Dealing with Death of a Loved One
Dealing with the death of a loved one can be the hardest thing anyone has ever gone through. Whether they are strong in their faith, or haven’t had much faith in quite some time, there is never an easy way to deal with the loss of a friend or loved one. To offer a Christian perspective on this issue, we can only look to Christ and His Word for reassurance and encouragement when facing such loss. While we mourn the earthly loss of our loved one, we must remember the promises that the Lord gave us in the Bible. In fact, salvation is spoken of throughout the whole Bible, and heaven is something that is so worth our devoted time in study.
In our worst moments of suffering, we must place our focus on learning the reality of what heaven really is. It says in the Bible,
Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
We have to keep in mind that if our loved one is in heaven, what they are seeing is far beyond what we could possibly imagine. The splendor and the beauty of heaven is not possibly fathomable in the human mind. Take a very close look at the following Scriptures, pay very close attention, and see if you can even come close creating a visual in your mind of the awesomeness and magnificence of our future home of heaven:
Revelation 21:10-27 (New Revised Standard Version)
“And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width; and he measured the city with his rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits by human measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall is built of jasper, while the city is pure gold, clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, each of the gates is a single pearl, and the street of the city is pure gold, transparent as glass. 22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
There is no question of the sadness, despair, loneliness, devastation, and sometimes even anger or guilt that we feel when mourning a death. But, take a moment to think about this. If all that the Bible says is true, and Christ has the power to resurrect the dead, raising them to holy Jerusalem, then what our loved ones are seeing now is far more exquisite and breathtaking then words can express. If the Bible is correct and Jesus is to keep His promises, then we surely will have the ability to see our loved ones again. It may not be tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year, but we have a guarantee in the Lord that He will reunite us with those that have gone before us, in the majestic place called heaven. We too, have something to look forward to, which may not be apparent in the midst of our grieving, but it is a promise given by our Lord and Savior that we can obtain salvation, meet Him face to face, and even build houses and dwell in them for eternity with all whom we have lost in the past. Just imagine it. If you could take a moment to absorb this, and truly let it sink into your heart, keeping your faith in the promises of Christ, it may be some consolation to know that your faith will bring you to this miraculous paradise. For this is possibly one of the most difficult times you have faced, and you should know that the Lord is with you each step of the way through your affliction and pain. Focus your heart on what is beyond this earth, for those who remain loyal to the Savior.
Speak to the Lord and put your faith in Him knowing that He will carry you through, and that there is hope that travels far beyond what you could possibly fathom at this moment. Even through the midst of your sadness, the Lord promises to walk with you, and not give you any more pain than you can endure. Be of good faith, my friend. The Lord sees your tears, and He knows of your suffering, and this is a time when He will draw close to you to ease your heavy heart.
May God’s grace, comfort, and healing be with you in this most difficult time. May His Holy Spirit wrap you in His loving care, and allow you to rest your tired heart and mind with the peace of knowing that your loved one is with Him in heavenly glory at this moment.
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”