Maranatha!

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, 

neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, 

for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

Yesterday morning we awoke to the news of the Aurora shootings. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy. We grieve with them, and pray for God's love and compassion to rain down on them and give them comfort and peace. 

The shocking event in the Aurora theater reminds us that we live in a fallen world. Evil does exist, and from time to sad time it rises up in rage and forces us once more to acknowledge that the world we live in is imperfect. Horribly imperfect. And it will remain that way until Christ returns and sets everything right. He is our hope, our Light that shines through the darkest hour. When He comes, death will die, mourning will cease, and pain will be long forgotten. He'll gently wipe all tears -- every single one -- from the eyes of His beloved children. And inexpressible joy will replace the ache that once filled their hearts. This is His promise. It's a promise for those who know Him and place their trust in Him. Maranatha! Our Lord is coming.

The Healer of Broken Hearts and Wounded Spirits

He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

A couple of years ago I met a woman who had recently become a widow. She told the story of how her husband had died of cancer and that she was trusting God to heal her broken heart. Today I received an email from her. She has met someone, fallen in love and will be married next month. I immediately thought of Psalm 147:3. When the worst thing we can imagine happens to us, we can turn to our faithful God and give Him our broken hearts and wounded spirits. He understands our pain and He has a huge storehouse of love and compassion to pour upon us in our journey back to wholeness. 

Joy Comes in the Morning

"Weeping may last for the night, 

But a shout of joy comes in the morning."

Psalm 30:5

When we are grieving a loss, the nights seem endless. Lying in our bed in the dark, it's hard to imagine that we will ever smile again. That's how it was for me when my husband Jim died suddenly of a massive heart attack four years ago. Honestly, there were many times that first year of widowhood when I asked God to take me home, too. I've never felt so sad. If it weren't for the Lord's love and faithfulness through the night, I never could have made it to the morning. God does bring joy with the light of day. Sometimes we have to determine to see it, but it is there. It's there when we yield to Him and say, as Job said, "Even if He slays me, I will trust Him." And as we continue to trust God with our grief and with our healing, something wonderful happens. One day we wake up with a "shout of joy".  It is then that we understand the psalmist's words as we never could before. God may allow sorrow into our lives for a time, but He will restore our joy. 

Natural Grief

"Precious in the sight of the Lord 

Is the death of His godly ones."

Psalm 116:15

For the Christian, death is a doorway to eternal life with Christ in Heaven. The Lord rejoices to have His child finally come home. In that knowledge the loved ones left behind on earth can take comfort. But it is still a loss for the survivors, and it is natural and right for them to grieve. Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus, even though He knew in a few minutes He would raise Lazarus from the dead. If you know another Christian who is mourning the death of someone close to them, go and comfort them in their grief. Help the Lord mend their broken heart with your compassion and love.