Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful servants.
Psalm 116:15 NIV
Precious In The Sight of the Lord
In 2023, around 85,000 people in Canada died from cancer, making it by far the leading cause of death in the country. In comparison, an estimated 58,000 people died from diseases of the heart, while 21,000 died from accidents. In 2023, the death rate for diabetes mellitus was 18.1 per 100,000 population, making it the seventh leading cause of death. Diabetes is a growing problem in Canada, with around eight percent of the population diagnosed with the disease as of 2023.
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It is said that there are only two things common to every human being, no matter where they live – death and taxes. We love to talk about taxes and complain about them being too high – I’m sure that’s common to every culture. At the same time, we don’t talk about death. It is a certainty for every one of us, until Jesus comes, but we think if we don’t talk about it, if we don’t even think about it, maybe, just maybe we can escape it. I’ve been in pastoral ministry long enough to have participated in many funerals, and I’ve pretty much seen it all, from a mother with no hope flinging herself on the top of the casket – it was heartbreaking – to Gospel balloons, filled with the message of Jesus’ love, being released at the graveside of a faithful follower of Jesus who wanted the people who find the balloons to know how much He loves them. The assurance of eternal life for the followers of Jesus carries us into eternity, and our loved ones through our passing. No wonder Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.”
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley