Tuesday; September 30
I have talked to a lot of
people who have lost friends and loved ones recently. I don’t know if people are dying at a higher
rate, but I do know that I am aging and so are the people around me, so maybe
that’s why death may be more prevalent.
The older we get – and the older our contemporaries get – the more
likely death is going to be a part of our lives. Yet, even when it comes to young people,
there is plenty of death in the news and in our community.
When I was growing up, I
used to hear there were only two things for certain in America – death and
taxes – and that’s pretty much true. The
fact that there is death in the world shouldn’t be surprising to any of us. Nature affirms it and the Bible confirms
it. Yet, before we become too macabre,
there is something different about Christianity’s approach to death. Humans accept that death is a fact of life and
while the timing can be shocking, the fact is well-known. Yet, to Christians,
death doesn’t have to be the end. The
First Century Christian writer prepared their contemporaries for death by
noting, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and
after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having
been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second
time for salvation without reference to sin, to those
who eagerly await Him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28).
The fact that people die isn’t newsworthy, but the belief that we don’t
have to spend an eternity in condemnation is!
In an odd way, there can be joy (or at least contentment) in death
because it is the prelude to eternal life.
If you are dealing with
the sadness of death, that is understandable and natural. However, if you are looking for a way to
overcome it, there is a hope that can be found in the resurrection of Jesus.
Think About It!