"Death’s Stinging Grip"

A woman dies after 114 years of life.
A 55-year-old woman dies after fighting brain cancer for 6 years.
A 74-year-old man dies after a slow and steady decline in heath.

We sometimes expect death to come.  There are times we feel that death is welcome compared to the suffering taking place.

A skateboarding 14-year-old boy is struck and killed by a drunk driver.
A 59-year-old man is mauled to death by lions.
A 23-year-old is killed after gunmen opened fire on in his car while driving along the Mexican border.

Death also comes when it’s least expected.  Death often comes when we don’t want it to; when we don’t feel that it’s fair.
 
Either way, expected or not, death comes.  Man brought death on himself (Gen. 3).  We may as well be ready for it.

Are you scared to death of death?  If you haven’t given your heart and life to Jesus Christ and accepted His sacrifice for you, repented and turned to Christ in obedience to God’s Word, then you should be afraid.  Death to you may simply mean no longer being, with your body buried waiting for decay to take its toll and for your body to be consumed by worms and the like, and that’s the end of it.  Regardless of your limited view, the Bible says that if you haven’t accepted Christ, you will not have such a “nice,” simple ending as that.  Instead, you will find yourself in torment worse than you’ve ever imagined.  A torment that you will experience for eternity, forever and ever, with no relief.  And you will know why you’re there, why you’re suffering.  You will know that, because of your foolish denial of the Holy Son of God, you subjected yourself to the everlasting wrath of God.

My neighbor’s wife just recently died.  I expressed my condolences to him, and he stated that she was very sick, so the death was expected and almost a relief.  He then said that “she believed in God a lot, so … .”  She believed in God a lot?  So what!  You better believe that demons believe in God too.  They know who He is and what He can do.  But that doesn’t save them from His wrath.  God is a holy God.  God’s holiness absolutely cannot look upon any sin with favor.  This is why He gave us His precious Son, to shed His blood and die for us, for those willing to accept His gift of salvation.  Let Christ destroy death’s power over you!  Only Christ can give you a victory over death and it’s sting (Heb. 2:14-15).

We who have accepted Christ’s sacrifice for us, we who have admitted our sinfulness, confessed our sins, repented of our evil ways, and turned to God…WE ARE VICTORS!  We can truly say, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 54-55).   For we know that Christ has overcome the world and the evil one who is in it!  Our victory is through our Lord Jesus Christ, thanks to God the Father.

Yes, death brings grief to loved ones, because death produces an emptiness…that person is longer there, and it’s brings great heartache.  But we as Christians should never fear death.  Frankly, as strange as it may sound to your ears, I absolutely look forward to death!  I know that to be out of this body is to be present with my Lord, to be in His arms, to be comforted and loved like I’ve never been before, to look upon my Lord and worship Him—He who made and sustained me, He who gave me life, and then gave me LIFE!

Don’t let death keep a fearful hold on you.  Allow Christ to vanquish that fear!  Don’t let death have power over you.  Fill yourself with the power of God.  Accept Christ today.  Now is a perfect time.

God is so good.

I pray you have a wonderfully blessed day, and may God touch your hearts as well as mine.
Niki