Monday's Mumblings

Reader Discretion: If you are feeling depressed--you might want to skip today's post--although at the end I will tell you why this comforts me.

The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
1 Samuel 2:6

Understand it: (1) Of God's sovereign dominion and universal agency, in the lives and deaths of the children of men. He presides in births and burials. Whenever any die it is God that directs the arrows of death. Death is His messenger, strikes whom and when He bids: none are brought to the dust but it is He that brings them down, for in His hand are the keys of death and the grave. Whenever any are born it is He that makes them alive. None knows what is the way of the Spirit, but this we know, that it comes from the Father of spirits.

Whenever any are recovered from sickness, and delivered from imminent perils it is God that bringeth up; for to Him belong the issues from death. (2) Of the distinction He makes between some and others: He killeth some and maketh, that is, keepeth, others alive that were in the same danger (in war, suppose, or pestilence), two in a bed together it may be, one taken by death and the other left alive.

Even so, Father, because it seemed good in thy eyes. Nothing is too hard for God to do, no, not the quickening of the dead, and putting life into dry bones.
(Matthew Henry)

I love the language of the 16th century--Shakespearian in it's tone. This is an odd way to begin a new week; but I've been reading over these verses (more tomorrow) over the past few days. Natural disasters happen, the way of the world, but why are some people rescued after days and others were killed instantly? I have had several friends pass away from cancer and others have been healed completely. Some brought completely to death's door and then recovered!

I get comfort from this verse because God is in total control. Yes, the world will follow the rules of nature, but God is in control. We do not know the ways of God, we can't see the results, at times, or the "why" when things happen. But our lives are not like a water globe that you shake and the snow is randomly falling. There is an order to the flow of our lives. It all comes down to having a simple trust in the Lord, and seeking His direction.