“Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.” Isaiah 57:1-2 NLT
People say that the first year of marriage is the hardest. Often this is because of the meshing of two different families, lifestyles, personalities, etc. into one unit. But for my wife and me, our first year of marriage was difficult for a different reason. During our first year, two of our closest friends died – one from a natural disaster and the other from physical sickness. They had both been in our wedding party and we were very tightly connected. Needless to say we were devastated. And, right or wrong, we questioned God about why they had to go so soon, especially because they were both so young. I think that we can all relate to situations like this.
This passage from Isaiah was written prior to the Babylonian exile. It speaks to the evil leaders of Judah and how they were mistreating those that were righteous. But it’s a source of comfort for me when I am confused about someone I love passing away. It actually also reminds me of the passage in Romans 8 that assures us that everything works together for the good of those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28). When evil men were being persecuted and even killed by the leaders of Judah, God took them away to protect them from the evil of the time and allow them to rest peacefully. The same may apply to our loved ones who die. We may never understand the why, the when or even the how of their passing. But, God is in control. He knows what’s best for us. He defeated death (I Corinthians 15:57). He gives eternal rest to those who abide in Him (Hebrews 4:9-10). And that is truly a blessed assurance for me.