Articles
Till Death Do Us Part
Till Death Do Us Part
Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her (Genesis 23:2)
Till death do us part—what follows now? One of the saddest farewells we ever have to make while on this earth are those in which we must say farewell to one who has been our companion in this life. As I think about this passage, the thought comes to mind that, like Abraham, a lot of us have found ourselves mourning and weeping over the death of our mate. This is a burden that changes our lives so much. One day we are married, then suddenly we are single, alone. A familiar voice is heard no more. Even though we may be surrounded by people, we are still alone. Anniversaries, birthdays, holidays are just never the same that they once were. Sometimes we see a picture, hear a song or someone says something and our heart is flooded with memories that dim our eyes with tears. Sometimes we smile but inwardly we are in pain. Over time, the pain and heartache does lessen somewhat but it never goes away. While there is no time limit on our grief, we must never let that grief take complete control over our life.
Yes, our life has changed but, my friends, it has not ended. It is okay for us to feel the pain and grief but when we awake each morning it will be replaced in our heart with joy, praise and thanksgiving when we remember that we serve a God who has compassion for us, whose love and kindness will always keep us secure (Psalms 40:11, Psalms 121:1-8, Hebrews 13:5-6, Hebrews 4:13-16). Just as David tells us in Psalms 30:5, “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.”
When our world has come crashing down on our shoulders, when our hearts are broken into a thousand pieces and we hurt, our souls must be fastened to the rock that cannot be moved. That rock is Jesus Christ, our Lord, our strength, our fortress, our deliverer (Psalms 18:1-2). We sing a beautiful song that proclaims, “O, sometimes the shadows are deep and rough seems the path to the goal; And sorrows, sometimes how they sweep like tempest down over the soul.” The chorus of that song then rings out, “O, then to the rock let me fly, to the rock that is higher than I.” As we make this pilgrimage of life, our prayer should ever be, Lead me to the rock that is higher than I for it is there that we will always find rest in this weary land. Today, more than at any other time in my life, I believe that our Lord hears us when we cry out to him and he is able to heal all our wounds and bind up our broken hearts if we will give our hearts to him, trusting and obeying him (Psalms 34:4, 15, 17,18, 19. Psalms 23:1, Psalms 86:6-7, Isa. 40:28-31).
For the faithful child of God, I do not believe that death is a matter of standing at a grave site and saying goodbye to a faithful husband or wife. I believe it is a matter of saying, so long, see you soon. I know not how you may feel about this but I say to you that with all my heart, I believe that if for some reason before this day ends, I should take that final step, cross over into eternity, there will be a grand reunion that will take place on that heavenly shore.
Charles Hicks, Gallatin Tennessee
