When The Door Slams
How long, LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is; For what futility have You created all the children of men? What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? (Psalm 89:46-48 NKJV)
We do not know what lies ahead, just over the hill. Terrible things are happening in our world...and we are afraid. But deep beneath our fear of life lies, carefully hidden, the real reason for our fear these days. It is something we try to ignore. In the joy of life it seems so remote. The truth is we are afraid of death.
The Christian should have no fear of death...But, on the contrary, faith should give him a touch of enthusiastic anticipation and a tingle of adventure as he looks forward to the experience that shall surely reward his hope and exceed his most glorious expectations.
It is easy to think of others having to keep this appointment with death, but difficult to remember that we, too, must keep this same appointment. When we visit a dying friend, we are conscious of a certain solemnity that gathers about such persons. Death is appointed for all, and the questions of its occurrence is merely a matter of time. Other appointments in life we can neglect or break, but there is an appointment that no man can ignore, no man can brake.
Think about this: It is only when we do know [Jesus] that we are not afraid, for there is nothing to fear. Only when one is no longer afraid to die is one no longer afraid at all...If you are afraid of death, then you are afraid of life. If physical death were the only consequence of a life live apart from God, we would not have so much to fear, but the Bible warns that there is the second death, which is the eternal separation from God.
Renewal: In every way we are trouble, but we are not crushed by our troubles. We are frustrated, but we don't give up. We are persecuted, but we are not abandoned. We are captured, but we are not killed. We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our bodies. While we are alive, we are constantly handed over to death for Jesus sake so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our mortal nature. Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. The following is written, "I believe; therefore, I spoke." We have that same spirit of faith. We also believe; therefore, we also speak. We know that the one who brought the LORD Jesus back to life will also bring us back to life through Jesus. He will present us to God together with himself. (2 Corinthians 4:8-14)
However, there is a bright side. As the Bible pronounces hell for the sinner, it also promises heaven for the saint. A saint has been described as a sinner who has been forgiven. The subject of heaven is much easier to accept than the subject of hell. And yet the Bible teaches both.
Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Never Rest Ministries
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