ALIVE WORD: God feels your pain – God cares
Ministers Wilbert and Jacquelin Richardson - Friday, November 18th, 2011 at 7:13 AM
Ministers Wilbert and Jacquelin Richardson
“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” Psalm 18:6
I feel led today to encourage those of you who are really grieving over the lost of your loved ones. Those of you who are still crying outwardly and inwardly – God is with you.
We will never get accustomed to death for it is our last enemy. But sometimes it’s not just death but it the way that our loved ones die. It’s hard, it’s rough but God has promised to comfort those who mourn. Many may be asking the question “Why?” – only God has the answers and all we can do is trust Him. Trust Him to take us through each day, each hour, each minute, and each second. God is our strength and His grace is sufficient for us.
Then there are those who are asking, especially in cases of tragic and violent deaths “How could God allow this to happen?” But the devil is the one who came to kill, steal and destroy. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” St. John 10:10
A few years ago my nephew who was like my brother and just a year younger than I am died suddenly. We were very close and the news of his death literally shocked my system and the pain was great. I cried and cried and cried out to God. He left telling me he would soon be back and we had some important plans to discuss. I never knew that would be the last day I would see him. But thank God for Jesus, for loving family, friends and prayer. God helped us through. In St. Matthew 28:20b it says “…I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” To the bereaved today, God is still with you. Reach out to Him.
Sometimes people say that time heals the grief and the loss. Personally I have found that God helps to heal, comfort and to strengthen in times of grief, especially with sudden deaths. My husband grew up with his grandparents and in 1984 they both passed just one month apart. You can only imagine what he and his family went through. But as He said, he relied on the strength and grace of God. God helped him through.
You see, people cannot be replaced and when they are gone it’s the memories that we have, that we can cherish and share with others who did not have the opportunity of knowing them. People grieve in different ways, and some people try to tell others how to react but that is not right. We are all different and have different personalities but whatever you do, do not hold it all in trying to be strong, and in cases of deaths caused by violence do not retaliate and take matters into your own hands. God is not sleeping, He sees and He knows all things. In Romans 12:19 it states “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” If you need to cry, cry. Men, it is not wrong for men to cry, it does not show weakness. Cast it on the Lord and allow Him to comfort you. “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?” Psalm 42:2-4
One thing I have learnt is to show love and appreciation to those who have been kind to me, my family, friends, and others while they are alive. Life is uncertain, but in Jesus Christ we need not fear. My encouragement to you today is not to take people for granted but reach out to them in love and let them know how special they are to you. Sometimes we have good intentions but get busy and caught up in this and that and forget to call, or give an encouraging word, or say a prayer for those who mean so much to us. Let us make time to show unconditional love to one another. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34
To those of you today who may have differences with your family members or others do your best and settle it while you can. I am talking about parents not talking to children, children not talking to parents, brothers, not talking to sisters, sisters not talking to brothers etc. Whatever the issue is, try and make peace. If you take a step to make peace and the other person does not want to, you have done your part, leave it to God. In the book of Romans 12:17-19 it states “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
This may sound out of the norm but write tributes to those you love, email them, put them in a letter form or a card and mail it to them; call someone and tell them just how you love and appreciate them, do it while they are alive. Give them their flowers while they are alive. Many people die, not even knowing that anyone loved them or cared about them. To them it would have made a world of difference. But there are those who knew that they were loved and that they were special because those whose lives they touched never failed to show them love and appreciation.
Even as I sit and write it’s like I am hearing someone saying “Nobody, cares about me. It does not matter if I live or die.” If that person is you, know that Jesus Christ cares about you and He cares about your eternal destiny. Your pain and burdens may be great but He loves you and He has a great plan for your life. Your family cares, you have friends who care, just that sometimes people do not know how to express love. Do not take your life, instead look to Jesus Christ and commit all to Him.
To the bereaved, we pray that God will strengthen you, comfort you and give you peace and we will continue to pray for you. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. Our encouragement to you as always is, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour; accept Him today.
SINNER’S PRAYER
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and would like to accept Him today, please say the following prayer.
Dear God,
In the name of Jesus Christ, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that I need a Savior. Forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Your Word says in Romans 10:9 and 10 that if I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, I shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. I now confess Jesus Christ as Lord of my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen
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I really want to thanks you all for that word of encouragement my son left me at an early age an i still grieve because of the connection and bond we shared but praying and asking god to comfort an show me ways to deal with death as strenghten me but i just want to encourage you all to keep on doing an excellent job
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