Today’s Bible reading from the Five Day Bible Reading Plan: Joshua 22-24; Psalm 116; Luke 19

Recently, I had someone from our church say something that stayed with me: “You know, Pastor Matt, I’m getting tired of death.” This member had dealt with numerous deaths in her family and church in very quick succession. I remember feeling that way in 2009–soon after my wife was diagnosed with lupus, then there were six funerals in three and a half week, one of those funerals was the death of my father-in-law and friend.

Given all this, why would God inspire the writer of Psalm 116 to pen, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (116:15)? How could death be precious? Simply put, God through Christ has defeated death. Death no longer has its sting, swallowed up in the victory Christ procured on the behalf of His saints.

I have sat beside a number of saints who knew their time on earth was coming to a close. All wondered what the transition would be like from life to death to life. What brings peace is the knowledge of what the ultimate result would be. The death of those who are His is precious to us but also to Him–His people will never taste ultimate death.

Christ’s resurrection renders death in His followers powerless–and precious.

May this resurrection hope bring comfort to you and lead you to tell others about the comfort this brings.