Pastor Chad, back in October, preached a series on purpose in the youth group on Wednesday nights. I have in front of me his handout on one of the sessions where he asked and answered the question, what is the purpose of suffering? And because Chad spoke a message that all of us have before us in the pages of God's Word, it's a message that even speaks to us now. And I just wanted to quickly outline it for you. I think this may be a help to you personally this afternoon. It may be even a help to you as you consider some thoughts with family members this afternoon. Chad thought his way scripturally through it, as he always did, and his first point was just establishing some acknowledgments when it came to suffering. He says, a Christian worldview must accept these acknowledgments as truth in order to make sense of the suffering that exists in the world. The word of the Lord is tried. This is truth. Pastor Chad knows that in a new dimension today. So here's some acknowledgments that he certainly knows to be true, and by faith we can this morning as well. He writes, first, acknowledgment number one, God controls all things. He is sovereign. And he writes this reference, and I'll give it to you if you want to look it up later this afternoon. Lamentations 3, verses 37 through 38. God controls all things. He is sovereign. God's sovereignty means that he rules over all things, good and bad. We cannot give that up. That's a bedrock to our hope. That's a bedrock to the character of God. And because of that, we know that our God has not been shaken, and we can rest in that. Acknowledgement number two, God orchestrates all events. He is providential. And he wrote 1 Samuel 2 verses 7 through 8. Not only is God in control, but he also actively engages in everything that takes place, both good and bad. Our God has been active this weekend. He was not caught by surprise, but our God was taking counsel after his own will and accomplishing all things according to his plan. And with that comes questions that only God can answer to the heart of each individual here. These are acknowledgements that we must not give up, though. The Bible clearly teaches God controls all things. He's sovereign. God orchestrates all things. He's providential. And then thirdly, acknowledgement number three, God is good and he does good. Psalm 119, verse 68. Lord, you are good, and you do good. Teach me your statutes." Psalm 119, verse 68. Your view of good, our view of good, and God's view of good may be very different. And it's moments like this that we're going to have to decide who we'll listen to. And so let's encourage each other, friends, this morning to all become preachers and preach to ourselves. David teaches us how. My soul, why are you cast down within me? Why are you disquieted? Hope thou in God. He is the health of thy countenance and thy strength. And it's in these moments when our definition pales in comparison to God's, and His even eludes us. that we simply have to preach to ourselves truth, God, I know You are good and You do good. Those are the acknowledgements that Pastor Chad would have us remember today. And now we can build on those some purposes. And his last purpose in particular is what I want us to focus on here quickly. He references, and this is a beautiful verse, Psalm 73, verse 26. And perhaps you can turn there with me. Psalm 73, verse 26. And here's the grand purpose that he taught way back in October and is reminding us of again this morning. Always, suffering is to convince you that Jesus is enough. When you walk into a jewelry store, usually it's that black velvet laid down. And against that dark backdrop, the brilliance of the gem stands out even more clearly. And since the Garden, it's been against the backdrop of sin that where sin abounded, grace does much more abound. Psalm 73 verse 26 says, My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Friends, God's never just doing one thing. He's always doing a thousand things. But the one thing that we can bank on this morning is that He's quietly speaking to us through the turmoil and reminding us that I am more than enough. I am your portion. I am your strength. I am your rock. I am your friend. And I'm all of those things because I was first your Redeemer. And if He did not spare His own Son, but freely gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely give us all things? I'm thankful for Pastor Chad. I'm thankful for the lessons he's taught us all along the way. And I'm grateful that because he was teaching a message that was bigger than him, it's a message that all of us can reflect on with encouragement this morning. Can I have us turn to one other psalm and maybe close with some statements from Psalm 116? And as we come to this passage, Psalm 116, I think we find ourselves truly entering into the mind of the Lord a little bit. What was the Lord feeling yesterday? What was on His heart? What was going through His mind yesterday afternoon? Look with me at Psalm 116. We'll read the first nine verses here. I love the Lord because He's heard my voice and my supplications, because He's inclined His ear unto me. Therefore, I will call upon Him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me. The pains of hell got hold upon me. I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous, yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. These words were penned by one who had experienced the valley of the shadow of death. You notice here that the psalmist refers to a time in his life when he had stared death in the face. He speaks of the pains of death, the pangs of hell, trouble, sorrow. He says he was brought low. He speaks of tears and falling. As the tentacles of life slowly began to wrap themselves around him, David had cried out to the Lord to deliver his soul and grant him life. And the Lord answered that prayer. You notice the marked contrast between verse 4 and verse 5. As in the case of Hezekiah, who when he was lying upon his bed of illness, gazing into the face of eternity, asked God for more time and God extended his life. The psalmist was restored to health and wholeness. Length of days was granted to him where death had seemed imminent. And that situation is known well to us. Oftentimes, as a loved one is dying, the constant prayer of a Christian is heard, Lord, grant him healing, please allow him to live. We hear news of a tragedy and immediately, God, be with this situation, minister grace, protect those people, allow life to be known. I know many in this room have tread through the dark valley and have cried out to God for deliverance. And God in His loving kindness and faithfulness often answers, and He grants recovery and salvation from physical death. We've rejoiced even recently in some of those answered prayers. And as we watch that loved one restored, we respond like the psalmist. I love you, Lord. You are gracious, righteous, and merciful. And well, we should respond. But what happens if God chooses to answer our request in a manner different from what we would like? What if He chooses to withhold life in place of death and take the loved one home? At that point, is God still gracious and merciful? Does He care? The psalmist here really seems to have anticipated that question. He gives that answer in verse 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Precious. The word means honorable excellent special. Because the father is able to further to a heavenly degree the grace begun in that life. Precious honorable special excellent because the son now sees the person for whom he died made perfect. So we mourn and perhaps question God's goodness. But for God, it is only special when his children come home to him. When I was in elementary school, I had two sisters who were in college. And as Christmas breaks would roll around and summer breaks, I would find myself constantly asking my parents, when are they getting home? When the day finally came, it was a day filled with excitement. It was a special day of reunion to be enjoyed. We, too, are pilgrims on a journey going home. There is no one who anticipates that heavenly family reunion more than our heavenly Father and Savior. And so from an earthly perspective we pray for life and health and it's often granted and we conclude that life God giving life is good. But often from the perspective of our loving gracious merciful tender and anticipating father. Death is good. Yes, it's precious in his sight when his children come home to him. In light of these truths, our response should be similar to that of the Psalmist in verses 17 through 19. I will offer to thee the sacrifices of thanksgiving. I'll call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people in the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord. And so family members, we do not sorrow as those that have no hope. Rather, let us rejoice in the pleasure our heavenly father is enjoying as he communes in reunion with three of his children, four of his children. Let us remind ourselves that while loved ones have passed, they cannot return to us, but we will go to them. will join them in that precious family reunion above. And so likewise our hearts should break forth in thanksgiving to God and praise him that precious in his sights was the death of his children. Let's pray. Father we've sung songs that we've already found to be true. You give the healing and grace that our hearts hunger for. Lord, thank you for your word. And thank you that years after it was written, because it is truth, it still ministers healing and grace today. Father, thank you for Christ. Thank you that he is even now interceding at the right hand of God. Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you are praying for us with groans that cannot be uttered. And thank you, Father, that you are pleasurably disposed toward us because of Jesus and your ear is inclined unto our prayer. Who is a God like unto our God? We're reminded this morning that we have a high priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. And so, Father, we simply want to give you praise that the sheep follow the shepherd because they know he's good and they know his voice. And we follow our shepherd this morning because at Calvary he proved that he was good. And we know His voice and it speaks to us of hope and comfort and peace and purpose and everlasting joy. So while you've already received them, we do commend our dear friends Chad and Courtney, their little baby, and Tanya to you this morning. And we're thankful that you're taking care of them in an eternal and infinite and climactic way this morning. We're thankful that they've seen the face of their Savior, and their joy is inexpressible. Father, would you give us a foretaste of glory today? Would you remind us of the hope that we share? Because no one is receiving more joy than our Heavenly Daddy today. And so, Father, may we find our joy in you today, and may we minister that joy one to another. Thank you, God, for the privilege of being able to gather as a family this morning and enjoy these thoughts together and commune with one another and find Christ altogether sufficient even as we feast on him together. Lord, as we mingle, may we do so with grace. And as we gather again to worship you, may we truly find you to be the rock that is higher than us, the one that gives us healing and grace. And in the name of our wonderful Savior, who gives us such inestimable joy today, we say thank you and we pray. Amen.