Most
people view death as defeat, as an ending, as the cessation of our life. We
grieve the thought of leaving our loved ones and losing our worldly treasures.
We see death as an end, rather than as the new chapter in our life.
However,
God rejoices more in the death of His Saints than He does in the day of our
birth (Psalm 116:15; Philippians 1:23; Ecclesiastes 7:1). He looks forward to
our homecoming to Heaven. We anticipate spending eternity together in His
service.
Our
family will miss the influence and affinity that our life afforded to them.
They grieve the loss of our guidance, companionship and presence in their life.
However, if they realize where we are, they soon rejoice for us in the midst of
their grief over their loss.
Viewing
death from God's perspective gives us hope. As authentic, Born Again Believers,
we will never die (John 11:26). To be absent from this body, means that we are
instantly in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). What better place
does this world have to offer?
Jesus
defeated death through His resurrection. He passes that same victory on to
whomever will turn away from their sins and who trust their life to His
watch-care. Sometimes, it is daunting to even consider turning control of our
life over to another Being.
However,
the plans that God has for us are filled with promise and rewards that we reap
every moment of our life now and throughout eternity (Jeremiah 29:11). Our
Heavenly Father is just a prayer away, and He is always ready to open His arms
wide and to welcome back a prodigal child (Luke 15:20-24).
Prayer:
Father
God, as authentic Believers, we have no need to fear death as those do who have
no hope in Your resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13). You send Your angels to escort
us into Your presence (Luke 16:22), and You eagerly wait for us to come home to
You. Help us to realize that death is not defeat or separation for us, it is an
open door to the next chapter of our life (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
Help
us to understand that we do not need to take measures to endure the
insensitivity and trials of this life when You are calling us home. We embrace
Your plans for us in death as well as in life. We do not view death as an
ending, a defeat, but as the ultimate victory and reward for our life on this
earth. We look forward to seeing You face-to-face, and to spending eternity in
service to our King Jesus.
Thought
for the Day:
We
can stand with those who are grieving the loss of their loved one, even if we
do not know what to say; as a proactive measure we help by taking them out to
dinner so they can share their feelings with us, by inviting them over for a
cup of tea or coffee, by sending them occasional encouraging cards to let them
know that they are not alone because we are thinking about them, by delivering
their favorite dessert to their home just because, etc.
