Was it a Waste of Time?

Recently it was brought to our attention that a fellow stander lost their husband; he passed unexpectedly.  It is tragic, and we can't imagine the pain. From many natural circumstances it might seem that all was lost.  He never fully returned home. The battle was not lost, and we must not give the devil credit for something he was not responsible for.....the battle was not LOST.  This stander did NOT give up.  It is very difficult to understand; we do NOT understand it.   

Abraham waited years to have a son, and the Lord promised him a son. The Lord even promised him descendants that would outnumber the stars.  It's very difficult to imagine that being fulfilled when you are almost 100 years old, but God keeps His promises.  Abraham had a son Isaac, and his descendents are numerous.  BUT we forget that Abraham was asked to lay it all down.....WHAT?  Yes, he was asked to sacrifice His promise.  Abraham took his son to the mountain, and he laid him on the altar.  Can you imagine?  Can you imagine laying your son down...your PROMISE.....and wondering how it's all going to make sense!!

We do not give you the impression of knowing how God thinks and what His plan is...but we do know that God keeps His promises to His children.  When God promises restoration and reconciliation we may not understand how it will all work out, but we do know that God's plans are BIG--much bigger than we can imagine.  If you have remained faithful to the covenant, then the battle was NOT lost.  The witness to your children and your children's children is far greater than the immediate hurt and loss.

Above all else, this is not my effort to explain death. The when and how of death are for God to determine. Much about death is unanswerable; we will not have all the answers until we reach eternity, when everything will be made clear. In the meantime, God will provide comfort and as much of an answer as we can handle on this side of life, when we each turn to Him..

It is a fact that prodigals do die. For some, their lifestyle has increased their risk. For others, the reason is totally unexplainable by human reasoning. It is a fact that the death of a prodigal can cause above average bereavement stress on the stander, with issues such as marital status on the death certificate, wording of the obituary, name on the grave marker, legal status, family relationships, and so much more. In addition, the death of a prodigal often brings to light facts about that individual that had never been previously disclosed.
Not only do prodigal spouses die, but some returned prodigals also die. No one on earth can understand the reason. When this happens, we can only turn to the Word of God and stand on His timeless promises.


There are some areas where we need to allow God to be God, without our human attempts to explain.
When death comes, our human nature wants to judge saved or lost, based only on what we have observed. We need to remember that Christ changes the individual from the inside out. The changes that come first are not visible to mankind. The prodigal that was taken from us prematurely may have had a changed heart. We can pray that they did.

If you have had a prodigal, or any loved one, die prematurely, it is time for you to stop worrying about where they will spend eternity. You and I do not know their relationship to Christ, even in the last moments of life. You and I need to pray that our loved ones find Jesus Christ for their salvation, but after death takes a loved one from us, judgement is God's and not ours.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:1-6

Josh and Serena