The good men perish; the godly die before their time, and no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to realize that God is taking them away from evil days ahead. For the godly who die shall rest in peace.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Do not stop reading. This is a message of life…not death – although death is very much a part of life. This is a message of hope for God’s children…for those who know Him as the “Giver of Rest”.
Many of us have seen the news reports in recent days about the 70th anniversary of D-Day…the amphibious invasion of France that took place on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Allied forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Free French Forces were the initial “troops on the ground”…joined soon by soldiers from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Greece, the Netherlands, and Belgium – and air support from Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. It has been noted that 2,499 Americans who died in Normandy on D-Day…more casualties than in ten years of war in Afghanistan.
Many of these soldiers were among “the godly who died before their time”. If you study interviews with veterans who survived D-Day – or any wartime experience – you realize that many of these soldiers were men and women who, in many cases, were barely out of their teens. They were placed in harm’s way, and countless numbers perished…leaving others to wonder why so many were taken from us so soon.
I read an account in a recent issue of the AARP Bulletin about letters written by soldiers to the folks back home during wartime. Many knew they were dying…some even as young as ages 15 and 18. But their letters were hopeful and comforting. They were at peace, because they knew that their passing would “take them away from evil days ahead”. They knew that God was in control and would give them rest.
We have plenty of opportunities in our lifetime to question “why”...and to feel as if no one seems to care – especially God. But in truth, God cares aplenty…and so do many others. The simple fact is that, while we do not always understand situations and circumstances, we cannot see how God is orchestrating the events of our lives. We cannot possibly fathom that what God allows in our lives might be far better – and less painful or difficult – than what would happen if He allowed our course to be altered.
We wonder why God allows us to get sick, suffer and die. We wonder why we graduate with honors from a prestigious college and cannot find a job. We wonder why our house doesn’t sell so that we can move to another city, take a better job, and become more productive and successful. We wonder why people slip and fall down stairways or off porches…why cars and motorcycles collide with other vehicles or inanimate objects…and why natural disasters destroy our home and our livelihood. We cry out and ask God why relationships fail...why jobs are lost and wars are fought…and so much more. And all the while, we grow more and more weary – if only from the asking of the question, “Why?”
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of asking…and wondering…and feeling restless and frustrated because I don’t have the answers. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to rest in the LORD…to trust Him and believe that He knows a thing or two that I don’t! I am sure I won’t like everything that God allows. There will be sadness and sorrow and challenges galore. But they will strengthen me…if I will let them. If I will lean on God and trust Him to design the life that is perfect for me, He will do exactly that. If I will believe that even the things I do not understand may be part of a plan to protect me from something far more devastating – even when that seems impossible to fathom – I will have found true rest in this lifetime.
This week, a young father named Adam, who I’ve come to know only through his wife’s blog posts, succumbed to brain cancer. Adam’s wife, Beth, grew up in my hometown. On the day that Adam died, Beth posted a poem by the late Maya Angelou that seemed to sum up Adam’s earthly life. The poem is titled, “When Great Trees Fall”. I encourage you to search for it online and read the entire piece.* Angelou ends the poem this way…
And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.
As I read today’s scripture passage from Isaiah, this part of the poem came to mind. With God, we can be – and be better. We can rest in Him and trust His plans for our lives. We can exist – in Him, and because of Him. And once and for all, we can find rest.
©2014 Debbie Robus
*http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/281946-when-great-trees-fall-when-great-trees-fall-rocks-on
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