Precious in the Sight of the LORD is the death of His Saints

How different we are than God! How very different earth is than Heaven!

As we see things from earth...by we..I mean mere mortals...we adapt ourselves...from birth until death...identifying with earth.  We know that we were created from earth...and that when we die these bodies return to the earth...at least they would if not so mummified.  Dirt to dirt...dust to dust! I suppose that it's reasonable to do what we do...I mean it is logical...right?

We walk very much by feeling...we use our senses...we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch...we believe in the tangible.  What we see is what we get! Seeing is believing! Right? Isn't that where we live most of the time? We wake up...go through our day...taking things as they come...day in and day out...mostly the same each week.  I mean, we have our schedules...Mon-Fri...right? And, then, TGIF! We also have our weekend schedules.  One Monday is very much the same as the next Monday!  One Saturday like the next...even our Sundays.  We like patterns...familiarity..few of us like change of any kind.  We are set in our ways...pretty much.

Then, something happens, a friend or family member gets very sick...and though the fight is great and fought courageously...the loved one dies.  We have many questions! Why him and not me? Why him and not someone I don't know and love? Why did another I know make it, and he did not? How could a loving God let this happen? Didn't God see that he is young and had his whole life ahead of him? Didn't He see that he has a wife and 2 very young children? and parents? and siblings? and friends? who all love him? Didn't we rally around him and love him and encourage him enough? Why did we not see a miracle here?

I have been carrying a heaviness for several days.  I came home from a Christmas vacation to a house that I've lived in with husband for 31 years.  I raised my sons here and enjoy my grandgirls here often.  All the lighted Christmas houses and church that were given to me as Christmas gifts...one at a time...by my Mama who went to be with the LORD this year...were demolished...purposefully crashed to smitherines.  As we cleaned up all the ornaments..many destroyed...and saw many dated keepsakes shattered..the blessings became clearlly evident..no one was hurt..and all the nativities and angels were in tact...an example of Ps. 91.

This coupled with my bff and her hubby splitting..actually they are our bff couple of all time...presented some somberness (is this a word? if not, it should be..) to the festivities.  I left my FLA pink house a day early, returning to the mess here, and leaving that mess behind.  Obviously, the heaviness on me was as much or more for the break up of dear friends.  We were taken by ambush here...not expecting this news at all. 

The goodness of God appeared throughout the whole time..my sons, daughters in-law, granddaughters, and my hubby were all so much more loving.  I have more than one love language...words of affirmation and time and touch... not sure which is the strongest.  These events brought out much of all three of them for me...I felt covered and coated with LOVE!  I could feel my sons' protection and affection...all different but all for real...and I could feel/sense a deeper bond/affection with my hubby of 42 years.  Such growth!  Such maturity in this family God has given me!  As Mary, I was hiding these gems in my heart...

Today, I specifically named a young man near my sons' age...a dear friend of my nieces..who has had lymphoma for a year...during our prayer time.  Many times have we prayed for this family as we've remained updated as he has fought the fight! I have been moved over and over by the words of my nieces...Beka and Mary..as they have been called on to mature...to grow in discipline and discipleship ..this year.  Watching them from here...praying with...trying to shoulder this burden they were helping their friend bear!  David had returned home...under hospice care several days ago...and on New Years' his wife, Lisa, has written her last response on their website.  This AM, about an hour before we asked for prayer for all of the family and friends...he had left this eartly temple...this body that had been ravaged with cancer...and he took on his glorified body! Immediately! in the twinkling of an eye..in fact!! To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD!!

There's no question about whether David is healed now. He's healed forever! There's no sickness or sadness or death where he is now.  He's joined my beloved loved ones who are waiting on us.  This year there have been many people who have been healed .. raised up here in the earth...to proclaim the mighty works of our LORD.  There have also been ones who have been raised up in heaven...healed forever! We've seen several cases of twins..with one raise here and one raised in Heaven.  We on earth don't see the big plan...we don't understand why some are born to die...I mean they are birthed in earth...and go on to be with the LORD before they leave the hospital...or they do not make it to birth..only a few weeks, or months old...and leave the womb for Heaven.   

A younger me would be so disappointed in me when someone the LORD had me pray for died.  I can remember saying, "Will you please let someone else go pray...and lay hands on the sick...it doesn't work when I do it." Such a young one in the LORD I was! I did not see the big picture!  I remember when the LORD revealed to me that it was not about me...I had nothing to do with whether the person was raised here or in Heaven..whether they lived or died..it was up to HIM!!! How relieved I was...and still am...that their healing has nothing to do with me.  My part is obedience! It's like salvation! It's not up to me whether a person receives salvation when I share the gospel...it is up to me to obey...to go ye therefore into all the world! 

God is good all the time! Knowing that up front as I do now in this older time in my life...having tested, tried, and proved my LORD...over and over and over...I can attest with no apology to the fact that He is Pistos...Faithful...and True...always and forever! He will never leave us or forsake us! I don't always understand...I try to help..to comfort others...but I don't know why some live to be over 100 and others die before they are born...I don't know why some daddy's die when children are so young...while some do when their children are older...

I've seen young widows and older widows...and I believe that if you are one with your spouse...your wife or husband...as the Word says we should be...that the grief is deep no matter the age.  My dear friends, who are my age and lost their husbands...they've all grieved deeply .. even though they've had grown children.  I know my Mama grieved much over my Daddy...and they were married almost 65 years...and had 4 grown daughters with grown 16 grown grandchildren..many great grands. 

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints! The greatest miracle of all in any scenario is the fact that the one who has died is saved!  All of the saved ...all of the LORD's children...His body...His bride...are saints! Today, the angels were shouting! All of Heaven was cheering because one of the LORD's special sheep...His saint..is Home!!!

Glory to God in the Highest!  We are the called..the believing...the saints in the earth.  We are united ...bonded..as Jesus prayed in the Garden.  We are one as He and His Father are one! What a team of prayer warriors David has! Notice I don't say had because our job is not over! We are still praying for all that God has begun in David's life! Lisa is here with his mother, his brother and other family members, and his chldren...and all of his friends.  All of the wonderful ones who have raised money, cooked food, given platelets...all who have been brought together to participate in God's plan here.  David was saved during this episode with lymphoma...so we can't discount the preciousness of what happened here. Others have come to know our Jesus through this bout with cancer.

It's not over..because we are to pray in agreement that none perish but all come to repentence.  We must be in agreement that none lose their faith here. God did not let us down.  God has been God! I'm glad it's Him that is in charge and not me because I would leave someone out. Our Father is rejoicing with His precious David.  We are told that we have the mind of Christ! Let us allow ourselves to think God's truth.  Precious in His sight is David's death.  Paul has told us that we who believe simply sleep...our story is not over...our bodies will rise at the coming of the LORD..joining our spirit who is with Jesus as soon as it leaves the body. 

Thank You, LORD, for Your Word that comforts and sustains us through it all!