by Rev Steve Nickodemus

Facing Death…

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”
Hebrews 9:27-28

This sign reads like an old Western cowboy cliché. “Well, looks like he’s reached the end of the trail…”, or another way of putting it, “It is appointed for a man to die…”.

I remembered those chilling words from Scripture as I stood looking at this sign near Fossil, Oregon. All of us will eventually face death…the end of the trail. To put it another way, the human mortality rate continues to hover right around 100%!

What can we do about this crushing fact? We could live in foolish denial, pretending that death will not happen to us, or we can call out to the eternal God, who, in His mercy, provided an antidote to death. For as sin causes death, and eternal separation from God, so the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, along with His resurrection and victory over sin and death, causes us to have a living hope in Him.

Yes, we shall all die here on earth unless the Lord returns soon, but for those who have faith in our Lord Jesus we need no longer fear death, judgment, and hell. Instead, we can face the end of our days with confidence that Jesus has saved us, and for all those who trust in Him He has prepared a place with Him.  Although death still gives us grief, we know that our grief will turn to joy as we come into the presence of our Lord Jesus and are raised with all the saints in glory.

Lord, keep me from fear of death. In you there is life eternal and great joy. I trust in you for my salvation.  Amen.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado