Trusting God With Death

How do you deal with the death of someone you love? June has been a month of death for me.

Two friends died just this month. It’s wild. My mom, dad, and sister all died in June years ago. To make it even more weird, I was diagnosed with leukemia in June last year, though I’m thankful to say I’m now cancer-free now.

Let’s be honest, death is always hard. It hurts deeply. And it becomes even harder when you’re not sure where that person stood with Jesus Christ.

Some people think everyone goes to heaven, but the Bible doesn’t say that. God is clear on this: “The only way to the Father is through me.” (John 14:6 NCV)

If you believe in Jesus, follow His lead, live like He’s truly your Lord and Savior, and trust Him with your soul, then you go to heaven. Not before. Not by being a “good person.” Only through Jesus.

So how do we deal with all this?

What do you do when someone dies and you're not sure they knew Jesus? How do you process grief when the eternal part feels heavy and unresolved?

The truth is, there’s no magic formula for handling loss. You’re going to miss them. There will be a void. And the pain is real. You can’t skip it. You can’t rush through it. And no one’s words will ever quite fill the gap.

King Solomon once said: “There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4 NCV)

The only real answer is this: you lean into God. This is where trusting Him becomes more real than ever.

A friend told me something yesterday that I thought was profound after losing her husband: “I can worship with him still, he’s in heaven, I’ll worship here with him.”

When we know a person is with Jesus, there’s a comfort that’s hard to explain. “Good people die, but the Lord protects them. He rewards them for being loyal to Him.” (Isaiah 57:1 NCV) But it’s still hard.

But what about the ones we aren’t so sure about?

That’s where it gets tough. In reality, we don’t see the whole story. It's very possible that in the final moments, someone whispers the name of Jesus and asks Him to save them.

God is merciful. He sees the heart. I remember praying for a man while he was actually dying and he raised his hand to Christ - then died. Jesus saves - period. Even then.

It’s a hard truth, but a freeing one: we aren’t the judge. God is. He knows. And He is both just and full of mercy.

So what should we do? We lean into His grace and love. And, make sure we’ve said yes to Jesus for ourselves - today. Because tomorrow isn’t promised.

“So today I tell you: Do not be stubborn as you were in the past... Listen to what God is saying.” (Hebrews 3:15 NCV)

And remember, Heaven isn’t just where they are. It’s where you are going too. You’re just living on the other side of the door for now.

GOD, death helps me live well today. It’s not scary or threatening. It’s a call to live now. To love others. To forgive. To be generous now. To be a good steward. To enjoy life to its fullness as we help each other love you and love others. What an opportunity we have in life. Help me embrace it. IJNIP amen ♥️