Precious in the sight of the LORD

.... is the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15). During my treatment for prostrate cancer, a longtime friend of mine commented that I was not afraid of death. I am believing that he is now with the Lord, at least partially because of that witness. Scripture talks about the release of those “who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15). It seems that many times we push the thoughts of the inevitability of death down below our conscious thoughts. Nevertheless it affects us in ways we likely also don't want to admit, or deal with. So what is the release the Hebrews reference is talking about? Well the previous verse tells that the Son of God took on flesh so that “through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

Note the tense “had the power of death.” He no longer has that power, death was defeated at the cross. The point is, that death came into the World through sin (Romans 5:12). God created man to live forever in paradise, but there can be no sin in paradise, or it would not be paradise. That's why Adam and Eve were expelled “lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” in his sinful state (Genesis 3:22, 24). The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23). “But” changes everything! The sting of death is sin, BUT as one commentator put it “Through faith in Him, death is no longer a stinging punishment, but the victorious entry into eternal life” (see 1 Corinthians 15:55, 56). In other words death is graduation day for the believer, for His saints.

So if it's graduation day, why should I (or you) fear death? And just as an earthly parent rejoices at the earthly graduation of his (or her) child, so the Heavenly Father rejoices at the graduation of one of His sons or daughters. He longs as much to say it, as we do to hear it “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:23). Paul could say “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He tells us that he was hard pressed to choose between the two. To be with the Lord is “far better,” yet to remain meant bearing more fruit (Philippians 1:21 – 23). Paul is not suicidal, but He knows something of the glory of Glory! In many ways I feel the same! I know that the Lord still has things for me to do, and I'm willing to stay until the appointed time for Him to take me home. But this life is hard and times, I get tired, and I long for the fullness of His presence and the glory that is to be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

Father, there are times when we and all creation groans. Give us a gimps Lord of the glory that is to be revealed in us, so that with Paul we too may able to consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with it. In the meantime Lord, please give us the Grace to not be weary in doing well, that we may run the race set before us with perseverance as we look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, in His precious Name we pray Amen