Lord, You know that as a child I memorized John 3:16 in Sunday School. It is probably the most widely known and quoted verse in all of Scripture. Little children to very old saints can quote it verbatim without error. I remember understanding the first part because we celebrated Christmas and my dad would read the “Christmas” story from the gospel of Luke. I did not understand the, “should not perish but have everlasting life” part. First, I didn’t understand the word “perish”. But even after it was explained to me that it meant “die”, I was very confused. Second, we had loved ones who had died and we knew folks in our church who had died. Even the people we read about in the Bible stories were all dead. David, Samuel, Solomon, the prophets, and even Mary and Joseph were all dead, but they had believed. I remember being terrified that when I died I would be awake somehow in the casket under the ground without a way to get out and being all alone.
I did not understand what my soul was even in my early twenties after I was saved for about a year. All of that time, I knew the words but did not understand the concepts. Now I know that my body is simply a vessel that houses my soul…all that I am, think and feel. That part of me will never “perish” or die. When I close my earthly eyes in the natural death of the body, I will be in Heaven in the presence of You and the Father forever. The wonderful thing is that I am living my eternal life NOW, this moment! Hallelujah! Talk about the ultimate Christmas gift! There are no words to describe my thankfulness, Lord. The fear of death is gone from my life. I must admit that the dying process still is a bit scary, but I know that You will be with me even then and will give me dying grace when I need it. Hallelujah! AMEN!
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