I have been many times over confronted with the failing of my physical body unto death, and have of late simply responded with, "Let me not be afraid." I trust him for this, and the moment passes. Sometimes it persists, and I am directed to entrust myself to him as the one who holds this flesh, a kingdom resource for the glory of his name. I said the other night, "hold everything together," which was actually really comforting, since it reminded me that he holds EVERYTHING together; what's my body? I'm usually comforted by the fact that this is his life which he will lay down at the right time that his name be praised, and not in the middle of the night for no purpose, but tonight this went far deeper.
Tonight, when I said, "Lord keep this your body for the glory of your name," thinking, "for the right time," he changed that into something beautiful. I had relied on him before to put off the immediacy of the threat against my physical life. He changed this fashion of my trust in him, into the expectation of his pleasure in my death, at any time. He will be glorified in me, whether by life or by death. Precious in the sight of God is the death of his saints. My life has been purchased by and is subject to the rule of Christ, so that as with his own life, He lays down this life, and He raises it again, to the praise of the glory of his grace. My death is pleasing to the Father because he has chosen it as a real ingredient in the exaltation of the name of Christ.
It pleased God to offer His son, that we might value, and praise, and treasure his son infinitely for the great mercy he effected in the shedding of his own blood, this mercy which is the turning away of the wrath of God we had stored up against ourselves, by not infinitely treasuring God, and making us alive together with him, sharing his very nature. He died so that God might be praised for forgiving sins, rather than slandered as an unjust judge, as one might decry any judge that simply passes over murders and the like. This is good news for us because we can receive that grace, that our death may bring praise to God for his great mercy when we are raised with Christ!
Jesus said, "Whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."
MY question to anyone reading this is as follows:
Will your death result in praise for the name of Christ?
