WHEN TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN TO TERRIFIC PEOPLE

There are moments in life when something fragile and beautiful is set against the backdrop of the dark and hardened. Such is the case when a loved one, someone with a charming heart, an infectious smile, and pure motives, is received by God far too early. And by received, I mean this: God does not take people from us. God receives them into His glory. Satan is the thief of life. Jesus is the giver of life.

All things were created in and through Jesus. He redeems. He restores. He receives His own. It is not God’s will for a bright, shining light to be snuffed out too soon. That is the crooked path of evil, the result of a fallen creation. Bad things happen to good people. In fact, terrible things happen to terrific people.

The rain falls on us all.

These are hard lessons, but they are lessons we must consider. This world is not our home. We are all moving from birth, to death, to life eternal for those who believe in Christ. So in these moments, we must consider our focus. Do we fix our eyes on the dark and hardened, or do we set them on what is still beautiful?

Take heart.

Let not your heart be troubled. Grieve, we may. Cry, we may. But despair, we must not. For we have no reason to despair.

If terrible things could happen to a perfect Savior, then they may happen to us. But this is not the final word. Death is not a period. It is a comma for those who trust in God.

Death is a door, not a destination, for the redeemed. So today, I choose to focus on what is still good, on beauty, even when it feels fleeting.

We are encouraged to think on such things. Take heart by noticing the beauty around you. Take heart by reading and trusting God’s Word. Take heart by pressing against the darkness. Take heart, and do not be afraid.

Even in this present darkness, God is still great. God is still good.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3 NIV