“Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.” – Job. 14:1-2
I’m sorry to learn of your loss – the death of your loved one. It came without warning, interrupted your plans, and left you in a pool of tears. It just didn’t seem fair and it left you asking, “Why?”, “Why this?”, “Why me?”, “Why now?” Your loved one was always with you – motivating you when you were weary, comforting you when you were lonely, encouraging you when you were discouraged, and giving you hope for the future. But now he is gone! His name was “Dream”. I don’t mean a sleep dream. I’m talking about a hope, goal, or ambition – perhaps an aspiration you’ve had with since childhood. Now it’s gone.
At some point in your life it is likely that you will suffer just such a loss. One of your dreams will die – be dashed to pieces. For some of you it has already happened and you are in mourning. What you longed for, worked for, and prayed for is gone. It has left you an emotional wreck and you wonder if you will ever laugh again. It might be that there is something that you can attribute the death to, or it might be a mystery. It this point you don’t really care about the details. Your dream is shattered and you are in shock. So what now?
You can curl up in a corner in a fetal position sucking your thumb. Or you can develop a hard shell attitude, saying “I won’t get my hopes up again”. Or you can become bitter and brash, lashing out at the world as though everyone is to blame. Or you can, and should, accept what God allowed and trust Him to get you through. It is your choice. You can let your burden make you bitter or better. If you hope to gain from your loss, profit from your problem, you must not let allow your heartbreak make you hateful. Don’t get distressed due to your difficulty. Believe it or not it is possible to find purpose, and even peace, in your problem. Although you can’t escape it, by the grace of God you can endure it. God specializes in helping people do that.
The ancient book of Job deals with this very thing. It gives evidence that God is able to enable us – able to do, as Paul said, “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” ( Eph. 3:20). I know that your weak flesh might not think so, but you can trust the One who cannot lie and never fails. If ever there was a man who seemed to have all his dreams destroyed it was Job. You might be thinking, “I don’t care about Job. I don’t even know him. I’m suffering!” But this isn’t a matter of comparing one person’s problems to those of another. The point isn’t man’s grief, but God’s greatness.
Job’s story shows us how those who have suffered great loss can end up with even greater gain. It’s just a matter of time. All isn’t lost just because all you have is gone. God isn’t through with you yet and the best is yet to come. He is working in ways you cannot see to bring about things you never imagined! It was this glorious thought that enabled Paul to “faint not” ( 2 Cor. 4:1,16). He knew that our present afflictions are “light” in comparison to what awaits us, and “but for a moment” compared to things “eternal” ( 2 Cor. 4:17-18). Rather than working against us our afflictions “worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). So, “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen…things… eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). Job entered the furnance of affliction a good man and came out a more godly man. He was transformed by his trials. The same is true of all those who trust in the Lord. It’s just a matter of time! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
