7-3-2022

Good Morning!    
               John 16:33; “I’ve told you this so that my peace will be with you. In the world you’ll have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

    “Hush little baby don’t you cry, you know your mama was born to die.  All my trials, Lord, soon be over!”  This is the first verse of a social protest song from the 1950’s and the 1960’s.  It was based off of a Bahamian folk song that is supposed to be a mother lying in a bed and dying and she is trying to comfort her children with the knowledge that her trials, the struggles of her life, will soon be over.

    This is always a tricky thing to think about.  How do we, as Christians, view death?  Some look forward to it but in reality, death is still our enemy.  We were not designed to die but sin brought about death, and it is still the final enemy.  Yet what do you do, especially when you watch a loved one waste away in a slow agonizing fashion?  Even though we are supposed to; we ask “why?”  I have had many Christians ask if it is ok to ask God to let someone die or to even actively ask God to “take them”.  What do we say?

    I never encourage praying for death; it is asking that the enemy win.  I do encourage everyone to pray for healing.  Pray that God would relieve the suffering and to heal those who are afflicted.  I also encourage them to remember that this healing, which will certainly occur, may not always occur on this side of the grave.  So, we don’t pray for death; we pray for healing, and we know that God’s mercy is sure, and that healing will occur; but it could be in heaven rather than here. 

    Some may see this as splitting hairs but what we are asking God to do is to show his love for us and to show his mercy for us.  If that is what you mean if you pray for someone’s death, God will understand.  Yet I think, in the long run, the devil will have less of a playground in your mind if you pray for God to heal rather than for God to kill.  Remember our prayers are as much about us and our healing as they are for those for whom we pray.  God uses our prayers to bring us peace, comfort, and hope.

    So, as we go through life, we pray for an end to all the trials and suffering.  We pray for an end of all pain.  Yet even if someone dies (and we might) we know that victory still belongs to Christ and thus is given to us.  While death is the enemy, the tomb is only a door for us to God’s glory.  The tomb will not hold us.  It cannot hold us.  Christ, in his mercy, holds us and gives us the certainty that the pain of this world will not defeat us.  We have victory through Christ so soon all of our trials will be over.

Father of all comfort, through you we have hope.  Through you all of our trials will end, and we will end in your loving arms.  Through Jesus’ death, you give me the certainty of salvation.  Give me the courage to trust in your promise and to know that, while the world seems to have a hold on us, it is only for a little while and that your wonderful grace will carry us through all of our trials.  Send healing to those who are in most need.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret