Isaiah 57

"Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death".

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My friend Dan lost his wife...way too soon. I always find it difficult to comprehend why bad things happen to good people. I should spend more time saturating my mind with scripture. The answer wouldn't come with such struggle.

First, leaving this life is not a "bad thing" for a "good" person. When a good person leaves this life it is a blessing. They are being spared from something. In this chapter Isaiah talks about the death of good people. "The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil". I have no idea from what evil God wanted to spare Anne. And, I don't have to know. I do need to believe God brought Anne through because he loved her.

Of course it always seems like a bad thing for the loved ones who remain behind. We weep, we get angry, we lose faith. It's inexplicable.

Or, not...

I'm not suggesting this is should be painless. In fact, it's incredibly painful...for a reason. Paul tells us, in 1 Corinthians 15, "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law". As humans we view death as a punishment because we understand it to be the consequence of sin. Ezekiel 18:20 reminds us "the soul that sins will die". And...who of us is without sin?

But...the definition of a "good" person is a person who has trusted the blood of Christ to wash away their sin. Effectively, there is no longer any sin charged against that person. So death cannot be a punishment. It's why Paul continues his statement to the Corinthians by saying "but thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ".

I've lost two close friends out of season. I've mourned and wept. I believe this is normal. It wasn't "the sting of death" that caused my sorrow. It was the loss of treasured companionship. That's quite a different thing.

We will face such loss again. Let's remember, it's not God's fault...it's God's blessing...even though it's difficult to endure. Still...we shouldn't forget there are some "bad" people and...for them...death is quite a different matter.

Live boldly out there today...