My mum went to be with the Lord last week after a long illness. She was 85 years and loved the Lord even at her last minute. Two weeks before her passing we called the bishop that baptized her. The bishop, after praying, said the Lord had healed my mum. He even told us to read Psalm 30:2, “O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.” He informed us after three days my mother would recover fully. Sadly, she did not recover. My question is why did the Lord say that he had healed my mum and after took her away?
First of all, I am so very sorry for the great loss of your mom. I am thankful to know that she loved the Lord. For those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are given confidence that, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8). As a true believer, your mom is now in the very presence of the Lord. We are also assured in Psalm 16:11, that in the Lord’s presence we experience “fulness of joy.” So, while I am sorry you have lost your mom, I do rejoice to know she is with the Lord and is happier that she could have ever been while she lived on the earth.
I want you to know that it is impossible for the Lord to lie to you. We read in Titus 1:1-2, “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which GOD, THAT CANNOT LIE, promised before the world began.” It was said of Abraham in Romans 4:21, “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” If the Lord says it…it will come to pass.
I think your bishop spoke out of turn. None of us can promise another one that someone will not die. In fact, we are told in Proverbs 27:1, “…thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” We just do not know what will happen in the future. Only the Lord has that knowledge. He does not share that with us. James brought out that same truth when he wrote, “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.” (James 4:14).
Why would that bishop tell you such a thing, which obviously was not true? Perhaps he wanted to give you some peace about your mom. Perhaps he thought his prayer was powerful enough that the Lord would answer it. Either way, he did not speak the mind of God. He spoke a lie! That may sound harsh, but that was what he did. He told you authoritatively that your mom would recover in three days, and she did not. He spoke irresponsibly and without regard to what the Lord’s plans were for your mom.
We need to be so careful in believing someone just because we want to believe what they are saying! I do understand that you wanted your mom to live, but she did not. Your grief is real. I pray the Lord will heal that grief quickly.
I encourage you to consider where your mom is now and that if you are also a believer, you will see her again one day. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 encourages us with these words, “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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” What a precious truth. You sorrow…and that is to be expected. But you do not sorrow like those which have no hope in the Lord Jesus. How glorious it is to know that your mom is awake in the presence of the Lord, and you have not seen her for the last time. IF YOU BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior…you will see your mom again someday. (CC) (504.2)