Life's Final Trial: Devotions for Faith, Hope and Assurance seeks to encourage faith, hope and assurance as life's final trial, death, is faced by the Christian. Life's Final Trial provides a brief Scripture meditation, prayer and hymn of praise. Each devotion is linked to audio. You are invited to listen along while you read by clicking the title at the beginning of each selection.
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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
If you have been newly diagnosed with a terminal disease, you may be saying to yourself, “This is the last passage I want to read right now. How can all of this work together for good? Look, I am suffering. I will soon be separated from the people I love. I am dying! Why would you select a passage like this to provide comfort?”
If you have been newly diagnosed with a terminal disease, you may be saying to yourself, “This is the last passage I want to read right now. How can all of this work together for good? Look, I am suffering. I will soon be separated from the people I love. I am dying! Why would you select a passage like this to provide comfort?”
You are faced with a difficult trial, yes, but a trial that God promises to use for your good and for the good of everyone who loves him, “who have been called according to his purpose.” Christians believe that nothing is left to random chance. We believe and affirm God’s providence. Christians believe in God’s most holy, wise, and powerful control over the entire universe, including your specific trial right now. Notice the text says, “In all things God works,” not in some things, but in everything. God is at work in all things and working them out “for the good of those who love him” and “who have been called according to his purpose.” The “good”—that is, the best possible goal for God’s children—is always to glorify him. It is for this reason that God has brought this final trial into your life at this time.
Prayer
O great Triune God of all power, rule, control, and governance, we are humbled by your incomprehensible purposes. Father, I pray for your afflicted servant during this difficult time. Help your servant to rest in you, and help your servant to know that all of this is happening for good—for your good. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Praise
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control,That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
Refrain
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
Refrain
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal;Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord! Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!
Refrain
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain
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Life’s Guide
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)
When people follow medicine as a guide, they are doomed to hopelessness. Medical science can only treat symptoms and stave off the inevitable for a period of time. One day the unavoidable will arrive for everyone—death will come. Medical science is not a guide that can be trusted. Its light is dim, and it leads ultimately to disappointment.
On the other hand, the psalmist says that God’s Word illuminates the way ahead clearly. God’s Word, of course, is found in no other place but the Bible. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” says the Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is God’s Word, because God communicated it to us. The Apostle Peter says that holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit to do so, and it is these words that are written down in the Bible (2 Peter 1:21). God’s Word can guide us because it is infallible—it is a perfect guide for faith, life, and practice. It shows us what life is really about and how we are to live. The Bible is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It leads us moment by moment and provides clear illumination for the pathway ahead. In God’s Word the path is not obscure, dark, and hopeless; it is clear, illumined, and hopeful.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Prayer
O blessed and almighty God, God of guidance and light: Father, I pray for your servant. I pray that you would lead and guide your servant into all truth, comfort, and assurance of the hope found only in Holy Scripture. Illuminate each step of the way and light up the road ahead. Grant, Father, bright meditations on the radiant and glorious New Jerusalem that awaits your servant at the end of this difficult road. I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Praise
Before Thee let my cry come near, O LORD; true to Thy word, teach me. Before Thee let my pleading come; True to Thy promise, rescue me.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Prayer
O blessed and almighty God, God of guidance and light: Father, I pray for your servant. I pray that you would lead and guide your servant into all truth, comfort, and assurance of the hope found only in Holy Scripture. Illuminate each step of the way and light up the road ahead. Grant, Father, bright meditations on the radiant and glorious New Jerusalem that awaits your servant at the end of this difficult road. I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Praise
Before Thee let my cry come near, O LORD; true to Thy word, teach me. Before Thee let my pleading come; True to Thy promise, rescue me.
Since Thou Thy statutes teachest me, O let my lips Thy praise confess. Yea, of Thy word my tongue would sing, For Thy commands are righteousness.
Be ready with Thy hand to help, Because Thy precepts are my choice. I’ve longed for Thy salvation, LORD, And in Thy holy law rejoice.
O let Thine ordinances help; My soul shall live and praise Thee yet. A straying sheep, Thy servant, seek, For Thy commands I ne’er forget.
—Psalm 119X (The Book of Psalms for Singing)
—Psalm 119X (The Book of Psalms for Singing)
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Life’s Faith
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
In his letter, James, Jesus’ brother, says that “every good and perfect gift comes from above,” that is, from God (James 1:17). Jesus Christ is God’s greatest gift to mankind. The familiar verse, John 3:16, says, “God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son into the world.” It was the Father’s desire to send Jesus, his Son, into the world as a gift to mankind.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
In his letter, James, Jesus’ brother, says that “every good and perfect gift comes from above,” that is, from God (James 1:17). Jesus Christ is God’s greatest gift to mankind. The familiar verse, John 3:16, says, “God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son into the world.” It was the Father’s desire to send Jesus, his Son, into the world as a gift to mankind.
There is no fact more clearly attested in human history than the Son of God coming into the world. Two premier Jewish and Roman historians of Jesus’ day, Josephus and Suetonius, mention him in their writings. It is the Bible, however, that testifies to the life of Christ. Luke, the physician, evangelist, and respected historian from Syria in Jesus’ day, wrote his gospel to provide an “orderly” and exacting “account” of Jesus’ life on earth. Luke’s historical record describes what Jesus came to do, so that we may understand, believe, and trust the saving work he did on our behalf.
According to Luke, Jesus was born in Bethlehem under the reigns of Claudius Caesar and Herod the Great. Jesus was supernaturally implanted by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a Jewish virgin named Mary. He was born of her and was without sin. Jesus lived for thirty-three years in the region of Palestine, and during those years he kept every detail of God’s law perfectly. He had to fulfill all the requirements of the Old Testament law system, and he had to be presented to God as a perfect offering without sin.
It is the gracious work of the Father and the Son that saves us. The Father did not have to send his Son into the world, nor did the Son have to come and die in our stead. This grace saves us by faith. Faith is a gift of God as well. It is the instrument that links us to what Jesus did on our behalf many years ago. Faith has three components: knowledge, assent, and trust. You have to know who Jesus was, what he did, and what you are being saved from in order to be saved. You have to give assent to these facts and believe them to be true. Then, you have to trust these facts, and that means basing your entire life upon them. This is the grace that truly saves, because it originates with God and not with us.
Prayer
O Glorious God, author of salvation, praise to your name. Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, your gift to the world. Lord Jesus, thank you for obeying your Father, and being willing to suffer and die an awful death on our behalf. Thank you Holy Spirit for the application of the Father’s grace, salvation, and faith—all free gifts given to us at the cost of your beloved Son. Amen.
Praise
O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown; O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine.
What thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain: mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve thy place; look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace.
What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest Friend, for this, thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end? O make me thine forever; and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.
—“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”
Prayer
O Glorious God, author of salvation, praise to your name. Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, your gift to the world. Lord Jesus, thank you for obeying your Father, and being willing to suffer and die an awful death on our behalf. Thank you Holy Spirit for the application of the Father’s grace, salvation, and faith—all free gifts given to us at the cost of your beloved Son. Amen.
Praise
O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown; O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine.
What thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain: mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve thy place; look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace.
What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest Friend, for this, thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end? O make me thine forever; and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.
—“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”
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Life’s Hope
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
Hope is help in the midst of life’s final trial. You have great hope, for God has said that he will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He has given you the gift of his Son, and he has “chosen” you to be his child. He also has “chosen” you for a purpose, and that is to “make known” the glorious mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” These are stupendous and hopeful words!
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
Hope is help in the midst of life’s final trial. You have great hope, for God has said that he will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He has given you the gift of his Son, and he has “chosen” you to be his child. He also has “chosen” you for a purpose, and that is to “make known” the glorious mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” These are stupendous and hopeful words!
The author of the book of Hebrews says that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Your present hope is that Christ is in you, and this is revealed by your faith in him. If you possess this present hope, then you have power to endure under this present trial. In fact, this present hope will be an anchor for your soul.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:17-18)
Christian hope is both a present reality and a future promise. It is not a vague, “I wish” or “I think,” but it is a firm assurance that what God promises is true. Christian hope is a present power, a sure anchor, and a certainty of greater things to come. Beloved, you possess “the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” (Titus 1:1-2). So fix your “eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Right now you see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, but one day you will come face to face with Jesus. Presently, you know the mystery only in part, by faith, but one day you will know it fully, even as you are fully embraced by Jesus, and this is your hope of glory!
Prayer
Merciful Father, I pray for faith and hope to fill the soul of your servant. Grant, Holy Spirit, great assurance of everlasting life in Christ. Reveal more clearly the present reality of Christ in your servant, and open your servant’s spiritual eyes to the “hope of glory” to come. I pray this in Jesus’ matchless name, amen.
Praise
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, his covenant, his blood support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay.
Refrain
When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found; dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before his throne.
—Edward Mote, “The Solid Rock”
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Life’s Love
Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
The Bible says that Jesus is love, for “God is love.” In 1 Corinthians 13, if you exchange the word love with the name of Jesus, you will possess a portrait of his loving character. Jesus is patient, and he is kind. Jesus does not envy, he does not boast, and he is not proud. Jesus is not rude, nor is he self-seeking. He is not easily angered, and he keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Jesus never fails. Christian, it is this same love that has started to shine forth in your own life, that grows brighter and brighter each and every day. Love is the greatest power that you possess, for it is the very love of Jesus that has been given to you from the Spirit of Christ.
Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
The Bible says that Jesus is love, for “God is love.” In 1 Corinthians 13, if you exchange the word love with the name of Jesus, you will possess a portrait of his loving character. Jesus is patient, and he is kind. Jesus does not envy, he does not boast, and he is not proud. Jesus is not rude, nor is he self-seeking. He is not easily angered, and he keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Jesus never fails. Christian, it is this same love that has started to shine forth in your own life, that grows brighter and brighter each and every day. Love is the greatest power that you possess, for it is the very love of Jesus that has been given to you from the Spirit of Christ.
Jesus’ love outlasts everything. When faith and hope are weak, love will still burn within your heart. One day faith will become sight. “We shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2), and faith will fade away. On that same day, hope will become a reality, and this too will pass away. But love will endure forever and ever throughout all eternity. Our love for Jesus and his love for us begins now, and it will never end, even after we die! It will only become deeper and more intimate. So, when you start to doubt and despair in the midst of this final trail of life, remember the love of Jesus, this same love he has given to you.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
Prayer
O loving Jesus, you are love, and you possess perfect love, and you give love. I pray for your servant. I pray that your servant may know the power of your love during this difficult trial. I pray that your servant’s love may abound more and more in desire for you. I pray that when things may seem dark and hopeless, that your love would prevail in the heart of your servant. Amen.
Praise
Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high: hide me, O my Savior hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last!
Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee; leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me! All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring; cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing.
Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in thee I find; raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind. Just and holy is thy name; I am all unrighteousness; false and full of sin I am, thou art full of truth and grace.
Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within: thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee; spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity.
—Charles Wesley, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul”
Prayer
O loving Jesus, you are love, and you possess perfect love, and you give love. I pray for your servant. I pray that your servant may know the power of your love during this difficult trial. I pray that your servant’s love may abound more and more in desire for you. I pray that when things may seem dark and hopeless, that your love would prevail in the heart of your servant. Amen.
Praise
Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high: hide me, O my Savior hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last!
Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee; leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me! All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring; cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing.
Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in thee I find; raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind. Just and holy is thy name; I am all unrighteousness; false and full of sin I am, thou art full of truth and grace.
Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within: thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee; spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity.
—Charles Wesley, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul”
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Life’s Promise
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Jesus is the foundation, bedrock, and bulwark for all of God’s promises. “And so through him the ‘Amen,’” that is, the “let it be so,” or truly, “is spoken by us to the glory,” or praise, “of God.” Consider this promise of Jesus in the midst of this final trial of your life:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:1-4)
God in his grace through Jesus Christ has granted you faith, hope, and love in this life so that you may embrace the future promises that are mentioned in this passage. The road is coming to an end, and your destination point is just around the corner. It is hard to wrap your mind around what Jesus is saying, but remember the one who is saying it is the basis for all of God’s promises. He says to you even right now, “Trust me.”
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Jesus is the foundation, bedrock, and bulwark for all of God’s promises. “And so through him the ‘Amen,’” that is, the “let it be so,” or truly, “is spoken by us to the glory,” or praise, “of God.” Consider this promise of Jesus in the midst of this final trial of your life:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:1-4)
God in his grace through Jesus Christ has granted you faith, hope, and love in this life so that you may embrace the future promises that are mentioned in this passage. The road is coming to an end, and your destination point is just around the corner. It is hard to wrap your mind around what Jesus is saying, but remember the one who is saying it is the basis for all of God’s promises. He says to you even right now, “Trust me.”
Christian, after this final trial, your soul will go to God’s house in heaven, and at a future date, your body will rise, as a renewed glorified body, and be reunited to your soul. Then, for all eternity you will have eternal rest and peace, both in your body and in your soul. The veritable and trustworthy Jesus, the one in whom all of God’s promises are “yes” and “amen,” promises it. What better guarantee can you have than this?
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57)
Prayer
O the riches of the glory of God! Your ways are past finding out. All of your promises are yes and amen in Jesus. Lord Jesus, thank you for your faithfulness, hope, and love on our behalf. Holy Spirit, thank you for communicating the faith, hope, and love of Christ to us so that we may know, believe, trust, embrace, strive after, and be assured of God’s future promises to come. Grant your servant the ability to meditate deeply on the promises of heaven and the bodily resurrection. Yea, though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Amen.
Praise
Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God; he whose word cannot be broken formed thee for his own abode: on the Rock of Ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose? With salvation’s walls surrounded, thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
See, the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love, well supply thy sons and daughters, and all fear of want remove: who can faint, while such a river ever flows their thirst t’assurage? Grace which, like the Lord, the giver, never fails from age to age.
Round each habitation hov’ring, see the cloud and fire appear for a glory and a cov’ring, showing that the Lord is near: thus deriving from their banner light by night and shade by day, safe they feed upon the manna which he gives them when they pray.
Savior, if of Zion’s city I, through grace, a member am, let the world deride or pity, I will glory in thy name: fading is the worldling’s pleasure, all his boasted pomp and show; solid joys and lasting treasure none but Zion’s children know.
—John Newton, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57)
Prayer
O the riches of the glory of God! Your ways are past finding out. All of your promises are yes and amen in Jesus. Lord Jesus, thank you for your faithfulness, hope, and love on our behalf. Holy Spirit, thank you for communicating the faith, hope, and love of Christ to us so that we may know, believe, trust, embrace, strive after, and be assured of God’s future promises to come. Grant your servant the ability to meditate deeply on the promises of heaven and the bodily resurrection. Yea, though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Amen.
Praise
Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God; he whose word cannot be broken formed thee for his own abode: on the Rock of Ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose? With salvation’s walls surrounded, thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
See, the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love, well supply thy sons and daughters, and all fear of want remove: who can faint, while such a river ever flows their thirst t’assurage? Grace which, like the Lord, the giver, never fails from age to age.
Round each habitation hov’ring, see the cloud and fire appear for a glory and a cov’ring, showing that the Lord is near: thus deriving from their banner light by night and shade by day, safe they feed upon the manna which he gives them when they pray.
Savior, if of Zion’s city I, through grace, a member am, let the world deride or pity, I will glory in thy name: fading is the worldling’s pleasure, all his boasted pomp and show; solid joys and lasting treasure none but Zion’s children know.
—John Newton, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”
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Life’s Fulfillment
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. (John 6:47)
Jesus is life. Speaking to the grieving Martha, whose brother had just died, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).
Jesus is the author of life. Everything that has life has it because Jesus gives it. Christianity is not just one way to life among many; it is the only way to true life, because Jesus is the creator and re-creator of all life. Jesus says, exclusively, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Dear Christian, if you remember anything at all, remember this: you have this life. No matter how fearful and difficult this trial may become, your death opens the door to eternal life.
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. (John 6:47)
Jesus is life. Speaking to the grieving Martha, whose brother had just died, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).
Jesus is the author of life. Everything that has life has it because Jesus gives it. Christianity is not just one way to life among many; it is the only way to true life, because Jesus is the creator and re-creator of all life. Jesus says, exclusively, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Dear Christian, if you remember anything at all, remember this: you have this life. No matter how fearful and difficult this trial may become, your death opens the door to eternal life.
