“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17 NKJV)
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 NKJV)
“For the last enemy to be abolished is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26 BLB)
Over the last two years there have been four funerals that have hit close to home with me. Two were family members, one was the son of friends, and the most recent was my Worship Pastor for the last 20 years. All of these were the result of health issues, and in all cases families were left behind to suffer the loss. The oldest was 83, and the youngest was 31. Suffering and death are no respecters of persons.
I have learned that when I am considering things that happen in the lives of other people (especially death) there are going to be times in which I simply have to admit that I don’t understand. I cannot see anyone else’s heart, or read their mind. I am not aware of many of the “behind the scenes” details of their lives. Unless the Lord opens my “spiritual eyes” to give me a glimpse into the spiritual realm, I can’t see the spiritual battle that was fought over what I see with my eyes.
Far too often I spend my time trying to “know” what I will never fully understand. When I try to create answers for “why,” many times I end up with things that at surface level sound acceptable, but when examined fall short of the Truth of God’s Word. Things like, “I guess the Lord needs him more than we do.” Or, “God took her home.” A common phrase is “it must have been his time.” What about the famous misapplication of Job’s classic statement, “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away” (which, by the way, at the end of the Book of Job God Himself called foolishness)? And the most widely held misconception of all, “God is in control” (He is definitely in “charge” as the sovereign ruler of the universe, however in His sovereignty He chose to give the Earth to me, and delegate authority and control to me, as Adam’s descendant).
These shallow answers, along with others I have not listed, may sooth a momentary need for relief from my pain, but just like a doctor prescribed pain medication, once the current dose wears off the pain returns. And, as with prescribed pain relievers, nothing has been done to remove (heal) the cause of my pain.
Along with avoiding the temptation to create answers to questions beyond my current understanding, I need to stop fogging the issue by trying to figure out why “Bad” things happen to “Good” people. Jesus made it clear that there are no “Good” people…
“So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17 NKJV)
“Bad” things happen for the simple reason that we live in a broken world in which sin and Satan are running rampant. We are in a battle with the forces of darkness in which our enemy will do everything he can to steal, kill, and destroy.
I need to settle once and for all that death never was, and never will be, God’s design or desire (Will) for His children. God created life. Death entered this world through sin. Adam and Eve (by their own choice) detached themselves from their source of life and entered into death. Due to sin, if the Lord has not yet returned, at some point my assignment will be completed and I will step out of this body (die). That was not my Father’s original design or desire for me. He would prefer that I experience life, not death. Jesus made that very clear in His life, ministry, and words…
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NKJV)
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)
What I need to do is focus on what I do know, and trust the “mystery” to God with confidence that He is a good God and will always work everything together for good (even “bad” things which He had nothing to do with). So let’s begin to look at what is revealed in the Word of God…tomorrow.
Holy Spirit open my eyes to see, and my ears to hear, what You are saying through…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 99: “Removing Death’s Stinger.” Part 2