I just received word that a wonderful Christian lady (about my age), who has been ill for a long time, is getting ready to pass away very soon. She is surrounded by her loving family. They are gathering together to express their love and appreciation for her strength, faith and love. I just want to briefly encourage you to remember them in your prayers. Many of you won't know her but as a member of Gods family, she is "our" sister in Christ. So I leave you with a brief Scripture full of Gods hope and promise.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" Psalm 116:15
A Christian facing death forces us to reflect on a aspect of death which is rarely considered. It is the perspective of our Heavenly Father on the death of one of His dearly loved children. Often we contemplate death, like most other things, from our side. Psalm 116 tells us that from the viewpoint of Heaven the death of a saint is neither horrible or tragic but instead is, "precious." This raises the question, Why is the death of His people precious in the sight of the Lord?
(a) Gods children are precious to Him
(b) death ends suffering and sorrow
"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him" (Psalm 103:13). So also are we told that our great High Priest is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15)
(c) death opens the door for God to demonstrate His love for His children
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10)
(d) at death, God gathers His child to Himself
"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3). Precious then is the death of the saints in His sight, because absent from the body we are "present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).
THOUGHT: It is interesting to trace the meaning of the Hebrew word translated "precious." It is literally, "excellent." "How excellent is Thy loving kindness, O God!" (Psalm 36:7). However a Christian lives, the death of a saint is always excellent in the sight of the Lord. It is a homecoming of a dearly loved child.
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