Precious In His Sight

The things that afflict us in this life are all serious, especially if you are the one suffering. And of course, those things that afflict me seem more serious than those things that afflict someone else. Still, we all recognize that there are some afflictions that we feel more acutely.

I don’t suppose anything hurts as much as the loss of a loved one. Other installments of Barnabas Notes have addressed many passages of Scripture that offer comfort to those who have experienced such heartbreak. One such passage is even written for the express purpose of comforting Christians who have lost a family member or other loved one. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

For those who are faithful Christians there is the promise that the dead in Christ are safe, will be raised again and will be with their faithful loved ones and Jesus for eternity. This has to be the ultimate in words of comfort. In our pain and suffering through grief, it helps to know that God is there and considers the death of His saints as precious. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones (Psalm 116:15). At the same time, consider that those who are suffering affliction (whether from the death of a loved one or from some other source) are also considered precious in God’s sight. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in His sight (Psalm 72:14).

King David was someone precious in the sight of God. In 1 Samuel 13:14 we find that David was a man after God’s own heart. God loved Him very much. When David’s first baby with Bathsheba was born, the child was stricken. The baby suffered for a week and David suffered right along with it. On the seventh day, the child died and as grieved as David was, he determined to live his life in such a way that he would see that child again (2 Samuel 12:23). God comforted these grieving parents. He will comfort us today.

How great is the comfort in the realization that God is watching, that He cares, that He weeps with us, and that He promises to give us the strength to survive. If these words serve to give His comfort to you, I am happy to be a part of that comforting process, but we must understand that He is the Ultimate Source of the comfort we receive.

God takes care of His precious ones. He loves us and gives us all we need to overcome whatever the affliction, even when death comes to our families. Even through our pain and our tears, we can feel better, knowing that God weeps, too. He makes life worth living. He makes it worthwhile to continue on, even when we do not feel like we ever could. I hope you know today that He loves you and that I do, too.