No More Tears: God Is Faithful

March 29, 2020, marked the twenty-second month since my husband of thirty-five years had passed away, and I still didn’t understand his death.

I know death is very much a part of life on this earth, but I also understand that death was not God’s original plan for us; with sin came death.

I was not even questioning why Chris died.

I was trying to grapple with the concept of death and dying. I thought I needed to understand. Chris’s death was not my first encounter with death, by any means. My parents and some other relatives had died.

I grieved my losses, but I rationalized that they had lived fulfilling lives, dying at ages that indicated they had met the allotted “threescore years and ten” (Psalm 90:10, KJV). On the other hand, Chris was so young, so very athletic, and so very vivacious. But death came, and I accepted it, not quite understanding how or why.

During those months, I attempted, in vain, to understand the concept of death or dying, but I understood that God is faithful. He has kept His promises to fulfill my every need. Instead of enlightening me on the intricacies of death and dying, my heavenly Father has given me a peace “which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7, NKJV).

Instead of clarifying death’s mystery, God increased my faith so that I can trust Him; even “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” He will be with me (Psalm 23:4, NKJV). Instead of justifying Chris’s death, my Father has given me the blessed hope—the hope of a new heaven and a new earth and the glorious resurrection of the faithful when “the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV).

I still don’t understand how a living, active person lies down to rest and doesn’t awaken. But my faithful Father has taken me beyond the desire to understand. He’s given me a peace that the world doesn’t understand, increased my faith in Him (even when I can’t see Him), and given me the blessed hope of a world made new with life everlasting. My dear sisters, in your life-changing situations, unexpected experiences, and unplanned circumstances, trust our heavenly Father.

Nothing surprises Him because He knows the end from the beginning. He has promised that He will be with us. He is faithful.

I am a witness today.

Valerie Knowles Combie