"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants. "- Psalm 116:15
When I discovered this Scripture this week, it comforted me. We are precious in the eyes of God while we are alive, and dying does not decrease our worth in the eyes of our Father. Even in death, our Heavenly Father deems us precious. When those close to us pass on to glory, we mourn and cry for them which is understandable, but we have to understand that we are here only for a brief moment in time, and we belong to Someone greater. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord"- Job 1:21 This world is not our home neither do we "own" anyone. Everyone created in the image of the Almighty are mere gifts from God that God was gracious enough to place in our lives to enrich us and help us experience a glimpse of His love. The word that stood out to me in the above Scripture is "gave" and "taken". The reason the death of His faithful servants is precious in His sight is because God gives us our loved ones through birth for a period of time, and when He is ready, He takes back those who are rightfully His through death. A parent can allow his or her child to spend some time at a friend's house or camp, but eventually, that parent will want his or her child returned home. The same principle applies to God.
"In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, you may be also. "-John 14:2-3 The same God that went ahead to prepare a place for us will eventually come to take us where He has made ready. Upon our return, the same way a loving parent will welcome his or her child is the same way God welcomes us. When we have completed the assignment given to us, when we have done all that God requires of us, God Almighty welcomes us back by saying "Well done good and faithful servant. Thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." -Matthew 25:23 In the eyes of the flesh, we mourn, but in the Spirit, angels are rejoicing at the return of a child of God. The going home of our loved ones shocks us because with our limited understanding, we believe there is more they are needed on earth for. We shed painful tears at the thought of never seeing them again on this side of world, but the mystery in death is another means by which God demonstrates that His ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts like our thoughts. This very scripture in Matthew 25:23 reveals that in Christ, there is life after death. If we were faithful over the little things God entrusted in our care while we were living,(family, husband/wife, children, relationships, etc), then according to that scripture, God will entrust more into our care in Heaven, meaning that there is a continuation of life and this life is eternal. How then do we get to that point where we know of a surety that when we take our last breath, we will appear before the Throne of God and be welcomed home?
1. Start Early To Honor God
"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"-Ecclesiastes 12:1 Death does not recognize age or status, neither does it favor one gender or race. For this reason, the Bible instructed us to remember our Creator from a young age. The devil goes around deceiving people into thinking that they can live recklessly while they are young and then give their life to Christ when they are older, but how many times have you heard or witness someone your age or younger passing on? We are to live each day, glorifying God. Psalm 90:12 says, " Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." God is just as interested in the life of an 18 year old as He is interested in the life of a 81 year old. Do not make excuses to put God off.
"Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully."-Psalm 24:3-4 We are to work and walk with a pure heart, loving and serving those around us with clean hands. We are to reflect the perfect love of Christ in every relationship, which means loving constantly, serving selflessly, and forgiving quickly. It is only a person with a clean heart and clean hands that can stand before a Holy God and because we do not know when our time will be up, we should ask the Holy Spirit to help us daily in our journey through life.
Death, though painful for a moment, cannot be compared to the glory that awaits God's people. Nothing pleases God more than to grant eternal rest to a child that has labored his or her life to expanding the Kingdom of God. For this reason, if you are dealing with the pains of the death of a loved one, take comfort in knowing that all is STILL well. It is okay to cry for those who have passed on because they are deserving of our tears; however, we should not cry as those who do not have a hope because in Christ, dying is living. May God comfort you and yours in Jesus name. Amen. It is well.
Yorkamazing <3
TMV- Philippians 1:21
