Shadows are not scary

My father in law is in grave and critical condition and yesterday was placed in a hospice and the doctor has made it clear to the family that the end is very near. He has lived a good long life and now it is coming to a conclusion. I have known him close to forty years and can say without hesitation that he is a good man who loves his family very much. I thank him not only for fathering my wife and mother of my children and for working very hard to provide a decent living for her and the rest of their family, but also for being a loving father who helped to shape her character into the good loving person that she is. Soon he will be joining the Lord and an entire new beginning. Life will never be the same for sure.

Many people are overwhelmed with sadness when someone dies; however I am never in that crowd unless it is evident that the deceased is not a Christian. Yes I will miss him and experience sadness and shed some tears for sure, but I realize that I will see him again when it is my turn to shut my eyes for the last time on this earth. When I open them in the next life I will be greeted by Jesus Christ, surrounded by angels and an angelic choir, and I will see beauty that I cannot imagine. I will see him and others who have gone on before him and the glorious celebration that ensues will be something I tell you. The Bible tells us that “eye has not seen, nor has ear ever heard” the wonderful things that await those who love the Lord. When one truly believes the Bible and understands all that the Lord has promised to His children, death should be looked upon as something to celebrate to a Christian.

Unfortunately it is a sentence of everlasting separation from God and eternal darkness to those who have not accepted Christ as their Savior. That is definitely a tragedy and is reason to be sad. I was talking to a friend just yesterday who told me about his nephew who last weekend suddenly died at the young age of 39 leaving a wife and children, ages 4, 6, and 8. Unfortunately my friend has shared with me in the past that he is not particularly “religious” and has not been receptive and is quick to change the subject when I try to discuss it or witness to him. Understandably he is having a very difficult time coping with this tragedy. Non-Christians as a rule do not have a very positive view of death and beyond death. He has hired a psychiatrist to come in and counsel the family. I wish him the best with it, but what the family needs is Jesus Christ and not a secular psychiatrist who if he is like most psychiatrists that I have met, probably needs to see one himself.

The Bible assures us that God will draw close to us in times of sorrow. It states that Jesus Christ stands at the door of our hearts and knocks, and awaits our invitation for Him to come into our lives. He alone is capable of providing comfort to us in a meaningful way, but He has given us a free spirit to determine for ourselves whether or not we want His love and will accept Him as our Savior. The Bible tells us that the righteous cry out and the Lord hears and delivers them out of their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart. Jesus Christ destroyed death when He willingly gave His life for ours and because of His great sacrifice; we shall be raised up to be with the Lord.

The Bible states that one day we, (as Christians), will walk “through the valley of the shadow of death”. We have all heard this chapter in Psalm 23. Did you ever stop and think about why God referred to death as a “shadow” in this verse? Take a moment here to give this some deep thought

A shadow is surrounded by light on all sides and the darkness is behind us. The Bible tells us God is light. This means as we walk through death towards God our path is going to be brilliantly lit and illuminated by God’s holy presence as we leave death’s shadow behind us and walk into eternal glory where God’s presence lights up all of heaven and shadows do not exist.

Now think about this for a moment. There can be no shadow in the absence of light; only total darkness. Therefore we know from the Bible that in the absence of the Lord there can be no light. Hmmm death is no longer just a fleeting shadow, it is eternal. In this world, darkness is everything and souls will be totally saturated with it. Think about being surrounded in darkness and being all alone Forever

This is a description of Hell and there will be no walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Those who choose this path with their free spirit will face eternal darkness, and loneliness just as the Bible refers to it. Those who choose Jesus will never see darkness and death will be defeated for all of time.

Choose your path wisely because we never know when our end will suddenly descend upon us

Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of
the Lord
Forever.