“For as the rain comes down,
and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)
Today would have been my dad’s 87th birthday. I miss him very much, especially on a anniversary day like this. Thinking of him today brings back fond memories of him and his peculiarities. He loved roses, and he enjoyed gardening.
Today also reminds me of mom and what she used to do on a day like this; on birthdays and death anniversary days, she would place the person’s picture along with some flowers unto the dedicated windowsill. Why? So she could “see” and be reminded of her loved one throughout the whole day.
I’m not so sure that either both or even one of them has called upon the LORD to be saved.
Both times, after the death of my mom and after the death of my dad, I wrestled with God. I pleaded with Him to let me know where mom (in 2011) and where dad (in 2018) went to.
Yes, I did receive an answer, not what I had in mind, though. The LORD put it on my heart that it is better for me not to know where my mom went after she died.
Immediately, I cried out, “Oh no!” And God began to reason with me. He told me, “If you would know that mom went to heaven, pride (of leading her to Christ after all) will get a hold of you. If you would know that mom went to hell, how could you go on living—knowing that she did not make it to Paradise?”
After my dad died in 2018, I faced the same heartache and the same request, “I need to know where dad is now,” came to my mind. And I wrestled with God—again!
God reminded me of the wrestle back in 2011 and of the verse He has put on my heart back then (Luke 23:43).
Let’s read today’s verses again:
“For as the rain comes down,
and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)
Now picture, how the rain comes down from heaven. It doesn’t disappear all of the sudden; no, it waters the earth, perhaps the dried out ground. And the result? The water from heaven will make the earth bring forth and bud. What a picture!
Now picture, in the same way as the rain waters the dried up ground, the Word that *goes forth from God’s mouth* will not return to Him void. And the result? The Word will accomplish what God pleases. It will prosper in the thing for which He sent it. What a picture!
My precious reader, be comforted for a saved loved one who has entered God’s Gates with thanksgiving in his/her heart. Picture your loved one shouting for joy, entering into His gates, giving thanks to Christ the LORD (Psalm 100)
And you, my precious reader, who wonders and worries about a loved one who died, know that God is mighty to save. Hallelujah! Know that only God is able to save souls, and He will call them to Himself even if it is in the last minute, the last breath of their life on earth. (See Luke 23:39-43).
God knows. Let that be your Comfort today.