The Death of a Saint

Psalm 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."

It's been one year today since this dear old man went Home.  When I open the Bible that he gave me, I am brought to tears nearly every time as his scent still lingers there.  As I play his record, his song still sings over me just as it has since I was a brand new baby.  I still find his notes and long for his call to check in.  His memory seems to be everywhere I turn and my heart aches as I adjust to his earthly dwelling having passed.

But this death that I grieve...
                              the Lord sees as precious.

Precious is the one who falls asleep in Jesus (1 Thes. 4:13). 

Precious is one who believes he will be raised up on the last day (John 6:40). 

Precious is the one who did not waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God (Rom. 4:20-22). 

Precious is the one who was not ashamed of the gospel and who knew the power of God to save everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). 

Precious is the one who let his light shine before men by living a generous life (Matt. 5:16). 

Precious is the one who freely gave because by grace he freely received (Matt. 10:8). 

Precious is the one who, in his weakness, went to Jesus to find rest for his soul (Matt. 11:28). 

Precious is the one whose testimony was Christ - who used his life to proclaim Jesus, even while facing death (1 John 2:2, 6).

So in this grieving, I will give thanks for I am confident that because of Christ, death does not have the victory or the final say.   I will give thanks for a life who put others above self and Christ above all else.

As we grieve those who have gone before us, may we rejoice in the work of Christ in their lives.  May it spur us on to faithfully run the race ahead of us, knowing our reward is beyond all this earth can hold.  May we find confidence and strength in the only Name that saves: Jesus.  May we live our lives in such a way that our death would be precious in the sight of the Lord.  Though our flesh may ache and grieve, may our souls be comforted in the promise of being reunited and, more importantly, of salvation to all who believe.

"I'd rather be in a deep, dark grave and know that my poor soul was saved, than to live in this world in a house of gold, deny my God and doom my soul.  What good is gold and silver too if your heart's not good and true. Sinner hear me when I say, fall down on your knees and pray."

Beautifully Broken Offering

There was Jesus. 

There was a woman.

She gave him all she had, broke it right there in His presence.

 

“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard.  She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head…” 

Mark 14:3

There was Jesus.

There was a woman.

He received her offering, and he called it beautiful.

“She has done a beautiful thing to me.”  Mark 14:6

Her offering anointed him for the grave. 

Her offering rose as a fragrance to an Almighty God - a God who would choose a woman like us as frail, broken, human beings to anoint the Savior of the World. 

            Our brokenness literally put Christ in the grave. 
            Our offering our full selves is what made His death a beautiful thing.
            A death that He overcame. 

There needs to come a time when we do give up, when we call it quits to our own striving and our own doing and go running to our Father.  Because He has the answer, He sent the Answer.  For our arms to reach out and admit that we are such a mess, that we have fallen so far from all we are meant to be, that we’re undone and the unsaid is lingering too long. 

To know that when we pour ourselves out as a fragrant offering, no matter how broken or wrong or messed up we feel, we will be called beautiful.  The Savior sees, He knows, He has walked the same dirt-filled, sin-ridden streets we have walked, yet was without sin.  He is not far from our pain, our suffering, our grief, our shame, our death-like grave…

No, he is right there close and he wants you to come as you are. 

Broken.  Scared.  Wrecked.  Shamed.  Undone.

              At times it’s all we can do to just break before Him. 

              And it’s all that needs done because by His wounds it is finished.

 

“She did what she could.  She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.”  Mark 14:8

There was Jesus.

There was a woman.

Grace was poured out from His very self as she poured out what she had to offer. 

               Grace from simple spoken words: She did what she could.

For this we are filled with gratitude and thanksgiving because there are no requirements for this relationship.  Our Father loves us for no good thing we have done, but for the solid Truth that for us, He sent his One and Only Son. 

He welcomes us to come and pour out ourselves – all that we are, all that we hide, all the places we feel we fall short and don’t measure up – and measure them against the cross.  The cross that absolutely covers all that we could possibly get wrong in our humanness.  The cross that held the Sacrifice so we could set aside ourselves and be free to receive His freedom gift. 

There’s this constant aching in our knees to bow to lower ourselves, and it’s the only posture in which we get it:  the magnitude of the weight that was carried for our sake.  When we come to the end of ourselves and cry out, the arms that stretched across the cross reach out in our despair and pull us up out.

Our debt is paid.

His shoulders are bigger than any burden we have or share. 

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” 

2 Corinthians 4:8-11

 “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.   Selah.” 

Psalm 68:19

We need to know that we can go to Him.  No matter what. 

There is no shame, there is no guilt, but only grace.

“I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.”  John 6:47