Today’s Reading Joshua 18-21, Psalm 15, Luke 23
This week as we remember, recognize, reflect, and celebrate the Lord and everything that happened this Holy Week, a portion of today’s readings focused on death. This led me to think about what happens when we die. I know this sounds pretty scary, morbid, or even a bit weird, but because of Adam and Eve and the choice to sin, every person ever since will eventually sin and die. But wait…
Psalm 39:11 says Surely every man is a vapor. So as the gray hair comes in, the wrinkles become more prominent, and the body can hurt from almost anything to nothing. I’m reminded how our time passes with lightning speed. Unfortunately, this truth sadly includes the unforeseen events we have experienced with friends and family who have gone before us. We are on this earth briefly, so we must diligently live wisely and well.
The beginning of Romans says, “For the wages of sin is death….”
What happens to people after death depends on the choices we make while we are alive. Those who don’t need God or those who decide they do. The end of Romans gives us all hope from eternal death in hell. Romans 6:23 says, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus came over 2,000 years ago to die for the forgiveness of our sins. All we have to do to receive life in Heaven forever is believe that Jesus chose this Holy Week to die for us and that we choose to follow Him. Even the criminal that was crucified next to Jesus was granted this gift in the last hours of his life.
Luke 23 ends with the death of Jesus and being buried. I’m thankful for this week. We get to celebrate what happens next. We all will one day die. I pray for many things to happen for myself and my family before this, but if I were to pray for one thing, it would be for us each to know our Lord so that in the day, whenever it may be, we will live eternally with Him in paradise.
Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. Luke 23:43