Thursday, September 17, 2026

Scripture

“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Reflections

Life and death.  To a Christian, both are good.

We've been given a life filled with opportunity.  We can be about the work of Christ and his kingdom, seeing good things happen.  We can watch God bring about life and healing to where there was nothing but death and destruction.  When we live loving lives, we know that our time is not being wasted.  Life is not just drudgery.

At the same time, we know that life is not always easy.  Think about the Apostle Paul and the life he lived.  He faced one hardship after another.  It was discouraging to him on occasion.  There were setbacks.  Even so, he knew there was no better way to live.  He had joined Jesus on his mission of restoring God's broken creation.  To a Christian, life may not be easy, but it is good.

To a believer, death is also good.  The process of dying may be difficult and painful, but the outcome is good; eternity with God.  Mourning and crying and pain will be no more.  Death is the doorway to eternity with our inexhaustibly loving God.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

We do well to remember that both life and death are good, no matter what our current hardships may be.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your kingdom in this life and the promise of being in your presence after death.  Keep my mind focused on the goodness of your kingdom, both now and forever.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Full Reading: Philippians 1:21-30