“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants.” Psalm 116:15
This verse was roaming throughout my thoughts yesterday and as this last Saturday in 2023 draws to a close it seemed like a good topic to dwell upon today as it touches lives in Haiti and also in the lives of Trinity HOPE donors.
Our Heavenly Father holds the lives of His saints very dearly within His care. He hears our prayers, is with each of us in times of sorrow and celebration; He is always there with us. His saints will not die prematurely; they shall be immortal till their work is done; and when their time shall come to die, then their deaths shall be precious.
This young child from Caredeux is precious to our Heavenly Father; He watches over them in the heat of the night, causes their beads of sweat in the stillness of night to turn into rivers of cool water, He sustains the beating of their hearts, and receives their souls. All of His children are so very precious to Him.
The deathbeds of saints are very precious to the church. This child 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 our Heavenly Father, who views the victorious deaths of His children with sacred delight. If we have walked before Him in the land of the living, proclaiming the Holy Gospel from His Son, we need not fear to die before Him when the hour of our departure is at hand. Thank you for helping to prepare His children to bring the message of Salvation to Haiti during this past year. I close today with the words to verse 6 of the hymn ‘Awake, my soul and with the sun’ that was written by Thomas Ken in 1695.
“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Him, all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye heavenly host: praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, 8not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay