Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
Hello my beloved brethren and readers in general,
I am not dying, but I am scik as a dog. I have spent most of the last two days in bed, feeling miserable. Yesterday, at the request of my beloved spouse, I turned on the computer to stream for him some Christian podcasts he wanted to hear. One of these podcasts was on the subject of death, and how should it be understood by believers. This particular podcast, as well as my own rather severe pain and illness, provoked me to meditate on this very sensitive, very important but very little talked about issue in Christian circles.
The pastor in the podcast mentioned above stated that, at times, he is at a loss as to what to say to someone who is dying, and in much pain and agony. I have heard other pastors say the same thing. Truly, I mean, when a pastor goes to visit someone who is in great pain, in the process of dying, what can he say? I know that, at a time like this, every faithful pastor wants at all costs to avoid the trap of the muttering of cliches like, “It will be over soon,” or, “In the end, it is God’s will.” What I am going to do here is to spell out what I would want a pastor or fellow believer to say to me, or rather, to point out to me and remind me of, if I were in my deathbed, going through agonizing pain and utter discomfort.
First, I would want the person comforting me to acknowledge what I am going through. If I say that what I am going through is just too difficult, all my visitor has to do is to agree with me, because what I am saying is true for me. And I hope that, if I say or ask something for which my visiting pastor or fellow believer has no answer, that they are honest with me and say so. I think that this would be a good moment for my visitor to direct my attention to what our LORD Himself has to say to me at this final point of my life on Earth.
I want the person at my bedside to remind me that my Christ, being sinless, God incarnate, had to suffer the worst physical agony we can imagine. I want to be reminded that my physical, and perhaps also my mental agony as I die is NOT God’s fault. I want to be reminded that the reason why I am dying in such a horrible way is because of that rebellion and sin of Adam, this rebellion and sin of all of us, out of which God, in His infinite mercy, chose to save me.
I want to be reminded that the process of dying is my last great test of faith and endurance. Remember what Job said:
Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
Coming forth as gold means one is put through the fire. There is no fiercer fire than that of the process of dying.
My dear reader, before I go on, I want to point out the good news that, when it comes to comforting and encouraging a believer who is dying, the person doing the comforting does not really have to say much. Personally, I would want the pastor or fellow believer to open the Bible, for our LORD Himself has said a whole lot on this issue in His Word. As we slip from this life into the next, what we need, what I need, is to be reminded of all the wonderful truths of our loving God, His faithfulness, His goodness and His provision.
Please remind me that the process of dying may be horrible, but I am not alone:
Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
I think at this point I am going to let our LORD speak directly about life, death and where we, His saints, are going. These are all things which I would want to hear on my deathbed:
James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 receiving the end of your faith––the salvation of your souls.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Hebrews 9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Romans 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
My dear brethren and readers, to the above verses I must add the mention of that glorious passage on the hope of the resurrection of the body, 1 Corinthians 15.
There is so much to be pointed to as a saint dies. That our lives on this Earth are but for a moment, as compared to eternity. That the process of dying may be agonizing, but the end result is to be ushered into the very presence of Christ, to be with Him forever in glory. That the end of this life is the last great hurdle, test and affliction under imperfection, then comes eternal life which is incorruptible, without sin, without suffering.
Let us not loose sight of yet another awesome truth:
Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.
To those of you who are pastors, and to those of you who may find yourselves in a situation where you are called to sit by the bedside of a dying believer in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say that all the things I have written here, all the things the LORD has said and I included here, are the things I would want to be reminded of if I were the dying person. What a blessing it would be for every dying saint to have at their side someone who would help them keep their eyes and minds on Jesus as they transition from temporary to eternal life.
And now, brothers and sisters in Christ, may our gracious LORD help us always keep all these great truths in our minds and in our hearts. For those of you who are reading these words but are not believers, may the Lord Jesus Christ touch your spirits to make you alive, and to make you see His truths and His glory, so you may follow and worship Him now and forevermore, Amen.
In His service,
Zoraida
Once again, another beautiful post. I am saddened to hear of your illness, and yet even in illness your strength of faith shines through. on my deathbed I too would want to be reminded of God’s promises and of his faithfulness. Today, however, I pray for your speedy recovery.
Zoraida: Thank you for the reminder that only the one experiencing the anguish and the Lord Himself truly know the depth of any physical, emotional or spiritual personal trial. Just how aware is He of our tears? (Psalm 56:8) “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (Revelation 21:4) “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
In their song, Sheltered In The Arms Of God, Dottie Rambo and Jimmy Davis penned these words: Soon I shall hear, the call from Heaven’s portal; come home my child, this is the last mile you must trod. I’ll fall asleep, and wake in God’s new Heaven; for I’m sheltered in the arms of God!
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