It's All in His Hands

Ready:

"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." - Psalm 30:5

Set:

Death is always a difficult topic to grasp. Whenever someone dies we always wonder, where was God when they died, and why did He let it happen to them? From movie stars, professional athletes, and other celebrities to firefighters, police officers, and loved ones; our hearts are filled with grief and for a while everything pales in comparison to our loss.

Recently influential men in the world of professional sports like George Steinbrenner, John Wooden have had an outpouring of sympathy and even increased popularity after their death. Hall of Fame basketball coach, Jim Valvano’s death was met with widespread mourning, a tournament name in his honor, and a multi-million dollar foundation in his memory to support cancer research. More recently Coach Wooden graced the cover of Sports Illustrated following his passing. Regardless of who has passed, death brings unparalleled grief and heartache.

A few weeks ago, one of my childhood friends was tragically killed by a train and I along with all of his other friends and family were wondering, “Where were you God and why did you let this happen?”

At my beloved friend’s funeral, it seemed as if the pastor read our minds. It brought peace to my heart when he said, “God was at the same place when Deion died as He was when Jesus died, but He wasn’t upset, because He knew that they would both rise again.”

In Romans 8:28, Paul told the people that “God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” This means that even though we will have to deal with tough circumstances and sometimes even painful losses, God allows these things to happen for a reason, and even though at times we don’t have the slightest clue why, we can be assured that it is for our benefit as long as we stay in His will.

King David had to deal with the loss of his son and he responded in Psalm 30:5 by saying, “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.” As Christians we have no reason to fear death, because once we accept Jesus Christ into our lives as our Lord and Savior, we are assured that we will go to heaven. This is why Paul tells us in Philippians 1:21 “To live is Christ and to die is gain”.

Therefore if our loved one was a Christian, we have reason to rejoice! So regardless of what painful loss that you have had to overcome, remember that God is using it for your good and that He will comfort you in the end.

Go:

Have you had to deal with the loss of a loved one recently? How did it impact you?
God always hears His children’s voices and He is there to comfort you. How do you call on Him in times of need?

Workout:

Romans 8:28
2 Corinthians 4:8-12
Job 1
John 11:1-43

It's All in His Hands

Bible Chapter: 2 Corinthians 4 [6], Corinthians 4 [7], Job 1 [8], John 11 [9], Philippians 1 [10], Psalms 30 [11], Romans 8 [12]

Keywords: death [13], grief [14], joy [15], Prayer [16]

Ministry: Sport [17]

Sport: Baseball [18], Basketball [19]