BLESSED HOPE

Isaiah 57:1-2 “The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.”
Death is not a pleasant topic to discuss, especially as morning devotion! But the fact is death will come to each of us one day in some way or the other. But in Christ we no longer need to fear it, for as it says in Heb.2:14-15, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he (Christ) too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death”. “Gone too soon” is the cry of loved ones left behind when death strikes. But those who belong to Him know deep down inside that in His infinite wisdom and abounding love God always does things at the right time, not too soon and not too late. In His mercy God ushers His people, away from further suffering and effects of sin, through the doors of death directly into the throne room of His presence where there is peace, rest and no more mourning, crying or pain. God has purpose for us in this life, to complete the work He has set before us in order that we may glorify Him and be a blessing to others. But while we carry out His purposes in this life and yet reflect on death, may we never fear it but rather live in that paradoxical state that Paul experienced and expressed with these words, “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Philippians 1:23-24). Live for Him yet die to gain Him!