Proverbs 14:32
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness:
But the righteous hath hope in his death.
Thus the apostle concurs:
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness:
But the righteous hath hope in his death.
Thus the apostle concurs:
For to me, to live is Messiah, and to die is gain.
Phillippians 1:21.
Ah, the sweet mystery of death! The days of our living can profess the greatest of faith. We may have climbed heights of theology; conquered mountains of faith; crossed oceans of charitable accomplishments but herein is the final test none can escape. We can claim trust in the ways of the Father during our living, but herein is the litmus test of our faith: our reaction towards death. Those who truly have trusted God for their lives, can also trust Him for their death. Others freak out.
I mean not to be so morbid this morning, but some of us are more consciously faced with death than others: soldiers for examples even though statistically speaking, driving a car is no less dangerous than going to war. We may have fought it all our lives, but death teaches us the main lesson the father tries to get through to us all throughout our pilgrimage on this earth: we are not essential. On our deathbed, we finally have to yield to the possibility that the world will get along fine without us. We finally come to the point when we release the controls and realize God was all along in the driver-seat. What peace must be felt then.
Releasing the controls brings peace; why don’t we do it before? In France I learned to drive in a car where the instructor had brake and acceleration controls on the rider side of the car. I was so worried in my driving, but the instructor is the one who really had the controls. We so worried about things, and we forget that the Instructor has the controls.
As the world goes its own way, may we be able to trust Him in joy and sadness; in health and sickness; in abundance and poverty; as well as in life and in death.
Ah, the sweet mystery of death! The days of our living can profess the greatest of faith. We may have climbed heights of theology; conquered mountains of faith; crossed oceans of charitable accomplishments but herein is the final test none can escape. We can claim trust in the ways of the Father during our living, but herein is the litmus test of our faith: our reaction towards death. Those who truly have trusted God for their lives, can also trust Him for their death. Others freak out.
I mean not to be so morbid this morning, but some of us are more consciously faced with death than others: soldiers for examples even though statistically speaking, driving a car is no less dangerous than going to war. We may have fought it all our lives, but death teaches us the main lesson the father tries to get through to us all throughout our pilgrimage on this earth: we are not essential. On our deathbed, we finally have to yield to the possibility that the world will get along fine without us. We finally come to the point when we release the controls and realize God was all along in the driver-seat. What peace must be felt then.
Releasing the controls brings peace; why don’t we do it before? In France I learned to drive in a car where the instructor had brake and acceleration controls on the rider side of the car. I was so worried in my driving, but the instructor is the one who really had the controls. We so worried about things, and we forget that the Instructor has the controls.
As the world goes its own way, may we be able to trust Him in joy and sadness; in health and sickness; in abundance and poverty; as well as in life and in death.
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