Many human
beings fear death and cling to life as the ultimate prize to be coveted and
cherished. Truly, we all dread leaving our loved ones; but if we focus on the
fact that we are going to our dearly Beloved Savior and King, our perspective
changes in a hurry.
Humanity clings
to the treasures of this world, which the Bible calls wood, hay and stubble (1
Corinthians 3:12). Moth and rust destroy them, and thieves break in and steal
them (Matthew 6:19).
We look down
on people who choose not to fight illness that may lead to their ultimate
death. Our approval and admiration only go to those who submit to the surgeon's
knife, and the tyranny of chemical medication that often treats only our
symptoms rather than the disease causing them.
The pain that
so many experience prior to death is one aspect, which we all fear. No one is
eager to face the agony of our body giving up the ghost (Matthew 27:50).
However,
even in death, God gives refuge to His righteous ones (Proverbs 14:32). He is
our guide through death (Psalm 48:14). He sends us an angel escort to bring our
soul and spirit into His presence (Luke 16:22).
If God
chooses to keep us in this earthly realm to perform some ministry for His
Kingdom, we rejoice that we can continue to serve at the pleasure of our King
Jesus. To live means that we allow His light to shine within us as a witness to
those in our sphere of influence (Philippians 1:21-24).
God is in ultimate control of the number of days we will survive on this
planet (Romans 8:11). Living or dying, we do so at His pleasure, because He is
our Lord both in life and in death (Romans 14:7-9). Jesus in us takes all of
the fear out of death for us (2 Corinthians 5:6-9).
Therefore, if
God chooses to take us to our reward in heaven, then we will rejoice with our
family before we go, even if they will be at a loss without us after we have
gone to glory.
This world
is not our home, and we can look forward to our eternal home in heaven (Hebrews
13:14). Our mortal body is merely a tent in which we survive on this sin-cursed
planet. We grow weary as the number of our years increases.
When eternity
swallows up our mortality, we will be quite content to pass from this life through the portal of death into
the very presence of God. Our immortal, heavenly body is fashioned by God for
us and we receive it once we see Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:1-4).
Every moment
we spend on this earth is time away from our ultimate rest. When we die, our
real life is just beginning. Our Father God views the day of our death as
better than the day of our birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1). His Saints will never die again, but will live
eternally in the same respect as the angels.
We are
children of the Living God, raised from death into true life (Luke 20:36). Jesus
is walking hand-in-hand with us through the dying process, as He always walks
with us in life; and He will continue to do so for all eternity.
Prayer:
Father God, we are thrilled to know that the death of Your Saints is
precious to You (Psalms 116:15). You run and meet us as we cross the divide,
just like the prodigal son's father ran to meet him. With You, we live forever
(1 John 2:17). That is why the day of our death is even better than the day of
our birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1). You do not leave us in the grave, to decay and to
turn to dust; instead You give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
In Your presence we enjoy both life on this earth and the fulfillment of
spending eternity with You. As we walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, we have nothing to fear, and we find our continual refuge in You (Psalm
16:9-11; Psalm 23). We are so willing to leave this earthly tent behind and to
rejoice in Your presence forevermore (2 Corinthians 5:8; Psalm 9:9-11).
Thought for the Day:
When we set our mind on eternity, rather than on life on this earth, we
realize that we are hidden with Christ in God. Christ is our whole life now, as
well as when we go to our reward in heaven; then when Jesus returns to the
earth, we will also appear with Him in our glorious new bodies. - Colossians
3:2-4
