G – GEMS FROM PSALMS – 7
This lesson is not meant to be
sad or discouraging. Rather it should be
uplifting and a real encouragement to those in Christ. Ps.
116:15 Those in Christ are precious
in the sight of the Lord. God created
us, loves us, and wants fellowship with us.
God came down and walked with His human creation but later He could no
longer walk with them for they sinned.
Scripture tells us that we are
made of dust. Gen.3:19 This is the way
God created man in the beginning. Job
realized this and added the fact that if God so desired, He could gather
together His spirit and His breath and return all men back into dust. Job
34:14,15 (This is what makes us
alive. Gen.2:7; Job 33:4 The breath of the Almighty gives me life.)
How important it is to realize
that kings, rich men, presidents, professors, preachers, as well as the poor,
lame, uneducated—whatever circumstance—all will die and return to dust unless
Jesus comes first. Eccl.3:20 Death is a great
equalizer. Our significance is small
indeed, except that which is achieved through Jesus to the glory of God. Ps.89:48 Job reminds us that we came into this
world with nothing and we will leave this world with nothing. We can take neither riches nor possessions
with us. Job 19:25-27
The flimsiness of life is given
with several word pictures. We are as
grass and flowers that wither and die. 1 Pet.1:24,25; Ps.90:5,6 We are like a shadow that is fleeting
and then goes away. Job 14:1,2 Job also
explains death as man lies down and does
not rise until the heavens are no longer…Job.14:10-12 This would be
until the end of the world.
Man at his best is a mere breath.
Ps.39:5
Even though our life is just a
wisp, great hope can be obtained in the Lord.
Ps.73:25 What a great question! Whom
have I in heaven but you? David’s
desire was for the Lord and not for anything on earth. Ps.73:26,28 This desire dispels the longing for
riches. Our lives are sometimes filled
with earthly desires and the need of material things. Our spiritual downfall could be found in
these things. 1 Tim.6:9 The
mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life
and peace. Rom.8:6
We are given hope by our
choices. This was true with the
Israelites. Deut.30:19,20 Even though
death occurs, the believer’s hope is not lost.
Ps.146:4.5 Our human body has been of the earth,
but we will have a heavenly body. 1 Cor.15:49 Many things we do not understand and
cannot explain but we trust in His promises, that they will come to pass. Jhn.14:2,3 This is all beyond our imagination. 1
Cor.2:9
With the coming of Jesus, death
has been abolished and life and immortality has been brought through the
gospel. 2 Tim.1:10 Our choice must
be righteousness for therein is life. Prov.12:28
Death has been swallowed up in
victory. 1 Cor.15:54
There is no victory without Jesus and His resurrection. 1
Cor.15:17 Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life…We
must come to Him. Jhn.11:25,26 Do you believe this?
Our real citizenship is no longer
on this earth. It is in heaven. Phil.3:20,21 Even though we live in the world, we are
foreigners. Those around us do not
understand the things of the Spirit. Job 32:8; 1 Cor.2:14 Today we have many living around us that
are from varied cultures. They speak a
different language. They sometimes dress
differently. Their interests are
different. This is the way with a
Christian. We are aliens. We don’t speak or dress as the world. Our interest is in the spiritual things of life. We
are getting ready for our new home.
The Old and the New Testaments
speak of the hereafter. Isa.25:8
He will swallow up death for
all time…Tears will be wiped away from our eyes. Isa.26:19 Those in the dust will arise and shout
for joy and the earth will give birth to
the departed spirits. Dan.12:2
Daniel gives us the price of a wrong choice. …But
the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Our choices in this life will regulate
our eternal destiny.
More detailed descriptions are given
in the N.T. 1 Thess.4:16-18 What a
promise for the future! And so we shall always be with the
Lord. We don’t know a lot of the
details. If God wanted us to know, He
would have been more specific. It isn’t
for us to imagine to the extent of creating false assumptions. We do know that we must be ready from this
hour on. Those that have no hope because
they have not followed Christ in belief and obedience will be grieving. 1
Thess.4:13 Jesus gives us another
word-picture in Matt.25:31-33 This is the grand separation of
righteous from unrighteous or of those who have followed Christ or not.
An expression that proves true
is: A person that accepts salvation is
born twice but dies once. The person
that does not accept salvation but goes his own way is born once but dies
twice. We determine which we want. Rev.20:15 We certainly would want our name written
in the book of life. Only we can
act. The way has already been made. Jhn.14:6
Death is a precious thing for one
that is in the Lord for that one is
precious in the sight of the Lord. Ps.116:15 May this give us great comfort as we
realize that our times are in His
hands. Ps.31:15
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