Tag Archives: dealing with death

God Can Bring a “Resurrection” to our “Deaths”

God can bring resurrection to our deaths title image

God Can Bring a “Resurrection” to our “Deaths”

Recently I heard Phil Wickham’s song “Sunday is Coming” which was released just before Easter this year. The song speaks the message that Jesus’ death is good because it’s followed by his resurrection (“Friday’s good cause Sunday is coming, Don’t lose hope cause Sunday is coming[1]). The significance is that death wasn’t the end (“They laid Him down inside that grave, but that wasn’t the end…[2].

It’s a perfect Easter song, but after hearing it, a couple of other situations came to mind that made me think of the song. A number of people I know are experiencing a variety of losses. The losses include things like the ending of a season of life, the ending of a long-term relationship, the loss of a job/home/friends, and a loss of dreams or what they had hoped for their future (in other words a loss of what could have been). I liken these losses to a “death” of sorts because we grieve these losses.

As I prayed for these losses or “deaths”, Phil Wickham’s song entered my thoughts. Having tremendous empathy, my heart was aching and grieving for what they must be going through. While praying for their comfort, peace, healing, and future a thought came to mind: “These ‘deaths’ are not the end. With God, there can be a resurrection of new things in their lives!”

In hopes that this analogy might be an encouragement to others, this post will share some of the spiritual insights of “deaths” followed by a “resurrection” (bearing in mind these are not literal deaths and literal resurrections but rather figurative).

Some deaths are followed by a glorious resurrection

On several previous occasions and even recently on a podcast, I’ve heard Pastor Willie George say that “Every death in Christ is followed by a glorious resurrection. God takes the things that we die to and resurrects them in power and holiness so that we do not lose what we present to Him![3] He’s taught before that when we have to give something up or lose something for the sake of Christ, God will bring about a resurrection in our life.

Pastor George gave some examples of sacrificing and giving up certain hobbies and things like hunting, hobbies when his kids were young in order to spend quality time with them and involve himself in their interests. He then stated how God paid him back even better later after his kids were grown and resurrected some of those dreams and hobbies. In fact, God restored his hobbies to life to the point where he’s even turned his love for the outdoors and hunting into a new ministry now—something even better than he could have originally dreamed.

Some “deaths” and sacrifices are good because there will be a resurrection to follow. Additionally, God may bring new life to something we’ve given up or lost in ways that are even better than we can ask or imagine.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

Take up your cross

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Jesus Will Carry Your Burdens

Jesus Will Carry Your Burdens.

Jesus Will Carry Your Burdens

**This post was one I wrote several years ago, on February 17, 2015 during a sad, heavy-hearted time. While I am not currently sad, or heavy-hearted, I know that many are, and many are carrying extra burdens, extra duties, and extra cares & stresses during this present time in our world. I’d like to revisit this post with reminders for times like these.**

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18 (NLT) 

My heart is so heavy, burdened and sad this past week.  I have had to remind and tell myself that “Jesus will carry your burdens.”  I am fine, and I have had no personal loss.  Unfortunately though some of my friends have, which makes me hurt for them.  For some reason I just feel like there’s so much sadness (like I said…my heart feels heavy).  If you know me at all, you know that I’m a person of great empathy.  I hurt when others hurt.

This past week a friend of mine unexpectedly lost her husband.  I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and suffering that she and her children must be enduring.  There’s also a feeling of helplessness because there is absolutely nothing that I can say or do to take away any of their pain.  I absolutely HATE death and the pain that it brings with it.

Sad times

On the same day that I learned about my friend’s husband, I saw that Continue reading

With a Long Life I Will Satisfy You…

With a long life I will satisfy you...

With a Long Life I Will Satisfy You…

My family took another hit this past week as we had another death in the family. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that we lost my cousin. This past week we lost the matriarch of our family, my 92 year old grandmother. Though her death was very difficult, there was still a lot of peace and comfort in her passing because we know she was the epitome of a godly woman who lived a long and rewarding life leaving behind a magnificent legacy. Now she is with her Jesus, a long awaited dream of hers.

“For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.” Isaiah 57:2 (NLT)

There are so many things that come to mind when I think of my grandma, so many things from which we all could learn. She totally rocked the whole Proverbs 31 thing! As I’ve discussed before, these are not just important character traits for women. She was very family-oriented, and she loved her husband deeply. She had a great love for people and welcomed them with open arms, even the sometimes unlovable or those who occasionally made poor life choices. Forgiveness and generosity were in her nature. She had a gentle, quiet spirit.

“You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” 1 Peter 3:4 (NLT)

Most importantly though, my grandma loved Jesus with all of her heart. I think her greatest desire was for her family to share that love of God.

The morning of her funeral

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Comfort: Together-Strength

Comfort: Together-Strength

Recently, I’ve come to learn that comfort is a word where its meaning has evolved over the years. Its original meaning might not necessarily correlate to how we often use and view it today. Not that our current use of the word is incorrect…but maybe it has an even deeper meaning.

I stumbled across this perspective of the word comfort in a reading plan that I started in my YouVersion Bible app last week. I started a plan called “When God Doesn’t Make Sense”. I’ve been a Christian long enough to know that we can’t always explain things that happen, even though inside our innermost being we just can’t help but to wonder WHY at times.

A “why” moment

I was in one of those “why” modes last week. These moments for me are typically short-lived because I know I’m not guaranteed an answer on this side of heaven. However, I still find myself indulging in them from time to time…hence why I looked up and started the reading plan about God not making sense.

A little over a week ago, we had a very difficult death in our family. My cousin’s wife passed away after a very long health battle. She was very young, only in her 30’s, and the mother of 2 small children. Honestly, I didn’t know her well at all, but I know enough from other family members to know that she was a godly woman. The family has been believing for her healing and recovery for quite some time now.

Her family recently uprooted their lives and relocated to Minnesota to be near the Mayo Clinic where she was being treated. She had been awaiting a liver transplant. After numerous false alarms, they finally found a match. Unfortunately, on the day of her surgery—the day that everyone had been waiting and praying for…the day that was supposed to be a happy day—she passed away. That’s not how it was supposed to go. That’s not the ending we had all been praying for.

How could there possibly be any comfort?

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Scriptures for Troubling Times

Scriptures for Troubling Times: God gives us promises throughout scripture. We can apply these scriptures to our situations and circumstances to give us peace, to build our faith, to encourage us, and sometimes to even turn the situation around.

Scriptures for Troubling Times

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve shared about preparing for the storms of life and some ways to endure those storms when they come. One of the practical ways we can endure and overcome these storms is to utilize God’s word. We can use scriptures for troubling times.

God gives us promises throughout scripture. We can apply these scriptures to our situations and circumstances to give us peace, to build our faith, to encourage us, and sometimes to even turn the situation around. God also tells us to remind Him, or put Him in remembrance, of His Word. When we remind God, we remind ourselves too!

“Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.” Isaiah 43:26 (ESV)

In order to remind God, we have to find and know the verses first to be able to use those scriptures for troubling times. It’s helpful to make a list of some go-to verses to access when those times arise. I’ve put together just a few of my personal favorites here. 

General scriptures for troubling times:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19 (ESV)

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NIV)

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT)

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 (NLT)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

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