Death has three ‘fears’ — the fear of physical suffering,
the fear of finality, and the fear of judgment. The aches and pains that seem
to come with aging no doubt add to that first fear, but doctors say that what
some call the agony of death is felt much more by those who are watching than
by the one who is dying.
I didn’t know that, but I do remember hearing about a Christian
martyr who was burned at the stake for his faith. He told his friends that he
would signal them if he felt no pain. At the end as the flames enveloped him,
he lifted his arms to let them know that God made death a mere shadow and for
him there was no agony.
This is a gift from the God who created and formed us. He
says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I
will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when
you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume
you. For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:1–3)
Death is that final enemy, but I must never forget that Christ
defeated it. Paul’s logic in 1 Corinthians 15 is comforting for it fits with
the realities in my life. Even though sin still tries to pull me away, Jesus
Christ has given me victory over many things that once enslaved me . . .
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been
raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are
still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most
to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits
of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come
also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ
shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:16–22)
This is to say that for a Christian, the ability to overcome
sin is proof of new life from Christ. So also is the ability to be contented,
for we know that God is with us, helping us and giving us protection. He is our
Shepherd who leads us in life and will not abandon us when life draws to a
close because He keeps us during all other threats.
Because He is my Shepherd, my response should be loving
obedience. Yet as my pastor’s wife said yesterday, each of us has “buttons”
that the enemy so easily pushes, drawing us into some sin or another instead of
loving God which makes more sense.
As I read the following two verses, I thought about the
things that draw me from loving God as I should. The word in the first blank is
“money”, but it could be anything. The word in the second blank is “man” but it
also could be filled in with anything else that I might fear . . .
“Keep your life free from love of ___________, and be content
with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can ___________
do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5–6)
Some possible combinations: praise/rejection, attention/loneliness,
achievement/failure, and even life/death.
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not
want.”
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