“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” Hebrews 11:13
What a beautiful statement regarding all those saints who fell asleep before the coming of our Lord Jesus. It really doesn't matter how they died, where they died or when they died but the most important thing they had in common was that they all "were still living by faith when they died." Our Heavenly Father wants you, me, these children from Haiti and all people on this earth to be living by faith when we breathe our last. He sent His only Son to come into this world to seek and save the lost.
Believers in Christ should not die while resting in a recliner or basking in the glow of our earthly accomplishments, but firmly holding to our faith in our risen Savior. The followers of Christ in Hebrews 11 understood that it is as precious to die by faith as it is to live by faith. These children living in Haiti are learning more about their Savior every day and are enjoying their daily meal. For many of them, their ancestors practiced vodou and probably denied Christ and did not receive the same promises of Eternal Glory in Heaven as these young saints are waiting for in the coming days. These young children are confident of their acceptance by God, daily enjoying the rays of His love and resting in His faithfulness to the very end. I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Savior of the nations, come’ that was written by Martin Luther in 1524.
“Savior of the nations, come, virgin's Son, make here Thy home! Marvel now, O heaven and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth. Not by human flesh and blood, by the Spirit of our God, was the Word of God made flesh; woman's Offspring, pure and fresh. Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child of the Virgin undefiled! Though by all the world disowned, still to be in heaven enthroned. From the Father forth He came and returneth to the same, captive leading death and hell; high the song of triumph swell! Thou, the Father's only Son, hast o'er sin the victory won. Boundless shall Thy kingdom be; when shall we its glories see? Brightly doth Thy manger shine, glorious is its light divine. Let not sin o'ercloud this light; ever be our faith thus bright. Praise to God the Father sing, praise to God the Son, our King, praise to God the Spirit be ever and eternally.”
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, not 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