Thursday, September 1 – Psalm 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord

Is the death of His godly ones.

For many of us, the thought of death brings about a lot of feelings, but “rest” or “precious” are likely not words that come to mind. For many, the thought stirs up anxiety and grief that cuts to the core. We have many questions and fears. It is hard to resolve this passage where God could call the death of His godly ones precious. Charles Spurgeon preached on this passage and noted:

Those who are redeemed with precious blood are so dear to God that even their deaths are precious to him. The death-beds of saints are very precious to the church, she often learns much from them; they are very precious to all believers, who delight to treasure up the last words of the departed; but they are most of all precious to the Lord Jehovah himself, who views the triumphant deaths of his gracious ones with sacred delight. If we have walked before him in the land of the living, we need not fear to die before him when the hour of our departure is at hand.[1]

For people who have no relationship with Jesus, the thought of death should provoke fear and anxiety but for followers of Jesus, there is a greater hope. Your life and your time on this earth are precious to God. You are valuable to Him in life and death. You have an eternal hope that goes beyond the grave because of your Savior who has gone before you. When fears of death and profound grief strike, hold onto the anchor of hope instead of looking at the wind and the waves. He is with you at every step and in every moment. Even a moment as final as death is not a step you take without Him (Romans 8:38-39). You can rest in Him in the average moments of life and in your final hours. His rest is for more than just today; it is tied to the eternal hope we have in Him.

• What are some feelings that come to mind when you think about death? How can you trust God with those feelings and emotions?
• Who in your life needs to know about this hope that goes beyond the grave? How can you pray for and share with them today?
• Pray and ask God that He would truly help you rest in Him in matters of life and death. Ask Him to show you who you need to share this hope with.

[1] Charles Spurgeon, “Psalm 116,” Blue Letter Bible, December 5, 2016, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/tod/ps116.cfm.