2 Samuel 12:22
“And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?”
Everyone will face it someday. The life of a person who you love dearly will be hanging between life and death. Your desire is that the LORD would heal them so that you can enjoy more time with them on this Earth, but the doctors don’t give you much hope that they will pull through. What do you do when this happens?
David faced this situation with a little child. Yes, the child was born out of sin, but it was still a child whom David loved. He dearly wanted this child to live, but when you read the Scriptures you see that God took the child to Heaven. In this story you will find the answer of what you should do when a loved one is dying or if God chooses to take them.
First, ask God to intervene. The first action David took when the child got sick was that he prayed. Verse 16 says, “David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.” David knew that the healing of the child was up to God. He wanted to be sure he did what he could do to intervene for the child’s health. I believe there is nothing wrong with you praying for God to heal your loved one. Throughout the Scriptures you see that God healed sick people. Certainly, God has the power to heal your loved one because He has healed others.
Second, ask others to pray for the healing of your loved one. Don’t be so filled with pride that you won’t ask others to pray. James 5:14 says, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:” There is nothing wrong with asking your pastor to anoint them with oil, but also ask the church to pray as well. It never hurts to employ as many people as you can to persuade God to heal a loved one.
Third, accept God’s will for whatever happens. I am not going to give you a false hope that God will always heal your loved one. There are times when God’s will is for someone to go to Heaven. David prayed in hopes that he could change the mind of God, but when the child died he accepted God’s will. You have to be willing to accept God’s will for your loved one. That is the only thing that will keep you from becoming bitter if the LORD chooses to take them.
Fourth, realize there is a real place called Heaven where they will go if they are saved. David said in verse 23, “I shall go to him…” He knew that Heaven was a real place, and he received comfort from knowing that he was going to see the child again. Heaven is real! If God chooses to take your loved one, then they are in a better place. Take comfort in knowing that you will see them again.
Fifth, move on with life. David didn’t stop living because his child went to Heaven. No, he moved on with life and God gave him another child. You must move on with life if God takes your loved one to Heaven. Don’t die before you are dead. Accept God’s will and move on. If David hadn’t moved on he would not have invested in the child God gave him which was Solomon. If you will move on with life, God has greater blessings for you. Don’t let bitterness stop your life and rob you of blessings; instead, accept God’s will and see that God has greater blessings in store for you.