Happy Thanksgiving,
Thanksgiving was a time for the pilgrims to come together with the Indians and celebrate the many blessings they had in light of the dying season of Fall. They realized that they were so blessed with provision from God and friends that they knew they would be able to make it throught the winter months when no other crops would be harvested, and what had always been the harshest environment to survive.
This Thanksgiving God has shed new light on a dark situation in my life and also in lives around our nation. We all can feel the droning effect of death all around us. We are in the season of Fall where plants and trees are dying off. We also feel a dying economy, dying job numbers, and what may seem like dying hopes for our futures with our IRA's and 401K's dying off. I also know we have felt the pangs of physical death with numerous celebrities, politicians, friends, family, and recently tragic deaths in our military. Such hard, dark times, it definitely helps us to be even more thankful for what we DO have, but I feel the Spirit of God calling us to be thankful for the dying off itself.
I have experienced numerous personal deaths within this year, I have lost family members, and dear friends, I've seen those around me deal with the pain of death also, and I always feel the burden of sadness upon my shoulders as well. Recently a dear friend of mine passed away suddenly. The pain and shock came instantaneously. I could almost literally feel the pain of hurt and anguish that all who knew him must've been feeling. I had to question, like most would, " why Lord?". I looked to find comfort in my Bible; I looked for anything that might bring much needed peace to the family and friends of the dearly departed.
Not knowing where to start, I went where I usually do. To Bluletterbible.org. I am no Bible expert and I will never claim to be, but I do utilize this very helpful tool. I wanted to know how God felt about death, so I simply searched the word "Death" in the entire Bible, the word death is used 451 times in the Bible. As I scanned the list of verses, one struck me profoundly.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15
this verse literally means, that God is pleased at the death of one of His children (I personally believe that we are all God's children, since He created us all). I had to look for further insight from this verse, were there stipulations to God's pleasure in death? Could He be pleased at the death of a non-believer? I looked for commentaries that pastors had written on this verse, I found a sermon by Charles Spurgeon, a pastor from the 1800s. He had written this sermon after the passing of an elder deacon in his church. It is a truly touching sermon and I'm not going to even try to take credit from any of it. If you would like to read this commentary, which I would strongly recommend to anyone doing, you can use this link:
One story within this commentary truly gave peace to me in the face of death:
"A child once found a bird's nest, in which were eggs, which he looked upon as a great treasure. He left them, and by-and-by, when a week or so had passed, he went back again. He returned to his mother grieving: "Mother," said the child, "I had some beautiful eggs in this nest, and now they are destroyed; nothing is left but a few pieces of broken shell. Pity me, mother, for my treasure is gone." But the mother said, "Child, here is no destruction; there were little birds within those eggs, and they have flown away, and are singing now among the branches of the trees; the eggs are not wasted, child, but have answered their purpose. It is better far as it is."
Wow! how profound, that our bodies are mjuch like those eggs. We are treasures here on Earth to those around us, but our true purpose is what comes after we leave those eggs. our true purpose just like those eggs is to be within the heavenlies singing. Spergeon in this commentary went on to describe our arrical into heaven like a bridal feast, like a wedding party. Jesus Christ is much like a bride groom, who anxiously awaits our arrival, then we can be united together with Him in Spirit. Upon our arrical to heaven Jesus and all the angels rejoice and celebrate this union, much like we now celebrate the union of husband and wife. Weddings were and are considered to be the largest and grandest of feasts or parties. Both because of the greatness of physical, spiritual, and emotional proportions, at weddings we celebrate every aspect of life that there is to celebrate. and this is just a glimpse of what the celebration is like upon our arrical to heaven. After reading this I could just imagine my friend who passed away being rejoiced over by God the Father, The Son, The Spirit, and all the angels. It is only through our union with Christ that we obtain access to heaven that comes from death, and I imagined a celeration like that with every death that had happend in my life.
Since God ultimately gives and takes away, I know that God is the one ordaining the deaths in my life, and in your life too. I have to imagine that with every hardship I have endured God is rejoicing because I am getting closer and closer to my ultimate purpose, which is to be united with Christ, and to be closer to the image of Christ.
So I ask you this Thanksgiving to find beauty in your pains, and to trust God in the deaths surrounding your life. Whether the physical death of a loved one, or a death to plans that we had made. Let us find peace in knowing that God is with us, and desires nothing but good for us, and that he will replaces our sorrows with gladness.
I am so thankful for death, and the dying off of what is old, or ill-equipped. I am also so thankful for the promise that comes after death. I am thankful for every fragile breath I do have in this life that is but a vapor. I am so thankful for the peace I have found in this promise from God, that I want everyone else to know this ultimate peace that comes from knowing the promise of what comes after death. And I know that the only way to be sure everyone can know this peace is if they know Jesus and trust Him as there only way into the promise of what comes after death. I pray you would join me, in sharing the greatest blessing ever given. This gift is completely free, and yet completely priceless.
If you do not know the promises of God and yet you geel you want this great peace and hope in what is considered the worst of life experiences; if ou want your sorrows to be replaced with rejoicing it is as simple as saying: "Lord, I realize that I am trapped in the death that comes from my sin, I want the promise for hope after death that comes only from you! I believe that You died on the cross to give me that promise of life after death, and I trust You to rule in my life. Amen." I hope at this point you have prayed this prayer, at one time or another, I know how heaven rejoices over YOU when they see that you will now be at your own bridal feast, it's like you have rsvp'd for your own wedding, and God will do all the work, just trust Him!
Happy Thanksgiving in Him,
Stacie Vigneaux
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