Daily Devotional for Saturday May 17, 2008

The Death of Someone We Love

(Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12; Hebrews 9:27)

The death of someone we love. The world of professional football was > rocked > last November by the news of Washington Redskin star safety Sean Taylor > being shot at his home in an apparent home invasion. Tragically, Taylor > who > was just 24 years old, died of his wounds a few days later. Sean Taylor > played his college football with the University of Miami Hurricanes, was a > high draft choice of the Redskins in 2004, and had achieved All Pro status > as one of the NFL's hardest hitting, big play making defensive backs. > > Taylor was also involved in several high profile on and off the field > incidents over his brief pro career, but Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs > stated that in the last year and a half after making a real commitment of > his life to Christ, he had watched Taylor mature and really change his > life. > One moment Sean Taylor was a multi-million dollar pro-football star who > had > everything this world could offer, the next moment he was dead. > > One of the prayer requests that we get each day are people having a hard > time dealing with the death of a loved one or friend. That is natural. > Often, I find myself thinking of my father who passed away in 1974, and my > mother who died the day before Christmas in 1998. I have wonderful > memories > of my parents and still miss them after all these years. So it is > understandable that we think of and miss those who have died who were once > part of our lives. > > As difficult as it is to lose someone we love and care about, we can never > forget that death is part of this journey we are on. The Bible clearly > teaches us that tomorrow is promised to nobody. Probably the hardest thing > about death, apart from its finality, is the burning question...why? Why > does a baby, such precious gift from God, get sick and die? Why does a > teenager, with so much life yet to live, have to die? Why does an > accident, > suddenly and without warning, take the life of a mother or father? Why > does > that wonderful grandfather or loving grandmother have to die? Why does a > young professional athlete with his life and career ahead of him die in a > senseless act of violence? > > Sadly, there is never a good answer to why. This is why our faith in > Christ > is so important. It is at those times in our life, when there are more > questions than answers, that our faith MUST BECOME REAL. It is at those > times that we must let our faith become real and trust God. What exactly > does that mean? It means knowing that God is in control at all times. > Nothing happens in this world apart from God allowing it to happen. God > did > not create death. Just the opposite. God created man to live forever. It > was > MAN that chose death when he sinned. Death became a byproduct of man's > choice, and we all inherit that fact of life. > > However, because God loves us so much, while we must accept the > consequences > of our sin and face death one day, that is merely physical death. By His > grace, He has made a way for us to be eternally with Him if we will repent > of our sins, and accept by faith His Son Jesus Christ into out hearts. > THIS > IS HOW WE BECOME VICTORIOUS OVER DEATH! > > Even though these clay tablets we occupy during this brief journey may be > dead, our soul lives on eternally. While sin not only destined our bodies > to > die, it also separated our eternal soul from God our Creator. But God so > loved this world, that He sent his only Son to die on a wooden cross to > pay > for the sins of all mankind. And WHOSOEVER believes in Jesus will not > eternally perish, but have LIFE EVERLASTING!!! > > THERE IS VICTORY OVER DEATH THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST! > > If as you read these words you do not have the assurance that if you died > this very moment you would be eternally with God, then please pray and ask > God to open your heart and go to http://www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.cfm > > I love you and care about you so much. I know many of you miss those loved > ones who have already left this life. Know that while we will all one day > face death, we live on long after we are gone through the lives of those > we > were able to touch along our journey. Your loved one and your friend lives > on through your life! You will live on through those lives you touch! > Death > is NOT something we should fear, but an event we should accept. > > We must also accept that we don't know when or how it will happen. We > never > know if there will be a tomorrow. That is why I share so often that NOW is > the time. We must not waste the precious time God does give us in this > life. > We must not take it for granted, but strive daily to serve and glorify God > the best we can. After all, that is the purpose of this life. > > So as you remember your loved ones, your friends that are no longer with > you, never forget that this journey we are on is very short indeed. Even > if > you are fortunate enough to live into your 80's and 90's, the time goes by > very quickly. Can you believe there we are already nearing the end of the > 5th month of 2008? Make the most of each day and treat it as the precious > gift from God that it is. Do all that you can each day to share His love > and > hope with those you encounter. You will be living on through their lives, > long after you are gone from this earth and with the Lord for all > eternity!