Our rest and peace come from God, and God alone. No matter what is ahead (and only he knows) (Habakkuk 3:17-19), he is our hope, our rock, and our salvation (Psalm 62:5-7). We cling to his promises (2 Peter 1:4), looking each morning for his (new) mercies (Lamentations 3:21-23), and resting in his ‘everlasting love’ (Jeremiah 31:3).

Since the passing of our son, Jonathan, a few months ago, my wife and I have spent many hours grieving, crying, praying, and talking together.

For those of you who did not know him, Jonathan loved the outdoors and brought life, laughter, and fun conversation to any room he entered. He was kind, compassionate, and caring—always looking to include those who might feel left out. He was always ready to share a funny story, a recent movie he watched, some new music he came across, or a unique piece of trivia he had just learned. We have many great memories backpacking, camping, and hiking together. He enjoyed his work at a Silicon Valley financial firm. He loved and adored his two children, Noah and Olivia. On his 40th birthday, just two weeks before he passed away, he told us that he was ‘really looking forward to his 40s’ and felt ‘more ready for his 40s than his 20s or 30s.’ After celebrating his birthday, Lisa and I commented that he seemed incredibly settled, at peace, and others centered. Jonathan will be deeply missed!

During this season of sorrow, we have reminded ourselves of a few key ‘things we believe.’ Here are seven truths we have reminded ourselves of each day in the midst of our loss that have brought comfort, encouragement, and perspective. Whatever season you are in, I pray these seven truths will do the same for you.

This we believe:

1. Joy and sorrow can exist together.

One doesn’t cancel out the other. You can be grateful and grieving, hopeful and hurting, healing and still broken.

J.I. Packer said, “Christians have, so to speak, larger souls than other people; for grief and joy, like desolation and hope, or pain and peace, can coexist in their lives in a way that non-Christians know nothing about. Grief, desolation, and pain are feelings triggered by present situations, but faith produces joy, hope, and peace at all times. This does not mean that grief, desolation, and pain cease to be felt (that idea is inhuman); it means that something else is experienced alongside the hurt. It becomes possible for Christians today, like Paul long ago, to be ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing’ (2 Corinthians 6:10).”⁽¹⁾

2. Jesus Christ—his life, death, burial, and resurrection—are the foundation of our lives and give meaning to our existence.

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then nothing matters (1 Corinthians 15:17). There is no ultimate meaning, no hope of heaven. But if Jesus did rise from the dead, then it changes everything. There is transcendent hope, meaning, purpose, forgiveness, love, and ultimate justice. The main argument for why a person should believe in Christianity is Jesus himself. The late Tim Keller wrote, “Everyone will be forgotten, nothing we do will make any difference, and all good endeavors, even the best, will come to naught. Unless there is God. If the God of the Bible exists, and there is a True Reality beneath and behind this one, then this life is not the only life, then every good endeavor, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God’s calling, can matter forever.”⁽²⁾

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20)

3. God is our loving Father.

He has compassion for us. We are His children…His heirs. He knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30). He bottles our tears (Psalm 56:8). He will never leave us, nor will He ever forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). God loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), nothing can separate us from his love (Romans 8:38-39), his mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:21-23), he has separated our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), and he is working out his purpose for our lives in ways we cannot even fathom now (Psalm 138:8; Philippians 1:6).

(Psalm 55:22; Psalm 56:8; Psalm 103:13,14; Isaiah 40:11; Isaiah 41:9-10; Zephaniah 3:17; Romans 5:8; Romans 8:15-17, 31-32, 38-39; Galatians 4:6,7; Ephesians 3:17-19; Hebrews 13:8).

4. God calls us to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Throughout Scripture we’re always encouraged to fight against the temptation to ‘doubt in the dark what God has shown us in the light.’ In the midst of your sorrow, stay focused on taking the next step and doing the next right thing.

“Keep moving and have faith. This is when God usually works. Most of the time he does not give us the whole plan, the whole map, or even the end point. He just leads us, opening and closing doors as we go along. You won’t always see the next step, but if you keep moving, it will appear.” (Dr. Henry Cloud)⁽³⁾ 

“Pray, even if you feel nothing, see nothing. For when you are dry, empty, sick, or weak, at such a time is your prayer most pleasing to God, even though you may find little joy in it. This is true of all believing prayer.” (Julian of Norwich)⁽⁴⁾

(Romans 4:20-21; Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6, 24-27)

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