In life we encounter storms, times of sorrow and loss. Job said in worship, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) These are deep words and true, though we know in the end God was proved righteous, loving, and gracious, in the midst of pain and suffering we feel loss. We don’t need a sermon or facts, but consolation. God is not like the Greek gods who played and toyed with humans for their pleasure. Life is filled with tests and loss is a part, like the inevitability of death.

Slowly, age takes away our mobility, strength, vision, hearing, and other abilities. There can be difficulty in coping, putting on a happy face may please others, but will it bring the consolation we need? Bill Gothard taught “Death of a Vision”, from God’s dealing with Abraham and Issac. God gave Abraham a promise of a great heritage though he had no children. Then Abraham and Sarah got very old and the vision died. Abraham’s effort to fulfill God’s promise produced Ishmael who’s descendants to this day today are a scourge to Israel. Even after Isaac’s birth, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Abraham did not doubt God’s sufficiency in keeping His promises. “Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:17-19) Loss is a part of God’s purposes and the fulfillment of His promises and vision. We surrender completely and God fulfills every promise.

Surrender and sacrifice to God’s will is the Believer’s pathway to glory. “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:24) Yeshua, (Jesus’ Hebrew name) set an example in the garden of Gethsemane when He prayed fervently with great anguish saying, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me,” and resigned Himself to God’s will. (Matthew 26:38-39) Job said, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10) Solomon put it another way, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.” (Eccles. 7:14) 

Have you surrendered your most recent loss to God’s will? Crying out loud or silently within, “Don’t let, Don’t let me down.” The Holy Spirit is our comforter. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) Hope will arise in the Believer because ours is not in this temporal world, but the eternal heaven.