Dying to Live

Death shall be no more. Revelation 21:4

D.L. MOODY
Someone said to a person dying: “Well, you are in the land of the living yet.” “No,” said he, “I am in the land of the dying, but I am going to the land of the living; they live there and never die.” Here and now is the land of sin and death and tears, but up yonder they never die. It is perpetual life; it is unceasing joy.

ERWIN LUTZER
Death is not really the enemy it appears to be on this side of the curtain. Is it mysterious and fearful? Yes! Entering that vast unknown? Yes! Hamlet wrestled with the possibility of suicide. And then he concluded, “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil.”10 What he’s saying is, “I’d like to commit suicide, but perhaps what lies on the other side is worse than what I’m experiencing here.”
Contrast this with the words of Paul, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Hamlet said, “Live or die, I lose.” Paul said, “Live or die, I win.”
What lies on the other side for the believer? Death is fearsome; it is still our enemy. It ruptures relationships. It brings tears. It brings loneliness. It brings heartache. That’s on this side of the curtain. On the other side, there is happiness, bliss, being with Christ, being in His presence forever.
All of us want to live as long as we possibly can, but when God’s number strikes, when the moment comes for believers to enter into eternity, He will be there to meet us. He has gone ahead to prepare a place for us, and thus, death has lost its sting.

PRAYER
Father, when the time comes, give me the grace to die with the hope and anticipation of seeing you face to face.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What comes to your mind when you think about death?

What does God’s word say about death?