Daily Devotional

There was a time in my life when I thought I was surrounded by death:
 

• My father died young, one of many in his family.

• I was in a war zone at the age of twenty.

• Four of our babies died in miscarriages.

• As a new pastor, I was asked by the family to make the decision regarding “pulling the plug” on a dying church member.

• Over five decades of ministry I have participated in a myriad of death-bed prayers and graveside memorial services.

 
Facing death’s realities has brought many times of reflection on my own death. On my grave-marker should be two birthdays: the day I have celebrated since I was a child and the day I discovered was my real date of birth. (I was in my forties). I like to tease that if I died on the international dateline, my gravestone would have four dates. Then there would be that ubiquitous dash between those dates—my whole life story reduced to a grammatical tick.

Actually, I should have added a third birthday—my spiritual birthday—the day I trusted in Christ and was “born-again.” (John 3:3). That also means I would add a third date of death—my spiritual death:
 
Colossians 3:3 “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
 
Yes, there was a time in my life when I thought I was surrounded by death. Now I am surrounded by life.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation