One Way or the Other…
June 18
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 come 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’s not your battle to win, son. Your life is in my hands. And one way or the other,” and 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.
†
Life is terminal. And short of Jesus’ return, not one of us will escape the clutches of death. Coming to grips with that can cause a sense of foreboding, or 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. But 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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