You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth. (Ps. 65:5)
Expanded Passage: Psalm 65:1-8
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.
None of us has a flawless character. We are, firstly, sinful and in need of redemption, and secondly, human and in need of maturation and grace. And when we are bereaved, we realize this fact anew.
But we do not need rose-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 people, 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 ongoing righteous character is eternal, unchanging, and forever holy.
Trust the God of the Bible, whose character is undisputed.
Valorie Quesenberry is a wife, mother, gramma, speaker, and author of several books including the Sisters in Faith Bible Studies (WPH).
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
