We need to understand that at the time of intense pain brought about by the loss of a loved one, it is natural for seeds of doubt about our faith to creep into our minds and hearts. God understands this uncertainty. God also desires for you to bring any doubts and fears to Him. He wants you to talk to Him about these emotions and read what He has to say about them in His Book. Until you face these emotions in God's presence, you will not be able to reaffirm your faith, accept His grace, and deal with your grief.

The tragedy of losing a loved one sometimes turns feelings of grief into feelings of anger with God for having taken the loved one.

We Christians have the comfort of knowing that God did not "take" our loved one. Our daughter Suzan's time to be with the Lord had come. God called her to His heavenly home, and just as He shared in the joys of her life, He now shares in the even greater joys at her presence with Him. Just as the Lord shared in the joys that we knew in our relationship with Suzan on this earth, He shares in the pain that we experience in the aftermath of her death.

God's motive toward us - not only in every moment of our lives but also in death - is love. Love is His very nature, His character, His temperament, His reason for all action. It is out of His love that He creates us and plans our lives. It is by His love that He fulfills each person's purpose and reason for being.

As a Christian, I believe Psalm 139:16 put it as never before:"All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old." God has a departure date for us. He knows the exact time we will enter eternity.

To know that God is in control of the number of our days gives us an assurance and a hope, even though we may not receive information or a reason. Given the option of having assurance or information, I'll take assurance anytime! With assurance, I can trust God with the information.

- Zig Ziglar - "Confessions of a Grieving Christian"
From The Answer Copyright & copy; 2003 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

I Thessalonians 4:13-14

¹³Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those Christians who have died so you will not be sad, as others who have no hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. So, because of him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died.