Philippians 1:20 NIV
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
“Rather than living in fear of death, we should see it as spiritual smelling salts that will awaken us out of our false belief that we will live forever. When you are at a funeral, especially one for a friend or a loved one, listen to God speaking to you, telling you that everything in life is temporary except for His love. This is reality. Everything in this life is going to be taken away from us, except one thing: God’s love, which can go into death with us and take us through it and into His arms. It’s the one thing you can’t lose.” (Timothy Keller, On Death)
As we heard on Sunday, any day could be the “last day” for each of us. How is the reality of death and also God’s love to shape how we live and what we treasure right now? Today, let’s embrace this grace-filled wake-up call to listen to God and to spend our lives worthily and wisely through the Holy Spirit. Whether by life or by death, may Christ be exalted in us.
In confession, let’s sing “I Turn to Christ” by Matt Redman (click here)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your everlasting love that never lets me go and takes me into eternity. Today, I turn to Christ and live for him. In Jesus’ name, amen.
-JL
