“Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge. I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.’ The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them! Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood or even speak the names of their gods. Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” (Psalm 16)
“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28)
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Many people hold the viewpoint that suffering and death on earth are the worst things that can happen. They even argue that if an all-powerful God of love existed, he would never allow these things to happen, and since they do happen, he must either be cruel and unworthy of our worship or he must not exist at all.
But Scriptures show us the truth, that we are spirits, simply living on earth for a short time in bodies designed to die and decay and return to dust. Every single human being that was ever born has died and everyone knows that they will die, regardless of the manner or method. Whether in our sleep, in a tragic circumstance, by a slow cancer or at the hands of another, we will die.
And we also know from Scripture that death is part of the human journey, leading to the next mysterious phase of our life. Death is the springboard into what is, for many, the unknown; a frightful place for many. But our loving God, through His Living Word, has given us many glimpses into what is next in our journey when we physically die.
And believing Him, we approach our lives and circumstances on earth with confidence that suffering and death cannot hurt us. Suffering on earth may certainly lead to physical death, but physical death is guaranteed anyway. It’s just part of life.
For the Christian, suffering on earth, especially for our faith, is simply drinking from the same cup as our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered for all. This is a heavy truth and one that those who belong to this world cannot understand. We must be made able to understand spiritual truths like this by our Heavenly Father who gives us spiritual ears to hear and eyes to see. We ask the Lord to be the refuge for our eternal SPIRIT. We ask the Lord to keep our SPIRIT safe, to guard us and grant us the joy of His presence and the pleasures of living with Him forever. Knowing our physical body will die, we understand that it is our eternal spirit which hangs in the balance. It is our eternal spirit for which the great spiritual war in heaven is fought.
It is our eternal spirit that our Lord Jesus Christ died for and was raised from the dead to save, thereby conquering the power of death over us who believe. O death, where is your sting?
So, as we hear of suffering and death across this planet in turmoil, we must not be dismayed. Such is life on earth because of sin. Our Lord predicted all of this. He spoke of evil, wickedness and death and told us who is responsible for it all; our enemy Satan. He warned us that wickedness would increase quickly in the last days leading to His return. And He promised to always be with us, right beside us, never leaving us. Believing this, we can be glad and rejoice; experiencing God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand, no matter how badly the earth and its occupants rumble. Father, may your Kingdom come!
Special Operations in the Kingdom of God 