Prayer – Lord, You were such a good example for us all—no fear. You did ask the Father to let that cup—the inevitability of the cross—pass from You, but You obediently went to the cross for us. That was part of God’s plan for mankind. I’m not afraid to die—because I know that I’ll be with You.
Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers
escape from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27
Meditate. What do you fear?
Recently a friend of mine asked me, “Are you
afraid to die?” We had just watched the movie “After Death” so it was a
natural question to discuss. I responded with “No, are you?” Neither of us is
afraid to die—we just are sad for those we leave behind…unless of course, we
are all raptured together! Since the mid-1970’s and Hal Lindsey’s book, “The
Late Great Planet Earth” I’ve felt that I will still be alive when God call
His followers to Heaven in the rapture. Will that happen soon? Are you ready…or
do you have fears and doubts.
What are you afraid of? Fear of the future?
Fear of the COVID-19 virus or the economic impact that has created? Fear of
being home alone…or just being alone? Fear of what others think of you…or that
you are not good enough? Fear of what tomorrow holds…or doesn’t? Afraid of
taking part in some sport—fear of getting hurt? Fear of fire, storms or icy
roads? Fear that keeps you from falling asleep—a fear that you won’t wake up? Fear
of being abandoned? Fear of not being loved…or not having an
opportunity to love others?
 |
| Fear of...fire, flames, or judgment? |
Consider
God’s perfect love for us.
And
as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the
day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus
here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all
fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we
have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:17-18
How do you feel about death? Are you afraid of
those who could kill you...or are you afraid of death itself? Some people are
just terrified of death. Many elderly sit in nursing or assisted living homes
and tremble at the thought of death and leaving their loved ones behind. Not
me...I am ready—spiritually at least—for Christ to take me to heaven. There is
a lot of stuff I need to get rid of and downsize until that time of home going
arrives. More important, I need to tell a few others about the Good News of
Jesus death for us and His amazing resurrection. For now...I respect God—the creator
of all things—and I have learned to focus on Him, respectfully. Just thinking
of being in Heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—and those who know and
love Him puts a smile on my face. How about you? Are you smiling…or
wondering how you can claim Jesus as your Savior? All—everyone around the world
and throughout all time—have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Trust
Him…repent of your sins…and embrace what He did for you by taking your sins
upon Himself to the cross. He paid your debt. Death has lost its sting. In my
opinion, there is no need to be afraid to die.
Verse of Salvation ~ While Jesus was here on earth, he
offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could
rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence
for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things
he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he
became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. Hebrews
5:7-9
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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