MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
Through trials and blessings, ups and downs, gains and losses, God’s presence sustains. During the last few weeks, my wife has shared with you the impact of two losses during a time when honestly, I found it difficult to write. We want to express thanks to everyone who's reached out to our family during these days. We've felt your support, and we've been strengthened by it. A month ago this week, one of our grandsons died, and since then, I've sought God's perspective on tragedy and loss.
Though everyone would do anything within our power to avoid such an experience, we do lose loved ones. Beginning in Mark 5:22, a man with authority, means, and influence came to Jesus and fell down at His feet pleading, "'My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, that she may get well and live.'”
Dangers to loved ones may be physical, but sometimes they're emotional, psychological or spiritual. The desperation is there. Is there nothing that we couldn’t do to deliver the loved one so they can become well, whole, complete, and enjoying the fullness of life?
Jesus and the man started on their way, but they were interrupted, and Jesus stopped to heal someone else. In verse 35 news came to the official, "'Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?'” However, death is just the thing that Jesus came to address. His answer to loss in verse 36 was, "'Do not be afraid any longer, only believe."”
If we're familiar with the Bible study of Jairus, we know in this instance Jesus raised the child from the dead. But what is the answer when we don’t experience this kind of miracle? - when it doesn’t seem that we'll live happily ever after?
Jesus told Jairus and others in Mark 5:40, "'The child has not died, but is asleep'”, and He was met with incredulous laughter. That day, and now through His own resurrection, death has been conquered. He said to Jairus’ daughter “arise” and “walk.” When we die in Jesus, he will take us by the hand, and we will rise and walk in new life with Him.
When death comes to someone we love, we do much the same as Lazarus' two sisters and cry out, “if only” God or the doctors had done this, or if only I had been there. But Jesus used both of these tragedies to perform a greater miracle that only He the Son of God could perform.
The truth about life and death is found in Jesus’ words recorded in John 11:25-26. "'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.'” For those who live by faith in Jesus, death is simply passing through to eternal life. He also said in John 17:3, "'This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.'"
God desires that none would perish, according to 2 Peter 3:9, but that all should come to repentance. So, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in [Jesus] should not perish, but have eternal life. "'God [sent His Son] ... that the world should be saved through Him'" (John 3:16-17 We are admitted into heaven based on our relationship with God through Jesus.
We face a lot of questions, such as whether our grandson is in heaven. The answer depends on Jesus, whom God sent to get us to heaven. Austin was a good kid, always willing to help, smiling and happy. We're thankful for the indicators that he was getting his life straightened out. But our place in eternity is not determined by our works or merits. God constantly intervenes on our behalf, so we place our loved ones in His hands.
My wife wrote last week that one of Austin's brothers recorded a message from prison. Dylan used a number of scriptures, and some words to accompany them. "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). It is only through our faith and salvation that we may be saved and enter the eternal kingdom of God.
Dylan read from John 5:24, where Jesus said, "'He that heareth my words and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life...; but is passed from death unto life.'" And John 10:28, "'I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.'" He finished with two more. "And ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13-14) and 1 Peter 1:5, about those "who are kept by the power of God through your faith until salvation."
We're thankful for all of the positive memories, and for 24 years we had with Austin. Each one who is grieving is invited to come into the presence of Jesus, give thanks for His incredible gift, and tell Him you want an ongoing relationship with Him. Our prayer is that He may be the light on your path, shining through the darkness.
