Our Perspective Matters

The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. Isaiah 57:1-2

A friend of ours went home to be with the Lord recently. God had blessed her with a heart of wisdom as she served Him in ministry as well as in the company of those in the world. We, as a church, prayed fervently for her healing and for extended life but the Lord took her home a few months after her diagnosis.

It is difficult to understand why the Lord would want to take someone home to be with Him when she was serving Him so faithfully and fully here. Thinking in the earthly perspective, she was too young to die, still had too much left she could do and was too much of a godly model. When I think about her from this perspective, I am stumbled by God’s will and confused by God’s ways. And I just want her back. However, when I pull myself back enough to see it from an eternal perspective, I am sincerely envious that I am not in the presence of the Lord with her right now too. Our hearts should groan for heaven even though our flesh refuses to accept death. The dichotomy of life and death is a continual reminder that earth is not our home. We are just passing through. The goal of each Christian should be that our walk with Him doesn’t change from here to there. The place changes but not the relationship.

Our perspective matters. If we chose to continually see things from man’s perspective, we will be discouraged and disappointed with the Lord. If we choose to get into the Word and see life from His perspective, we find joy peace and excitement by drawing closer to Him. I am saddened by my loss of a sister in Christ but I am also thankful that we will remain friends for eternity.

Oh Lord, bring us home as dedicated and committed to You as our friend was.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~