting arms are under [us]” (Deuteronomy 33:27). Our spirits may be “crushed” (Psalm 34:18), but “the Lord comes to the rescue each time” (Psalm 34:19).
Not only does God comfort us through the gift of His presence; He also gives us an eternal perspective that provides renewed hope. As David wrote, He “will redeem those who serve Him” (Psalm 34:22). Our salvation, made possible by Jesus’ death, means that we will one day be with Him—free from death and pain.
We will then be reunited with those who have known God’s saving grace—even those who left this life too soon.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 2 Samuel 13:1-19
More:
In 1 Thessalonians 4:14, the apostle Paul shares why we can experience hope even amidst the heartache death brings.
Next:
Where do you go with your grief? Why is it important for you to hold on to God’s presence and eternal perspective when you’re grieving the loss of someone you loved?
eppistle on April 7, 2011 at 6:03 am
The Lord is like an oak tree, and we are like a vine growing on that tree. Sometimes the oak tree protects us from the winds of trials; sometimes the oak tree is there for us to cling tighter when those winds billow against us. The Lord is a shelter and a tower. He’s close to both the secure and to the broken-hearted.
tom felten on April 7, 2011 at 7:14 am
Great analogy! Thanks, eppistle. Jesus used a vine and branches as metaphor for our life in Him. He is the vine and we are branches. These words from Jesus, our Vine of Life, bring great comfort: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. . . I have loved you even as the Father has loved me” (John 15:4,9). He is there even when our hearts are heavy.
cuddles on April 7, 2011 at 6:35 am
Footprints in the sand ‘when you see only one set of footprints it is then that I carried you.’ I must be growing spiritually as there was a time when I did not really get this but now it is so clear to me. Oh I wish that all, particularly those who are very troubled could see it now, but some day they will because I have been where they are now and I have grown so much since then. ‘WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS’
Thinking of your couple today and glad that they have you to support them.
tom felten on April 7, 2011 at 7:20 am
Thanks, Cuddles. I know from what you’ve written before that you’ve gone through great difficulties in life and that you’ve often felt alone. May you experience the closeness of Jesus as He walks with you today. And may He bring others into your life who will encourage you and help you grow in faith.
foolforChrist on April 7, 2011 at 7:58 am
Thank you, Tom, for your words. I was feeling extremely low before I read this morning’s devotion. I must remember to call on God in these moments. Sometimes, I just feel so alone and wonder how I’ll deal with all the problems that seem to overwhelm me. Although my husband is no support whatsoever, I know I am surrounded with loving support from my women’s group and a band of prayer warriors who I know are praying for me. So why do I feel so dejected?
tom felten on April 7, 2011 at 8:53 am
foolforChrist, thanks for writing. May God comfort you in your loneliness. It’s good to read that you have some sisters in Jesus who stand with you and some “prayer warriors” as well. Like so many, you have also found disappointment in what should be your most intimate, loving human relationship. I and others in the odj community will pray for healing to begin today. May Jesus, the one who calls us His Bride, fill you with love and hope. There’s a helpful online booklet that addresses regaining intimacy in marriage found here.
pampauley65 on April 7, 2011 at 8:29 am
Thank you, Tom. I feel for these young parents as I too lost a son at birth. Yesterday I was again feeling the heart break of losing my 27 year old son 9 years ago. Somedays it feels like it is just happening and the pain is so intense. But I can tell them that it will get less consuming with time.
This devotion lifted me up and reminded me who brought me this far.
One thing that for some reason has helped me in my grief is that I have been studying mothers of the Bible who have lost children. There is comfort in realizing that they all shared the loss of a beloved child and know how I feel. Mary knows how I feel and hers was the greatest loss I can imagine.
tom felten on April 7, 2011 at 9:04 am
pappauley65, thank you for the poignant reminder that grief never totally leaves goes away. It’s so important for all of us to be sensitive to those who have lost those they love, as you have. Your study of women in the Bible sounds like it could be of great comfort to others. Perhaps you could write down your insights and share them. As a wise woman once said to me, “Don’t waste your pain.” As I think about those I’ve loved who are now with Jesus, these words bring comfort, “The Lord cares deeply when His loved ones die” (Psalm 116:15).
joo_sg on April 7, 2011 at 10:06 am
I am thinking of the old hymn “This world is not our own, I’m only passing through”.
Sometimes when I read Matt 24:3-31, I think it may not be a bad thing to pass on young. at least the person is spared the troubles and tribulations in this world. Another comfort/assurance I find is in Matt 19:14 – I believe all young children and babies, even the unborn, go to heaven.
Everyone will pass on – it is our promotion to glory. But what I cannot accept is the suffering some good saints and “generals” of God have to endure on their way home. But through Psalm 116:15, I am convinced that God embraces and journeys with each saint even to his/her last moments. Yes, like the footprints in the sand, in our last lapse, He carries us…..
Our time is in His hands. When the journey homeward begins, may we boldly declare – “where O death is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55)
tom felten on April 7, 2011 at 11:41 am
Good thoughts, joo_sg. As one verse of the song “In Christ Alone” declares:
“No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the pow’r of Christ in me;
from life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny!”
dleewin on April 18, 2011 at 5:06 am
As I read “too soon, 7 April” I felt as if I was reading an article written about me and my husband. We have shared the same loss and walked a similar road to their experiences. Our son Nathan died due to my uterus ruptering the night before he was due to be born by a caesarean section. Once my uterus had ruptered I was denied medical care for a further couple of hours, which intensified the tragedy. I would never have thought that I would be leaving that hospital 4 days later with an untouched baby bag and empty arms. Nathan would have been 3 years old last month and even though losing him and the way it all happened was devastating, I echo your words where you say “Not only does God comfort us through the gift of His presence; He also gives us an eternal perspective that provides renewed hope.” My experience has given me incredible eternal perspective and caused me to prioritize absolutely everything in my life. I believed in God’s Word and knew the Lord before my loss, yet after Nathan’s death I felt a huge shift of knowledge that shot straight from my head to my heart. Some days and months directly after the loss were so dark and even to take my next breath required so much effort; yet God continues to heal and restore. We now, only by His Grace, have started a Foundation to assist other grieving parents. God is good and He will give you beauty for ashes. Thank you for your article, it’s a blessing to know that we are not alone in these experiences.
rjreeves on May 17, 2011 at 4:12 am
I had to write some of my thoughts as someone who lost twin granddaughters 10 years ago. You never really get over the grief–I don’t believe you’re supposed to. But, I’ve learned a lot in these years. I ‘ve learned that I needed to asking Why, God? and ask Help me, God. I have come to the conclusion that we will never know why these things happen but this is earth and not heaven and despite fervent prayers, babies die, people get cancer, horrible thing are done by humans to other humans, etc. One thing I do know is that prayer does work within us. I turned my life around after those babies died through God’s help. Read Psalm 30 and bless those of you deep in grief. You are not alone.
tom felten on May 17, 2011 at 8:10 am
dleewin and rjreeves, thank you so much for sharing your heart-breaking experiences. I just finished a book, “Written in Tears” by Luke Veldt, that reveals what Luke has learned in wrestling with God over the loss of his daughter. She was just 13 when she passed away. He shares similar thoughts to your own, that we will never know for sure why a young loved one is called home “early,” but the lasting effects from the tragic event are that he has grown closer to God and is even more engaged in serving Him and helping others. May God continue to draw you close and use your pain for beautiful purposes.
tom felten on April 7, 2011 at 11:43 am
Praying for your aunt and the whole family . . .