Losses

Psalms 23:1

“(A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” 

Men mourn their earthly losses: loved ones departed, homes razed by fire, possessions destroyed by natural calamities, treasures gone through theft, reputation marred by false accusation, false friends, and unfaithful spouses. For the Christian, these losses count nothing to the loss of communion and fellowship with God. Earthly possessions are transitory and are meant to be left here on earth; they do not have a place in heaven. Loss of trusted friends because of treachery can never be considered loss but gain, and loss of loved ones who are fellow believers are not loss but temporary disruption of companionship for they will meet again in heaven.

Life’s losses naturally grieve us for they keep us bereft of things which are part of us, of people close to our bosom. But being emptied of these that we treasure will after all be beneficial to us for it will lead us back to God, whose communion with us has been diminished or has taken a back seat in our lives. These things and people who have been our source of delight might have gained preeminence or of supreme importance to us overshadowing our relationship with Him Who as we have known is a jealous God. Our love for God must remain unparalleled; loving Him must be our foremost occupation. We can lose all the world can offer but with Him remaining, we have everything.

“What are temporal and worldly losses of the sorest kind—while God remains? Yes, what is the loss of money, houses, costly furniture, and other possessions, while God's love remains? There is surely enough in Him—to compensate a thousand times for every earthly loss! Our lives may be stripped bare—home, friends, riches, comforts, gone; every sweet voice of love, every note of joy silenced—and we may be driven out from brightness, tenderness and shelter—into the cold ways of sorrow; yet if we have God Himself left—ought it not to suffice? Is He not in Himself, infinitely more than all His gifts? Is He not in Himself, infinitely more than all His gifts? If we have Him—can we really need anything else?” ~J.R. Miller

Philippians 4:19

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”