The Glory of His Grace

Ever feel like it’s no use to keep fighting the fight of faith? John Piper had some encouraging thoughts today on the Desiring God blog about God’s deliverance in the last hour, and the importance of hoping till the end. 

Greatly affected as my wife and I were when we first heard about the death of Abraham and Molly Piper’s daughter Felicity, for whatever reason lately we have been freshly pricked in the heart by their story. Even though it’s been awhile since she died, whenever we stop and think about it, or read the poems or the blog, it always brings fresh grief and pain. And she wasn’t our daughter.

Just about every night this week it’s come up before bedtime, and it always ends in tears—both for the vividness of the pain of searing loss and for the steadfastness with which Christ holds on to them. This morning I listened to Watermark’s Glory Baby, until my heart felt like it was going to rip out of my chest. 

What strikes me is how much God has impacted us through their sufferings, and how much more we delight in the glorious mercy of Christ because of His work in their life. Likewise, there is another loss of great price that burns on my mind, the loss of another child—the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Both bring always afresh the burning grief that tenderizes the heart and makes the mercy of God that much more precious. 

And somehow, in the end, I’m grateful for the tears. Maybe it’s because I know they will be wiped away in everlasting bliss—for Abraham, for Molly, for me, for my wife, and every other saint in God’s kingdom. This was a poem written by Abraham at Easter: 

6 Months Gone at Easter Time

Empty hangers, empty closet, empty clothes.
Empty crib, empty bath.
Empty bottles, empty breasts.
Empty lungs, empty blood, empty heart.
Empty grave.