Victory In The Valley

Introduction:

Dealing with the death of a loved one is one of the hardest trials we face in life. The miscarriage of an unborn child, the death of a child, the loss of a spouse, sibling, parent, or family member brings a profound challenge. Here are some biblical promises that can help us victoriously navigate the valley of the death of a loved one.

Psalm 23

1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Dear friend,

Today, you are in the valley of the shadow of death. There are no words that will take away the pain and the loss that you feel. But there is comfort and hope in the Scriptures. In the twenty third Psalm we are told that the Lord is our shepherd. This means that He will take care of us as a shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep. Today I encourage you to look to Christ for comfort. We also have a hope, that even in the valley of death, we know that physical death does not end life. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We have the glorious hope of a home in Heaven.

Christ wants us to know that we have a home in heaven. First, we must realize, that on our own we are lost with no hope of heaven. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." This verse declares that all are sinners and unworthy of heaven. Second, we must realize that Jesus loves us just as we are. Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." This verse declares that Christ died for your sins and rose again so that we might have a home in heaven.

Third, we must realize that we owe a debt for sin.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The debt of sin is the second death, which is hell. But God has a free gift of life for you, which comes through Jesus alone. Fourth, we must call upon Christ to save us. Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Do you have the hope of a heavenly home? If not, right now call upon Christ to save you. Just pray,

"Oh, God, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died for my sin. I ask that you would forgive me and save me from hell. I now receive Christ as my Savior. Give me the peace and comfort that comes through Christ. Amen.

Sometimes this trial brings a sorrow that lasts for weeks, months, and even years. Often, this sorrow threatens to destroy the lives of the survivors, tearing at the very fabric of life physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Sorrow steals peace, contentment, and even the purpose of life.

It is my prayer that the next few pages will bring hope, comfort, and healing, helping to restore the joy of the Lord. Jesus promised in Matthew 11:28-30, 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The sorrow of death surely brings heavy labor, and Jesus has promised rest, so look to Him for comfort and peace.

Chapter 1

The Miscarriage of a Child

One of the deep sorrows of life is the miscarriage of a child. There are myriad (immeasurable) emotions and questions when this happens. There are feelings of sadness, anger, and even guilt in the individual's life. If these emotions are not dealt with, a person becomes depressed and bitter. Along with these emotions are questions that have no good answers: Why did this happen? Did I cause this to happen? Why did God allow me to lose my baby? Does God love me? Is God angry with me? The answer to these emotions and questions begins with a great truth: God loves you.

We start with Jeremiah, chapter 31:3, The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. In this verse, we see that God loves us with a great, everlasting love, and He has drawn us to Himself with His everlasting love. So no matter what is happening in life, we must recognize that God loves us. It is easy to recognize the love of God when things are going well, but oftentimes when heartache and sorrow come, the cloud of that pain hides the love of God. But it is in those times that we need to recognize that God loves us and He’s drawing us, and He cares for us  just as much in that sorrow, as He did in the sunshine.

Also, in Ephesians 2:4,  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, is in the midst of all that’s going on. Here we must recognize this great mercy that God has towards us. In John 3:16, we see the great love of God in that, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. There are two important things in this verse for us to recognize when we’re going through these deep valleys of sorrow.

First, in the loss of a child, God understands your heart because His Son died for the sins of mankind. God understands your pain, your sorrow, and your suffering. God loves you enough that He allowed His Son to die for you. God knows and understands your sorrow, therefore He can comfort you. Second, you can experience the love of God by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. The only way to heaven is by believing in the Lord, that He loved you, that Christ died for you, was buried, and rose again to save you from your sin. What great love!

So, as we look at John 3:16, let us contemplate the deep sorrow you’re going through. God understands and God loves you. God has everything under control. When we come to this place, we must come as Job did when he understood that God loved him amidst all the struggles, trials, and troubles that he was going through. God knew about it, God loved him, and even though he nor his wife understood it, Job rose, and said in Job chapter 1:20-22, 20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Also keep in mind, Job lost ten children on that very day. Job certainly knew the pain and suffering of death.

We must recognize as Job did: that God loves us. We must recognize it in the midst of our sorrow that God is still in control. We must recognize that his ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts, but God is in control. When Job's troubles and trials got worse and his wife came to him in Job chapter 2:9-10, 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. Job still held his integrity when he believed and trusted God.

Now that we have seen that God loves and understands our sorrow and pain, we can now build hope. We build hope first by understanding you now have a child in Heaven. This great hope is given in Psalm 139:1-12, the Psalmist is testifying of God's care and protection in all of life. Then, verses 13 through 18, the Psalmist declares how God created him, knew him in the womb. O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. All of his members, that means his arms and legs, his toes and his fingers, and everything about him was written in the book.

What book is the Psalmist speaking of? He is speaking of the book of life. This is the book in which God has written everyone’s name that’s ever been conceived and that declares that they lived. God wrote them in the book, not once when they were born but once they were conceived, and God knows them as a person in the womb. He regarded them as a human being and recorded their life. In Luke 1:40-41, 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:, John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb for joy.

An unborn child is still a living human being; therefore, just as someone born who dies goes to heaven, the same is true for a miscarriage; thus, the same hope expressed in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words., of a great resurrection and a joyous reunion should be expected and looked forward to."

Another truth to help the joy of the Lord return to our soul at the time of a miscarriage is found in James 4:14-15, 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. All of life is brief just like a vapor; even if we live to be 100 years old, it would be short. We must, therefore, yield to the will of God. We must always say Thy will be done. Hence, we recognize that even in the death of this unborn child, God had a will. There is a child in heaven now, who has passed from death to life. Think of all the suffering, sorrow, and heartache this child has missed by going straight into the glories of heaven! What a great thought! We should rejoice in the fellowship that is to come in eternity, where there will be no more suffering, sorrow, pain, or parting, NO DEATH.

