An Encounter With His Word

Looking back over this week I was reviewing events to share about a Divine Encounter. Throughout the week I had seen almost all my family members at one time or another and several people in stores, but my Divine Encounter this week came through His Word.

I had been praying for several friends that are dealing with extremely hard situations and was asking God how He would want me to pray for them. I know what I want to pray for them, but I also want to pray His will.

One of them had been told that they only had a few more months to live. My heart broke for them and I began praying for a miracle. In my studies I came across Isaiah 57:1-2 which reads:

Meanwhile, right-living people die
    and no one gives them a thought.
God-fearing people are carted off
    and no one even notices.
The right-living people are out of their misery,
    they’re finally at rest.
They lived well and with dignity
    and now they’re finally at peace.

In the Life Application note section this verse was further explained as follows:

“When good people die before they have lived full lives, we may wonder, Why? Does God even care? Those who trust in God through faith in Jesus the Messiah have assurance of eternal life with Him. They are the ones who can rest in peace. God knows every person by name and every life situation. Sometimes He allows death to come as a protection from something worse; sometimes He asks the faithful to walk through great adversity before they die. But no death is meaningless in His eyes.”

The answer to the question, “How should I pray for them?” is to pray that they will glorify God with their lives. I was reminded that at Brock’s funeral during the final prayer, a dear friend prayed, “Brock showed us how to live well and how to die well.”

Lord, thank you for these precious people and the lives that they are living. I know that You love them. Continue to surround them with Your presence and strength to fulfill Your good will. In Jesus’ name, amen.