Isaiah 40: 8; tells us… ‘The grass withers and the flowers fade away… but the Word-of-our God will stand forever. This verse is very significant, for it will stand true for all time in Eternity. I find it interesting that so many people, (both Saved and us-saved) are afraid of death. I can understand why the un-saved are afraid to die, but why would Believers be afraid of dying; they should be looking forward to going to our Heavenly Home’; spending an eternity with God and Christ. The notion of death should have very little effect on us. As Believers experience their lives on Earth and continues to age, we realize that our period of ‘sojourning’ will one day come to an end; we have fewer days before us than behind us. The reality of moving on to our eternal state, as promised to us by our Father-in-Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, should bring to mind joyous thoughts and contentment. So, why is it that many ‘Born-again Christians embrace the Fear-of-Dying?... odd isn’t it?

Paul writes in Philippians 1: 21… 'for to live is Christ; and to die is gain’… what did Paul mean by this often-quoted verse? Well, it’s important to remember that Paul experienced something that very few human beings have seen… he was translated (raptured) into God’s Third Heaven, to show him what his life would be like in the future. I believe that God did this, to expel any possible doubt Paul may have had regarding the work that God wanted Paul to accomplish… and accomplish he did; the most prolific writer in the New Testament… 17 books and possibly even the ‘Book-of-Hebrews. Only someone that had experienced the Spender-of-Heaven, would have been able to make such a statement. Paul was willing to stay and do the work of the Lord, for as long as Christ wanted him there as God’s Ambassador, but the moment his tenure on earth was complete, he was looking forward to an eternity with God and Christ in Heaven.

One of the most difficult urges for human beings to master is patience. Throughout Scripture, God and Christ; the Prophets and men of wisdom, are continually encouraging people to be patient, and why is this? In Isaiah 40: 31; the Prophet tells us… ‘but they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up as Eagles Wings; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not be faint’. By their own experiences, Believers instinctively understand how God works. We understand that God’s timetable is not ours and rarely aligns with what we think, or how we would like events to take place. But still… our impatience many times, will overtake our knowledge and understanding of the facts, letting our imaginations of what may happen run wild… WELCOME TO THE HUMAN RACE.

Isaiah 55: 9-11; tells us… ‘for My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord; so, as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my thoughts higher than your thoughts, and my ways higher than yours. If we would take a moment to consider that God knows better than we do, and remember that He knows the ‘beginning from the end, and the end from the beginning, we would realize that His wisdom and knowledge far exceeds ours. How can you argue with someone who knows the right answers all of the time?

So, the next time you feel a bit ‘Verklempt’ (overcome with despair) and start questioning who knows best, consider God’s superior knowledge and His wisdom; and remember, He only wants the best for His children (that’s us). And He certainly wants to keep us out of difficulty, due to poor decisions. So, take a deep breath and muster up some patience. The right answers and the best solutions are coming; always in His timing, not ours.