Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Your perfect love is casting out fear. —Matt Redman, “Oh, Lord You Never Let Go
God’s Word makes it really clear that our bodies are temporary. If you believe the prognosis given to you by the Great Physician, it will not only change your perspective on physical death and the fact that it is unavoidable, but it will change your life now. There is a very tangible sense of peace that comes with aligning your beliefs with what is true about the death and resurrection of your body.
Why not live fearlessly? Why not live with focus? Why not live with fervor?
If you only have one earthly life to live, why not take calculated risks? Why not push the envelope of your comfort zone and allow Christ to live through you and lead you into worthwhile and demanding new endeavors? We can be sure that God will be with us and support us:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me…. (Psalm 23:4, NASB)
Benjamin Franklin lived without fear and he lived boldly for the things in which he believed. He was a great writer, but few words of his (or anyone else’s, for that matter) are as powerful as the words that he wrote for his tombstone. Knowing these would be his last words left for the world to read long after he was gone, he wrote:
The body of Benjamin Franklin, its innards torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding like the cover of an old book, lies here. Yet the work itself shall not be lost. But it will, as he believed, appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition corrected and amended by the Author.
Mr. Franklin is a prime example of living in the shadow of death. “What’s the worst that can happen to you? You will die. What’s the best that can happen to you? You will die!”
What do you want written on your tombstone?
Loving Father, I want to use the short time I have to do what You plan for me! As I start to look outward for ways for You to live through me, give me Your eyes so I can see where I’m meant to be. Amen.