Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel
inserted the name of the individual.
The sudden death of a loved one can raise many questions:
- Why did this happen?
- Could it have been prevented?
- Why did God allow it?
- Should I have done something?
Moses, who encountered many difficulties, including the sudden loss of family members, wrote in Ps 90 some reflections on his experiences, and his words can offer comfort and perspective when we encounter difficulties. He begins with a reminder that...
I. God is the source of our protection.
Moses says of God that...Ps 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.... 4a For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by....
"our dwelling place throughout all generations." Each generation, though, must seek God's shelter. Children cannot rely on the faith of their parents or their grandparents.A. He has been with us for a long time.
I did not know the deceased, but God did. A friend of the deceased said to me that the deceased had turned to the Lord earlier in his life, and that this friend had been encouraging him to turn again, to make the Lord his "dwelling place" (Ps 90:1). We do not know how God may have been working with the deceased, but we can be confident that God will do what is right for him. We can also be confident that God will do what is right for us, if we make Him our "dwelling place." He has been with us for a long time, patiently waiting for us to seek His protection.
Moses also says of God that...
B. He has been around for an even longer time.
"from everlasting to everlasting." He was there when it all began, and He will be there when all is finished.
No one else has that kind of longevity. Neither men nor angels, including the devil, can make that claim—only God. Consequently, He alone is utterly reliable, even if everyone or everything else fails, reliable for the deceased and for us.
Whatever our concern, whether it be life here or life in the hereafter, God is the source of our protection. More than that, Moses goes on to say...
II. God is the source of our instruction.
Ps 90:10 The length of our days...quickly pass, and we fly away.... 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Moses says of God that...
A. He can help us to appreciate our brief time.
...the "days [that] quickly pass." The span of our life here is limited. We do not know how long it will last, but we can make however long it lasts count for something worthwhile.
A friend of the deceased said what he remembers most of the deceased's life are the good things, from childhood and from adulthood. That is how we should remember our loved ones. How will others remember us? We can shape those memories later by following God's instruction now. He can help us to appreciate our brief time and make it count for something worthwhile.
Moses also says of God that...
B. He can help us to apply our brief time prudently.
..."that we may gain a heart of wisdom." As life goes on, we may not have fewer problems, but we should get better at handling the problems that do arise.
The deceased struggled with his problems, often preferring to suppress them chemically rather than address them directly. It did not have to be so for him, nor should it be for us. Our natural response to life's problems may be different, but with God's aid, we can learn to handle them. He can help us to apply our brief time prudently.
The deceased now sees life quite differently from the way he viewed things before, because he now has God's perspective. If you were able to speak with the deceased, he would surely confirm what Moses says here in Ps 90 and would encourage you to make God the source of your protection and your instruction.
For a pdf see here.
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Jim Skaggs