Sometimes the Good Die Young

Isaiah 57:1-2

New Living Translation

“Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.”

         Sin promotes great evil. We are seeing this with our own eyes today. God knows the future and it stands to reason that he may desire to save certain ones of his children from the excessive evil that is coming. Perhaps the rapture of the church will rescue us all from this, in the meantime, we are to live godly lives according to the instructions given in God’s Word. 

            I’m sure we all know someone, whether it be man, woman, or child, that has died prematurely. It becomes a heavy weight on our heart as we utter the ‘why’ question. Why did they have to die? Why them? Why not a drug lord, pedophile or adulterer? There are so many evil people who do horrible things just because they feel they can. Why not one of them? Well, first off, we don’t know that they haven’t met some tragic demise. 

God mourns the loss of those of his children who have met death prematurely. We are allowed to question God. He’s not afraid of our doubts or questions at all. He also may not give us the answers we seek. The Christian walk can be treacherous, but in the end is rewarding. Those who die before their time will enjoy the glories of heaven sooner than we will and that’s a wonderful blessing. Our heartache comes from the fact that they are no longer with us. Death is part of the circle of life. Everyone dies at one time or another. God has his reasons why some die before others. 

I experienced this type of situation when my mother’s mother had to attend my mom’s wake. My mother died of pancreatic cancer at 57 years of age. I wasn’t yet a believer, so as you can imagine I was filled with the ‘why’ question … a tragedy that caught me off guard … by surprise. I wasn’t expecting it. My grandmother broke down and sobbed. The thought of outliving her daughter was too much grief for her to bear. She was inconsolable. So was I. I didn’t know what to think or do. It was hard, so I know even those who know the peace of Christ still struggle with premature death. 

I will continue on the topic of premature death of loved ones when time permits. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries