“Whether…the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours“– 1 Corinthians 3:22

What a strange thing to say. How can Paul claim with a straight face that everything—even death—has been given to God’s people and belongs to them?

It certainly does not feel as though the world belongs to us, that our present life is completely under our control, or that the future is ours for the taking. Least of all, death does not ever feel to be mastered or owned or tamed; more than anything else, death reminds us of just how frail we are and what little power we have over our surroundings.

And yet Paul claims that they are all yours, if you are Christ’s (3:23). Even death has been made a servant to the people of God. How can this be?

The truth is that we, in ourselves, do not have autonomous control over our life or our death; but the truth is also that Christ has—through His death and resurrection—brought even our greatest enemies into subjection and made them to serve us for our good.

Death, for instance, has been subdued; instead of acting as the jaws of fate to consume us, it has now become the door.. to renew us. Whereas death was once to be greatly feared, as the result of sin entering into the world, it is now made an occasion for rejoicing, as the vehicle that brings us into the presence and likeness of Christ.

Life, through Christ, is yours, dear believer. And, yes, even death is yours, to serve you for your good and for God’s glory. Rejoice today, then, in the possessions that are yours in Christ.(Copied)

“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night.“Psalm 91:5

What is this terror? It may be the cry of fire, or the noise of thieves, or fancied appearances, or the shriek of sudden sickness or death. We live in the world of death and sorrow, we may therefore look for ills as well in the night-watches as beneath the glare of the broiling sun. Nor should this alarm us, for be the terror what it may, the promise is that the believer shall not be afraid. Why should he? Let us put it more closely, why should we? God our Father is here, and will be here all through the lonely hours; he is an almighty Watcher, a sleepless Guardian, a faithful Friend. Nothing can happen without his direction, for even hell itself is under his control. Darkness is not dark to him. He has promised to be a wall of fire around his people–and who can break through such a barrier? Worldlings may well be afraid, for they have an angry God above them, a guilty conscience within them, and a yawning hell beneath them; but we who rest in Jesus are saved from all these through rich mercy. If we give way to foolish fear we shall dishonour our profession, and lead others to doubt the reality of godliness. We ought to be afraid of being afraid, lest we should vex the Holy Spirit by foolish distrust. Down, then, ye dismal forebodings and groundless apprehensions, God has not forgotten to be gracious, nor shut up his tender mercies; it may be night in the soul, but there need be no terror, for the God of love changes not. Children of light may walk in darkness, but they are not therefore cast away, nay, they are now enabled to prove their adoption by trusting in their heavenly Father as hypocrites cannot do.–Charles Spurgeon

“Though the night be dark and dreary,
Darkness cannot hide from thee;
Thou art he, who, never weary,
Watchest where thy people be.”

One of the worst and most common problems among Christians is that of being content with things as they are when things are not as they should be. For that reason they have a hard time understanding or appreciating these words by J. R. Miller:

I believe it was Lincoln who responded to an inquiry about his worried look by explaining, “I’m in a hurry and God isn’t”. We need to remember that. For the Christian the best is yet to come, but until then we need to wait patiently for the Lord to give us that which we have been longing for. It will be worth the wait!