I am certain that most of us have heard people say at one time or another, “Time heals all wounds.” But time does not heal all wounds, God DOES.
The Scripture, 1 Corinthians 15:55 says, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” This has been playing over and over in my Spirit for a few weeks now. And it wasn’t until yesterday, that it really took hold of me.
Yesterday, April 11th, my sister, Janine “Peanut” as we called her, would have celebrated her 49th birthday. She died in 1991 a few months after her 30th birthday. I often think of her, more so as the date rolls around, but every time I see her daughters and even sometimes when I look at my own. And I reflect upon our childhood, our growing up into adulthood, and then the last day I saw her, and then her death. And as I did that yesterday, I realized that I was not sad. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my sister dearly. It was impossible for you not to love her. She loved everything and everybody who she came into contact with. In fact we used to tease her because it was almost like she found strays. Those that we would not even give a second look at, and she would love them.
And I would love almost more than anything for her to be here, to see her daughters and the women that they have become. To see her grandchildren. To meet my grandson. And even just for her to be here and to talk to her on a somewhat regular basis. But I am not saddened and I don’t find myself in tears every time the thought of her crosses my mind and I guess I really shouldn’t be, 19 years later. And I do not run away from the memories of her that I hold so dear, in fact, I found that yesterday, I cherished them even the more. And I thank God! Because there was a time where I could not bear the thought of thinking of her. BUT GOD! Not only does God promise to wipe away every tear from our eyes in the time to come, but He is so good that He does that right now. He said Himself that He will turn your mourning into dancing. He will turn your mourning into joy. And that is what He has given me since I came into a real relationship with Him. Death has no sting. In more ways than one.
He’s given me victory over death in relationships. In health. In finances. In sin. God wants you to know that what Jesus did on that cross was for real. And understand the depths of that. Jesus hanging on that cross to die gave us victory over death. Death was the greatest enemy to defeat. There’s nothing left to conquer. And God says today, death has no sting. It cannot hurt you. If we believe and trust in the Almighty God and what Jesus came to do for us.
And God spoke something more to my spirit regarding my sister. To be absent from the body is to be is to be in the presence of the Lord, IF you have accepted Jesus as your Lord. And I know she has. And that is where she is. So death, where is your sting? The grave has no victory. I do! My tears are gone and God has replaced them with joy.
Now what does this have to do with time healing all wounds? It’s simple. Let me ask this, if time healed all wounds, then after a certain amount of time, ‘whatever is deemed appropriate by whomever,’ why aren’t some wounds healed? How come people are still holding grudges, bitterness, unforgiveness from hurts 15 years later? Why is that people suffer from sickness and illness for years and years? Why is that some cannot bear to think of past relationships or loved ones who have gone on, without having some form of breakdown? Because time does not heal all wounds, God does! If we would put our trust in God, God will fill us with peace beyond our understanding. He will fix our broken hearts. He will heal us of our diseases, because He already has according to our faith. He will deliver us from our sins. Time cannot do that. Only God can do that. And it is not until we get our focus on Who it should be on, that we will ever be able to walk in the victory over death and over the grave and over everything else that God has given us.
Yes, it might take some time for your mourning to be turned into joy. But you have to start with the belief that only God can do that for you. Not people, not circumstances, not material things, and definitely NOT TIME. God does it. It is Him that we need to look to for our comfort. For He is the God of all comfort. Nothing else will do.
I thank God for the revelation. I thank God for His sweet peace. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
God is good and He’s real.
Be blessed.
A servant of the Lord,
Sis. E
Testimonials to the goodness, faithfulness, and "realness" of God and His intervention in our lives.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Death Has NO Sting
Evelyn Fannell has the true heart of a servant. She spends a great deal of her time assisting friends, family, and others with a variety of plans and projects, always seeking simply to be of help; always going the extra mile. A writer since her youth, in 2008 Evelyn created the blog, But God Is Real, inspired by real life situations and circumstances that speak to the “realness” of God and His intervention in daily life. After the death of her son, Joseph, Evelyn started another blog, In the Shadow of Grief, created to chronicle the emotions and stages of grief so that she could help others through their journey of pain and sorrow. Along with the blog, Evelyn also started a grief support group on Facebook, under the same name, where members can share with one another in a supportive, non-judgmental environment
In her spare time, Evelyn enjoys jigsaw puzzles, photography, and planning and creating items for special events. She also serves as First Lady and administrator of her church, On Good Ground Christian Fellowship, now in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to Joseph, she and her husband, Jeff, have two daughters, Brandi and Jasmine, and a grandson, Christian.
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