Sand Mountain Sermonette 73
Psalm 116:15; John 3:16-17
The Ring
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.”
Psalm 116:15
As I write this devotional we are in the midst of the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons; times in which individuals and families prepare for sacred and joyous get-togethers. For some however, this is the first holiday season without their loved; the one who has preceded them in death. For others, it is yet another year in which they are grieving the loss of a loved one. I know as a pastor now of thirty-one plus years, this time of the year often finds the hospitals overflowing with folks in need of care and whose care rendered is often the result of stress, loneliness, and grief.
The author of Psalm 116 was going though something in his life so tumultuous that he thought he would physically die in the process and yet God, speaking to his heart, reminded him of His faithfulness and deliverance. And, in context of this psalm, we see our psalmist declaring, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (King James Version). The word translated “precious” as used here does not mean desirable but of something most valuable to the Lord!
Dear reader, are your dreading the holidays for any reason and/or because you are grieving? If you are, I invite you to look upward to God in your heart and in your spirit for He understands your pain and your grief and He will make a way to living His water in the barren desert you may now find yourself living.
When I was sixteen, my mom surprised me with a simulated gold finger ring housing an “L” (for “Louie”) set against a black stone. I still have this ring. Christian, you are marked for resurrection through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ! “Precious” is your life, death, and your life to come in the sight of God. And non-Christian, Jesus loves you, too! You are so very precious to Him! Will you receive Him Into your heart, today (John 3:16-17).
Pastor Louie