So with these truths in mind, come to Jesus, with your sorrow, your pain, your heartache, your emotions, your questions, and let Jesus give you the peace that passes all understanding. It's that same peace Jesus speaks about in John 14:27, 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid., and that the apostle Paul makes clear in Philippians 4:7, 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. In the midst of this dark valley of pain and sorrow, may the wonderful Lord Jesus Christ lift you up and provide you with hope and encouragement, as you anticipate the day when you can meet this child face-to-face.

Chapter 2

The death of a child.

In the death of a child, many of the same emotions and questions remain present. There is one added problem: the most unnatural thing for a parent - to bury a child.

In the midst of this great sorrow and this great valley of death, one must still remember: God loves you and God loved your child. God understands your pain and suffering because Jesus, God’s Son, suffered death. God understands your loss and sorrows. The will of God still has to be sought.

The greatest example in the Scripture of God's will being sought in the death of a child is found in 2 Samuel 12:14-23, 14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. 15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? 19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. 21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. In this passage, David has a son who is sick. This sickness is unto death. David lies on the earth and fasts and prays, begging God to deliver the child. After seven days of sickness, the child dies.

David's servants are afraid to tell him the child has died. But when David perceives the child has died, he rises from the earth, washes himself, anoints himself, and goes into the house of God and worships. He then comes back to his house and requires his servants to set a meal for him.

The servants do not understand his actions. They say to him, "When the child was alive, you wept and fasted. but now that the child is dead, you rose from the earth, washed yourself, and are eating. We do not understand." And David said, "While the child was yet alive, who could tell if God would be merciful to me and let the child live? But now he is dead, and I cannot bring him back. But I can go to him."

"One of the things that helps us withstand the awful pain of losing a child is knowing, as David did, that one day we can and should meet them in heaven. There will be a glad reunion day where there is no sorrow, heartache, pain, or death—no more parting of our ways. Instead, we will be together forever in the presence of the great God of the universe.”

So, as with a miscarriage, in the death of a child, let us once again come unto Jesus, as he said in Matthew 11:28-30, 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light., and let Him give us great peace as he promised, in John chapter 14, verse 27, and as Paul once again declared in Philippians 4:7, 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Chapter 3

The Death of a Loved one

Often times the death of a loved one, whether it be a parent, grandparent, spouse, sibling or even a good friend, can often bring depression and discouragement, because the fellowship we had with that person for years is now gone.

As previously stated in regards to a miscarriage and the death of a child, the same principles apply. We must recognize that God loves us and our loved one that is now in His presence.

"We must also recognize that God has a will. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: that it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, the judgment. This passage, along with many others, declares that we have a certain time to die and go into eternity to face Christ.

Often, we are not ready for this death, but God has planned this event for a very long time. Therefore, it is important that we recognize what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15:51-58, : 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.' Death is swallowed up in victory because of the great gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.”

"In verse 58, Paul declares that we are to be "steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord", it is hard to lose a loved one however, we ought to face this loss with knowledge and faith, seeking to understand God’s will.

God loves us, and He still has the great peace to give our lives and to help us. The greatest of all Psalms to give us this hope and encouragement can be found in Psalm 23:1-6,  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This entire Psalm serves as a great encouragement in times of death. The Psalm begins by acknowledging that the Lord is our shepherd, and as our shepherd, He takes care of our every need. It emphasizes that God restores our souls and assures us that He is with us even in the valley of the shadow of death. Furthermore, it states that God anoints our heads in the presence of our enemies, with death being one of the greatest enemies we face.

God wants us to understand that even though death may seem awful and unfair to us, the Lord declares in Psalm 116:15, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

God’s child is no longer under the attack of the devil. He has delivered them, and is bringing them home to heaven where they are safe and sound with no more sorrow, no more heartache, and no more pain.

If we would just recognize that even in the face of our greatest enemy, the enemy of death, we are anointed by the Holy Spirit. Who is our Comforter. In the last verse of that Psalm he declares, "surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life". It is a blessing to know even as we  face the death of our loved ones, God‘s goodness and care for us is manifested.

The psalmist then declares, “and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Still, the greatest comfort of all at the death of our loved one is to know that there is a glad reunion day and a great fellowship for all eternity. We can have this comfort because the Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood on Calvary for our sin, paid the penalty for our sin with His blood, was buried, and rose again on the third day. If we, by faith, will ask Him to forgive us and save us, He will according to His Word, do just that. Then we can have this great hope that this world is not my home; I am just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.”

"And what a glad reunion there will be up in heaven!

So, in conclusion, death is really a part of life—whether in the miscarriage of an unborn child, the death of a child, or the passing of one of our loved ones who lived many years. All of these are human beings whom God has recorded in the book of life at conception. When a child is lost in a miscarriage, we can rest assured they are safe in the arms of Jesus. For an adult who has reached the age of accountability and come to the knowledge of who God is, if they have trusted Christ, they too are safe in the arms of Jesus. We ought to let God give us peace and uplift us. Instead of allowing ourselves to be overcome with excessive sorrow, let us look to the promises that God has made to us in His Word. This is not the end, for He has a great plan prepared in a great place for those of us who love Him and one of these days, we will be together again.

My prayer is that God will take these Bible passages and thoughts presented to yo in this booklet to encourage you and offer some comfort in time of great need.

May God bless you."