Proverbs 14:32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

The translations are strikingly different between the NIV and the Japanese in the first half of this verse. Where the NIV says, “When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,” the Japanese says, “The wicked are brought down by their own evil.” Either translation could be backed up by other Scriptures, but it really makes me wonder what the original Hebrew says. However, it’s the second half of the verse that strikes me most, and the translations agree there. The Old Testament is not very consistent in talking about eternal life, tending rather to talk about “the sleep of death” and the like. In that context, this statement is all the more striking. On this side of the cross we are aware that righteousness comes by faith, so this applies to those who are trusting in Jesus Christ, but from any angle, the assertion that “even in their own death the righteous have a refuge” hits pretty hard. Death is a fact of life. Everyone who is born will eventually die, and many spend much of their lives dreading that end. This verse informs us, hundreds of years before Jesus’ resurrection confirmed it, that even death is not to be feared by those who are right with God. That is a treasure beyond price!

As pastor, I have been closely involved with several people at the time of their death, and they have run quite a gamut, both those who were dying and those close to them. Some have gone with great peace, and some with great anxiety. Some families have sent their loved ones off with blessings, and some have scrambled to hang on to the last second, and beyond. There is no question in my mind which is the better course! When thinking about this I of course remember the deaths of my parents, and I consider my own anticipation of my own death. There is no substitute for the assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ! This is something I have tried to convey to others, but with limited success. It should be one of our strongest tools for evangelism! One of my more dramatic successes was with a man who had been hospitalized with cancer, which had been discovered when it was already too late to do anything about it medically. One of his daughters was a Christian, and by her invitation I showed up unannounced in his hospital room one day. I believe it was on my fourth or fifth visit that he acknowledged that he had asked Jesus to be his Savior. His excuses had been swept away! I need God’s wisdom and guidance in getting through to more people with that sort of efficiency! Simply having no fear of my own death isn’t sufficient in itself to bring most people over from death to life while they have the opportunity; I need the power of the Holy Spirit to transmit the cause of my assurance to others.

Father, You know how I have longed to bring more people into Your kingdom, and my heartbreak when I have failed to do so with some before their physical death. I ask You to open my mind and heart to make me fully available and responsive to Your Spirit, so that I may liberate more and more from the chains of death and usher them into Your eternal life, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!