![]() So I believe that this verse is the ultimate encouragement for anyone facing the end of their life. He knew what it was to have plenty and also to have lack and loss, because he had experienced it all. The apostle Paul faced beatings, sickness, and even death numerous times in his lifetime. Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Our physical bodies will experience pain, frailty, and discouragement, but when we focus our thoughts on Christ then our spirit is lifted above the hardships and soars into a place of peace and hope. However, even if we have been given a terminal diagnosis, we can set our mind on the Spirit of God, and we will be blessed with an abundant life full of peace. This verse reminds us that looking at the things of this earth and on our flesh will only lead us to death. Our thoughts will either build us up or tear us down. Isn’t it so much more hopeful to know that as children of God we will no longer be judged for our sins, but rather we will pass from death to life? Romans 8:6 “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” But God tells us in this verse that if we hear his word and believe in Jesus, that we will have eternal life. The world will tell us that a terminal disease is a death sentence, and that our lives are over. We can look beyond it to the Scriptures written here that give us hope and encouragement. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”Īs Christians and followers of Christ, we are not restricted by any devastating health report. John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. When we keep our eyes focused on the Lord and his Kingdom, no negative health report can keep us from reaching the blessings God has set for us. Instead, we should follow the author’s advice written a few verses later in this same chapter that says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Worrying will not add a single hour to our lifespan, so we should avoid falling into that trap. However, as Christians we know that fear and anxiety go against everything that the Lord wants for us to experience. Receiving the news about a terminal illness or disease can be both frightening and devastating. Matthew 6:27 “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” We live and exist because of his creative power, and he has a great destiny in mind for us. He saw us from the beginning of time, and he has written all the days of our lives into his book of life. This is a very encouraging passage written by the psalmist David, because it reminds us that it is the Lord who created us, and he has known us from our mother’s womb. Psalm 139: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” He is always with us, and he comforts us with his rod and staff, because he is with us continually, we do not have to be afraid of death or the unknown. No matter what circumstances we face, this verse reminds us of God’s constant presence with us as we walk through the shadow of death. ![]() We will all confront death at some point in our lives-whether it is the loss of a loved one, or our own mortality. Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” ![]() He can also turn things around on our behalf when we cry out to him. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord,” I believe that this is an encouraging word for anyone who has been given a terminal diagnosis, because God can heal any disease. The Lord listened to his prayer, and 2 Kings 20:5 explains that Isaiah was told to “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer I have seen your tears. The good news in this story is that after Hezekiah heard the news, he cried out to the Lord and asked him to save and extend his life. Perhaps because of his faithfulness, the Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to warn him of his impending death. Hezekiah was one of the few good kings of Judah who loved God and served him whole-heartedly. The story of Hezekiah is one of the first recorded in the Bible of an individual being told that he had a short time to live. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die you shall not recover.’” 2 Kings 20:1 “In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death.
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