“‘Everything is all right,’ she said. When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, ‘Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not tole me why.'” (2 Kings 4:26-27)
“Everything is all right”??? Her son, her only son, her beloved son had just died! “Everything is all right”??? How could she say that? She was in bitter pain…but she also had peace. How can that be?
I think it’s safe to say that none of us enjoys losing a loved one. It hurts, it’s painful. People who have lost spouses have told me that it’s like half of them is now gone. Death hurts. But notice what this woman did in her pain. She didn’t ignore it, stuff it inside, pretend like it wasn’t there, she took her pain to the Lord.
You see, you have a God who knows what it’s like to lose a loved one. He knows what it’s like to cry at a funeral because he’s done it. God the Father even knows what it’s like to lose a loved one, to lose a child, not involuntarily, but voluntarily as He gave His own Son up to death on the cross for you and me; forgiving our sins in full and rescuing us eternally.
So, like this woman, we bring our pain, our sorrow, our tears to Him. Not only does He know what we’re going through, but He’s also the one who can help. He dries our tears with His victorious promise, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” In Jesus our believing loved ones never really die, they live here and they continue to live with our Savior in heaven.
How do we know? Because He, Himself, went into death for us and came out victoriously alive on the other side! Because He lives we, too, will live! Bring your tears to Him for peace and healing.
Resting in Jesus knowing everything’s all right, just like you,
pastor