Thought for the week: The Christian faith that brings calm, peace and assurance when faced with the enemy of death
A French nurse was once asked if she would attend to the medical needs of a man who was so ill that he was not expected to live much longer.
In responding to the request she asked: “Is the man a Christian?” “Yes” - was the reply. “He is a very sincere and earnest Christian, but why do you ask?”
This was her answer: “I was the nurse who attended Voltaire, the atheist, in his last illness, and not for all the wealth in Europe would I want to see another infidel die and go out into eternity”.
Voltaire had died in terror and with screams of horror. It had been an awful experience, and that young woman knew she would never forget it. Such, was the death of one who denied the Bible, scoffed at the Gospel, and rejected the Lord Jesus as his Saviour.
The fear of death is something very real. Death is the king of terrors and the terror of Kings. The mere thought of it often causes many to shudder with fear. Take time today to face up to this issue, and ask yourself the important question, are you one who is afraid of dying? If you are then I want to assure you that you do not need to be, because it is something that you can be delivered from.
The Old Testament false prophet Balaam declared: "Let me die the death of the righteous, let my last end be like his!" (Numbers 23:10). Balaam had recognised something very important and that is that not everyone’s death is the same. He had discerned that there is a great difference between the death of the person who is saved, and the death of the person who is not saved. What is it that makes a difference?
One fact is that the death of the Christian is marked by peace; they die without fear. God gives them what is sometimes called "dying grace". In the Old Testament book of Hebrews, we are told that Jesus Christ is able to “deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15).
If your faith is in Christ alone for Salvation, then at the end of your life you will be able to say with the Psalmist - “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4). When a saved person comes to face the last great enemy of death they do so calmly, with peace and assurance. Because they know it is well with their soul, and that they are going to Heaven to be with Christ for all eternity. Is this how you will die?