Letting Go

Welcome to another daily reading from the Our Daily Bread devotional. Today's encouragement was written by Cindy Hess Casper and is titled, Letting Go. Your father is actively dying, said the hospice nurse.

Actively dying refers to the final phase of the dying process and was a new term to me, one that felt strangely like traveling down a lonely one-way street. On my dad's last day, not knowing if he could still hear us, my sister and I sat by his bed. We kissed the top of his beautiful bald head. We whispered God's promises to him. We sang Great Is Thy Faithfulness and quoted the 23rd Psalm. We told him we loved him and thanked him for being our dad. We knew his heart longed to be with Jesus and we told him he could go.

Speaking those words was the first painful step in letting go. A few minutes later, our dad was joyously welcomed into his eternal home. The final release of a loved one is painful. Even Jesus' tears flowed when his good friend Lazarus died. But because of God's promises, we have hope beyond physical death.

Psalm 116 verse 15 says that God's faithful servants, those who belong to him, are precious to him. Though they die, they'll be alive again. Jesus promises in John chapter 11, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. What comfort it brings to know we'll be in God's presence forever.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from John chapter 11 verses 21 through 36. Lord, Martha said to Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. Martha answered, I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

Do you believe this? Yes, Lord, she replied, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world. After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside.

The teacher is here, she said, and is asking for you. When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, including her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

Where have you laid him, he asked. Come and see, Lord, they replied. Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, see how he loved him. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, we thank you for being our resurrection in life and for the promise of eternal life. We thank you for the peace we have both in life and in death as we walk with you and trust you for our every breath. We ask that you would grant peace and comfort to those who are mourning the death of a loved one today and fill them with hope and joy as they think ahead to the day when they see you face to face. Thank you, Lord. It's in your name that we pray. Amen. This encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.