Read: Romans 6:5-11
“Precious in the sight of
the Lord
is the death of his saints.”
Psalm 116:15
When the doctor orders a
follow-up test, such as a stress test, an MRI, a second mammogram, etc., our
imagination starts running wild. We envision radiation burns, a bald head and
weakened physical stamina. We imagine pain, loss and mortality. We come
face-to-face with the fact that death is a real possibility, as our humanity
hits us right between the eyes.
When I encountered a second
test several years ago, God whispered the words from Psalm 116:15 to my heart. God does not look at death as loss, but
of gain. This reminded me of the beggar in Luke that died and caught a ride
with the angels up to Abraham’s embrace! I look forward to floating
up to heaven on angels’ wings, don’t you? To be absent from this life is to be
present with the Lord in eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:8). This is really good news to me.
The only way to have peace
when you find yourself in a fearful situation is to realize that our life is in
God’s capable hands. If we trust in Him as our Savior spiritually, we can trust
in Him as our physical Savior as well. As we keep His word, we shall never
really taste death (Matthew 16:28).
We close our eyes in mortality and open them in immortality, inhaling the
breath of God in heaven. If we remain faithful until death, God will give us
the crown of life (James 1:12).
After all, this world is not our home. As Christians, we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven (Hebrews 13:14). While living on this earth, we have opportunities for Christ to use us, but in dying we gain immortality in the presence of God (Romans 8:11). I feel like Paul did. Sometimes I want to live here on earth with my family and friends, and at other times I long to be in eternity with Christ (Philippians 1:21-24).
I love how Paul also
compares life on this earth to living in a tent. He reminds us that we
currently live in earthly bodies that wear out and break down and make us so
weary at times. Then, he gives us a vivid picture of life in heaven with God.
We will have wonderful new bodies and homes that will be ours forevermore,
which are made for us by God Himself That is why I look forward so eagerly to
the day when I cross the threshold into heaven. Then, my dying body will be
swallowed up by eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:1-9).
We are not the Captain of
our ship. We cannot decide when to live or die. We can choose, however, that
whether living or dying we will follow the Lord. Christ died and rose again for
this very purpose, so that He can be with our Lord both while we live and when
we die. Whether we live or die, we belong to Him (Romans 14:7-9)
Therefore, with every living
breath, we can set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth. In
salvation, we relinquish our plans for our life and our self-reliance (Ecclesiastes
3:1-2; Romans 2:20). Then, when Christ
appears, we will also appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:2-4).
Prayer:
Lord, help us to lay our
life down daily for Your Saints, because You promised that if we love Your
family, we know that we have passed from death to life (1 john 3:14). Then,
when You call us home to live with You forever, we will have the rewards of our
labor (Revelation 22:12).
Thought for the Day:
Christ swallowed up death
forever, and the Lord God will wipe away every earthly tear from our faces. -
Isaiah 25:8 