"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?....For
I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God that is
in Christ Jesus our Lord." -- Romans 8:35; 38-39. |
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Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints
-- Psalm 116:15
This is one of the many comforting and blessed statements in
Holy Scripture concerning that
great event from which the flesh so much shrinks. ....These words
show that a dying saint is an object of special notice to the
Lord, for note the words in the sight of. It is true that the
eyes of the Lord are always on us, for He never slumbers nor
sleeps. It is true that we may say at all times Thou God seest
me. But it appears from Scripture that there are occasions when
He notices and cares for us in a special manner.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble --Psa 46:1.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be
with thee --Isa 43:2.
.....Again, their death must be precious to God because He
has so long sympathized with them in all their trials, pains,
and sorrows. Whatever has touched them has touched the apple
of His eye. Hence, when He sees their trials come to a perpetual
end; that their last pang has ceased forever, their last sorrow
died away to return no more at all, do we not think that this
event is most precious in His eyes? He has watched all their
labors and sorrows with a parent's most tender interest; He has
seen them mourning, broken down with grief and penitence; agonizing
in their warfare against sin and temptation; when therefore,
He shall see all these trials terminate, to be renewed no more
--their physical pains and trials cease --all their wants soon
will be supplied forever, and the state of want passes forever
away; when He sees all this, think you not that He rejoices in
it with great joy? No doubt He does.
Now does all this mean that we should not grieve the loss of
our loved ones? No, for Christ
Himself wept over the grave of Lazarus; surely we too may give
scope to our natural sensibilities which cannot but suffer when
ties so dear are rent asunder. Christ knew that His disciples
would grieve at His death; hence He sought to comfort them; but
even this comfort did not assume that it was wrong for them to
feel afflicted at parting with such a friend. We learn by our
experience that the outward man may be deeply afflicted, while
yet the inward man enjoys great consolation. The sensibilities
bleed under the wound; but yet the joy of the Lord is such a
strength to the heart that many of its tears are tears of submissive,
trustful joy.
While we are sorrowing over the removal of a saint, Christ is
rejoicing. His prayer
was: “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given
me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory”
--John 17:24
This Hebrew word for glory is also rendered "brightness."
If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness
--Job 31:26. Dark and gloomy though death may be to those
whom the saint leaves behind, it is brightness in the sight of
the Lord: at evening time it shall be
light -Zech 14:7.
Precious, excellent, honorable, and bright, in the sight of the
Lord is the death of His saints. May the Lord make this meditation
precious to all of His saints. |
