Revelation 5:1-9, "And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: 'Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?' But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, 'Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.' Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing... He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when He took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song..."
Death is something that we should all think about, but something we most desperately try to avoid. Even the thought freaks us out. Death is something that travels through my mind often. When I was 20, I was given the medical diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. That moment I felt like I had been given a death certificate. Death is something that I think about. It is something that I talk about with my young sons. It is something that I do not fear.
Last night I watched the movie "Seven Pounds" with Will Smith. He played a character who was willing to give up his life for the lives of others. He donated his heart to a woman that needed a heart, his eyes to a blind man, his liver... he donated his life to save others. He did this because he had killed many other people in a fatal car accident. He was paying back what he had taken. By the end of the movie I was in tears, sobbing. The feelings that overcame me were feelings of thankfulness and gratitude. The people that Will's character chose to be the recipients, were people that were good and deserved a chance at a new life. He watched them and saw that his life would not be waisted for theirs. They earned his love. I have been given a new life. I was stripped from my old ways and given a second chance at living life again, but I did not deserve it. Now I receive it.
I talk often to my children about heaven and hell. I want to know that if I was taken away early, that I had done my job and prepared them. Death comes at different times for everyone and it is something that I think about often. If my children go before me, I hope I can remember: Isaiah 57:1, "Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die." Death is coming sometime for everyone. I hope that I am prepared.
Luke 12:35ff, "Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready..." Romans 1:18-21, "But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused..."
Every day my job is to prepare my heart and my children's heart, not for death, for life. We are given another chance to live. We all must die physically, but death does not scare me. I know the author of life and I am looking forward to seeing the Lion, the Lamb. When I die, I want to be buried in my wedding dress. I want my children to rejoice and know that their mother is where I always wanted to be. If my children die before me, I want to get my comfort in knowing they are living better than I am here. I want to know that God was and is still protecting them. Death, I think about it often. I love my life, for I have been given a new life with Christ, but this life is incomplete. I have a longing to be with my Savior in person. I want to thank Him for giving up His life, so I could truly live. I have found the true joy in living and the celebration in dieing. Does death scare you? Do you know the joy in living right now? Can you really enjoy the life you have been given? I love my Savior! For without Him giving up His life for me long ago, I would not be alive today.
http://utmost.org/having-god%E2%80%99s-unreasonable-faith/
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