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John 14:18 – I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (KJV)
On Friday, June 14th, 2002, our grandson was born. He was premature and had many complications. He died two days later on Sunday, Father's Day.
You can imagine the grief, heartache, and loss that we all faced, especially our son and daughter-in-love.
Death is a cruel separator! It leaves such a huge emotional void.
During those two days, we had fasted and prayed that God would heal him, but our prayers were not answered the way that we thought and hoped that they would be.
For the sake of the others, I tried to be there and stay strong, but finally, I had to get alone with God!
As I cried my heart out, I found that, just as He had promised, the Holy Spirit was such a comforter! I felt like liquid love was being poured all over me. At that time, the following poem was birthed.
- I Kept My Promise, Didn't I?
Lord, by Your stripes
You said we're healed.
You said, "I AM the God
That healeth thee."
But yet my loved one is no more
Upon the earth with me.
I prayed, "Lord, if you're willing,
You can make him whole."
"I will," is what I heard You say,
Yet we buried him today.
Then in the stillness of my soul,
Jesus said, "Beloved it is I.
"Child of Mine, with eyes of faith,
Look up to heaven high.
"Behold your loved one here with Me
Completely healed — He did not die;
"He's alive with Me forevermore.
I kept my promise, didn't I?"
As this poem was written, God was so tender, gentle, understanding, and loving with me. He has used this poem to be a blessing not only to me, but to so many others over the years, and I pray that He will continue to use it to bless and heal hurting hearts everywhere.
Perhaps you are facing the loss of a loved one or another kind of difficult trial. Please allow God the Holy Spirit to comfort you also.
Prayer: Lord, thank You that You have not left us comfortless, but that You have come to us. Amen.
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Beautiful poem, Cheremiah.
A very moving post and poem, thanks for sharing and God bless!
Thanks you, Cheryl, for sharing this devotional with us. Blessings.
Cheryl – absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration. God Bless you.
Amen Cheryl. Thank you for sharing this with us today.
Blessings.
Thanks for another of your beautiful prayers, Cheremiah.
Blessings.
Such beautiful poem. God inspired and full of his healing virtue.
(Ontario, Canada)
Love it . Very well written and the poem … wow! Cheremiah, I would like to share the poem with others.
Thanks, Cheryl, for sharing another one of your beautiful poems with us today! I pray that it will speak comfort into many hearts that may be hurting today. Blessings.
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for the comfort in your message. It reminded me of a card I got when my husband died.
Dear Cheryl,
Thank you for sharing your precious poem with all of us.
Our loving God has not left us comfortless.
God bless you.
OH MY Goodness, what a beautiful and heart-felt poem. Yes, I can see why that would minister to a lot of people. Wow!!!!
What a blessing and a loss in one.
God bless you my friend.
I’m so sorry to hear about your Dear Grandson. Isaiah 53:3b tells us that JESUS was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He cares and He understands all of our sufferings. You were comforted and touched with His Love in such a beautiful way. Your message reminded me that IN CHRIST we can always find Hope and exactly what we need.
Dear Cheremiah,
God’s word is like salve to the soul, and you just applied some to mine. The “liquid love” as you called it finds every corner of sorrow, eventually bringing healing with it. How blessed you are to have experienced that healing over the time God gave you to process His word over the sorrow.
Thank you, Cheryl, for sharing the grief your family went through and the beautiful poem, how very touching it is. I am so glad to know you were comforted in your grief, just as it says in the Beatitudes, blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. I cannot fathom how very difficult it must be to lose a child, yet as the poems says you have not really lost him, Because He Lives.
Good morning Cheryl,
Thank you for this very touching devotional expressing a time of great sorrow but also expressing the reassurance we have of God’s endless love and great comfort. Your poems are always special to read.
Blessings to you for these writings.
(B.C.)
Your poem brought tears to my eyes. It is indeed hard to watch someone “die” and shout prayers of healing towards heaven and not get the answer that we asked for. To watch someone “die” a little every day is also hard. I am talking about loved ones that are battling dementia and the caregivers that watch this process every day. But it is the Holy Spirit that bestows grace and strength on the caregivers day by day.
Thanks to the people that lift up the caregivers by praying for them.
Thank you for sharing your grief and your joy. Our little baby was born in 1985 and stayed with us 45 minutes before returning to Jesus.
My father died many years later. He never said her name all those years. He paid for the casket and gave us the plot and made all the arrangements. But never talked about her. 2 weeks before he passed he turned over his life to Jesus and talked about seeing her waiting for him in heaven.
Bless you and your family.
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for your devotional today, and a very appropriate poem as always.
Our first child was stillborn in 1957.
Last week, one of our granddaughters who lives near us, had her first child. On the day after he was born we went to the hospital. We took turns holding the little fellow, my wife and I, and after we got home we has a time of sadness. We reminisced about our first child. We did not get to hold her, my wife never even saw her, and we were so sad. Things were so different in those days. How different things would have been.
I always enjoy your devotionals.
Blessings.
Thank you for this devotional. I felt the pain and sadness of your family when you lost your grandson on Father’s day of all days. Am also touched by your reference to your son’s wife as daughter in love. I hope you were later blessed with grandchildren. Have also learned importance of leaning on the everlasting love of God for strength all the time.
Dear Cheryl,
Thank you so much for writing this devotional today. I was very touched by your poem; you see, I lost a baby when I was nearly full term, in a head on car crash. That was many years ago but you never “forget”!
I write poetry too and sometimes it is almost like taking dictation, because the words flow so smoothly. But as you say, it’s the Holy Spirit working through you at the time.
Isn’t God good? The God of all comfort.
Dear Cheryl,
Thank you for sharing this profound experience and poem. It is a very real encouragement and reminder because of where it comes from.
Thank you, and thank you, Holy Spirit.