I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, save me!”
The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me…
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:1-6, 15)
First of all, thank you to many of you who I’ve talked to, received cards from, know that you’ve been praying for me and my family in the recent passing of our newborn, Ellie Hope. We are grateful for your support and love, and for your care during the pregnancy and loss.
Because of that experience, death has been in the front of my mind lately. As I think back on our last few months as a family but also my last few years in ministry, I have found out that death is not only a very real part of life, but also challenging in terms of how we live with death. To see family members and friends cry because they are mourning, grieving, and wishing to have that person back. To experience numbness and not being able to focus on normal tasks because someone is missing that we believe ought to be there. To see a loved one’s physical body for a final time on this earth—with a mix of sadness because of the frailty, and joy because of the healing that we hold onto hope for.
For followers of Christ, we can be assured that there is hope. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints, writes the psalmist. But those aren’t always easy words to read. Why couldn’t additional days for someone, like the 15 years that were given to Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20, be precious in God’s sight for our loved one? Yes, our friends are in a better place, if they knew the Lord. Yes, they will be healed. Yes, they won’t have to live through anymore of the turmoil and persecution that we may experience on this earth. Yes, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). But couldn’t we have more time together, here and now?
All those are questions that we, who are living in a world where there is still death, may wrestle with. It’s not easy. The pain of all our experiences is not what God intended when he created this world. The very existence of death and loss and hurt, we believe, is an effect of the fall into sin. Again, looking to Psalm 116, the entanglement of death, the grave’s anguish, being overcome by trouble and sorrow—these are not what God primarily created us for. Jesus experiencing such pain and agony, hatred and betrayal as he was flogged and led to the cross, carrying it, and being nailed to it—not what humans were created for. The death of the Lord’s saints being “precious” should not be taken to mean that he enjoys watching it happen like we enjoy precious moments with our loved ones.
The Hebrew word being used is rather communicating something precious like a gem, something costly or weighty. Our deaths are significant; they are noticed. The event—but even more, we as people created by God and redeemed by him are treasured. The psalmist recognizes the good nature of our God—that he is gracious and compassionate and saving for as long as we live. But there is also a day, known only to God, when he will and does call us home. Eternal life with the Savior will be so much greater than life on this earth, yet what happens here and now is not overlooked by God and doesn’t have to be overlooked by us.
So, we sing, and we think, and we share the words that are familiar to many of us, “It is well with my soul.” I know who created our loved ones, I know who has redeemed them. I know the promises he has made to never leave or forsake, but to save. I know the future holds every tear being wiped away and no more pain and sickness and death. I hold onto these truths and encourage you to as well. Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 18, Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him…Therefore encourage each other with these words.
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