To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

PHILLIPIANS 1:21, NIV

Most of us know what it means to be stunned by the sudden passing of a dedicated friend, a godly pastor, a devout missionary, or a saintly mother. We have stood at the open grave with hot tears running down our cheeks and have asked in utter bewilderment, “Why, O God, why?” We know the impact these people made, and we can’t help but think of the good they might have continued to do, had they lived longer.

The death of the righteous is no accident. Do you think that God – whose watchful vigil notes the sparrow’s fall and who knows the number of hairs on our heads – would turn His back on one of His children in the hour of peril? With Him there are no accidents, no tragedies, and no catastrophes as far as His children are concerned.

It was Sir Walter Scott who asked, “Is death the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening.” That is true for every believer in Christ. Even when grief overwhelms us or confusion assails us, we still can trust God’s all-knowing love.

Billy Graham