Death cannot destroy the life that Christ has given to you. The life that Jesus gave to you is everlasting; it will never end. You have been delivered from sin and death to righteousness and life. It is a life that begins here and now and is lived according to the Bible, in faith, hope, and love. It is a life that will spring up into eternal and everlasting life that will never end. Death is not death for you; it is the final trial of this life that swings open the door to eternal life.
Then all of this will make sense to you. You will see how God orchestrated his perfect plan for your life on earth. When an artist creates a Persian carpet, he will hang it from a scaffold and work at the carpet from one side. The artist will have his apprentices on the other side of the carpet handing him different colored threads—yellow, red, brown, and black. The artist will stitch the thread in a pattern on the front side of the carpet, but on the back side the apprentices will see only several multicolored threads in a tangled mess. When the carpet is finished, however, the artist will instruct his apprentices to come over to the front side and see the finished product. On the other side of the rug, the pattern is beautiful; all of the yellow, red, brown, and black threads are arranged perfectly. So it will be when you enter eternal life; you will see God’s perfect plan and not a thread of suffering, misery, or pain will be out of place.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears . . . Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:9-12)
Prayer
Most gracious God, glory and praise to your name. Lord Jesus, thank you for everlasting life. I pray for your servant that you will be pleased to grant greater assurance of eternal life, in the midst of this final trial of life on earth. Amen.
Praise
I love the LORD, because He hears my pleading. He’s heeded me; through life I’ll call on Him. The cords of death and Sheol’s terrors bound me; In deep distress I grief and trouble found. Then on the LORD’s name in prayer I called: “You I implore, O LORD, deliver my soul!”
The LORD your God is merciful and righteous; Gracious, the LORD the simple ones preserves. When I was low, to me He gave salvation. Turn back again, my soul, unto your rest, Because the LORD has dealt well with you, Because my helpless soul You rescued from death.
You saved my eyes from tears my feet from stumbling. Before the LORD I’ll walk in lands of life. I have believed and said, “I am afflicted.” I in despair confessed “All men are false!” What shall I render now to the LORD For all his benefits upon me bestowed?
Salvation’s cup I’ll lift up in the LORD’s name, vows to the LORD before his people pay. Observed by Him and precious in the LORD’s sight Appears the death of all His saints each one. O LORD, I am Your servant, Your slave. I am Your handmaid’s son, for You set me free.
To You I’ll bring my off’ring of thanksgiving; With sacrifice I’ll call upon the LORD. I’ll pay the vows I made unto Jehovah before His people all, O may it be! With in His courts the house of the LORD, In midst of you, Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!
—Psalm 116C (The Book of Psalms for Singing)
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears . . . Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:9-12)
Prayer
Most gracious God, glory and praise to your name. Lord Jesus, thank you for everlasting life. I pray for your servant that you will be pleased to grant greater assurance of eternal life, in the midst of this final trial of life on earth. Amen.
Praise
I love the LORD, because He hears my pleading. He’s heeded me; through life I’ll call on Him. The cords of death and Sheol’s terrors bound me; In deep distress I grief and trouble found. Then on the LORD’s name in prayer I called: “You I implore, O LORD, deliver my soul!”
The LORD your God is merciful and righteous; Gracious, the LORD the simple ones preserves. When I was low, to me He gave salvation. Turn back again, my soul, unto your rest, Because the LORD has dealt well with you, Because my helpless soul You rescued from death.
You saved my eyes from tears my feet from stumbling. Before the LORD I’ll walk in lands of life. I have believed and said, “I am afflicted.” I in despair confessed “All men are false!” What shall I render now to the LORD For all his benefits upon me bestowed?
Salvation’s cup I’ll lift up in the LORD’s name, vows to the LORD before his people pay. Observed by Him and precious in the LORD’s sight Appears the death of all His saints each one. O LORD, I am Your servant, Your slave. I am Your handmaid’s son, for You set me free.
To You I’ll bring my off’ring of thanksgiving; With sacrifice I’ll call upon the LORD. I’ll pay the vows I made unto Jehovah before His people all, O may it be! With in His courts the house of the LORD, In midst of you, Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!
—Psalm 116C (The Book of Psalms for Singing)
