You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness. O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of earth. . . (Ps. 65:5)

FUNERALS ARE GENERALLY NOTABLE for their glossy recollections of the deceased. And that is how it should be. The old proverb declares “Of the dead and the absent, say nothing but good!” It is kind and right that we find all the good we can to say of those no longer with us. But many times, the character of the departed is retold in rosier hues than reality might have been. We tend to disregard little quirks and overlook human faults in our remembrance. We give much more grace to the dead than to the living.

That is because none of us has a flawless character. We are firstly, sinful, in need of redemption, and secondly, human, in need of maturation and grace. And when we are bereaved, we realize this fact anew.

But we do not need rosy-tinted glasses to see our God. He is the One who does not fail, even in the smallest regard. The psalmist wrote that He hears all prayers, provides atonement for all sins, satisfies all men, answers us in righteous deeds, and is the confidence of the whole earth. He established the mountains and the seas and shows His wonders to people in every corner of the earth. His character is unquestionable. And He will never die. His is ongoing righteous character is eternal, unchanging and forever holy.

We can trust the God of the Bible; His character is undisputed.

Valorie Quesenberry is a pastor’s wife, mother, author, speaker and editor of a publication for Christian women. She has a passion to communicate biblical truth for today’s issues.

© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.