One
Way or the Other…
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if
we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to
the Lord.
Romans 14:8
As Will waited for the surgeon to speak
with him prior to surgery, he was surprised to discover he was
scared; surprised because he had been through no less than ten prior
surgeries requiring general anesthesia, and couldn’t remember ever
having been concerned about the possibility of not waking up after
the procedure. So why now? Then it hit him…he could die today…!
He quickly asked God to quell the fear
and replace it with His peace…to no avail. If anything, the fear
increased until Will began questioning whether he should go ahead
with the operation. Lord, he prayed, I know this fear isn’t
from You, and that it’s irrational. Nonetheless, it’s real to me,
and I’m not winning this battle. That last sentence had barely
left Will’s heart when God spoke, “It is not your battle to win,
son. Your life is in my hands, and one way or the other,” Will was
sure there was a lilt in God’s voice, “you will wake up…”
As God let that last statement hang,
Will understood. No matter what happened in the operating room, his
life was in God’s capable hands. Peace flooded his soul, If I’ve
finished my race, and if today is that day, Lord, I’m ready!
Will didn’t die that day. But he no
longer worries about when that day will come.
†
This life is terminal, and short of
Jesus’ return, not one of us will escape the clutches of death.
Coming to grips with this fact can cause a sense of foreboding, even
motivate us to live with a purpose. It is God’s desire that we move
past the fear of death to a place of faith, so that until death
comes, we trust Him to keep us secure, while we fulfill that purpose.
Paul says that if we love and follow
Jesus we belong to Him. When death comes it will be glorious indeed.
Until we find ourselves face to face with Jesus, we are to LIVE for
Him here.
Prayer
“May You find in me a
desire to live up to my full potential, LORD.
Help me remain focused on the here and now. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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