Sickness Can Draw You and Others Closer to God, if You Let It – Here’s HowНамуна

And if Sickness Leads to Death? Still We Praise God!

Yes, in almost every instance, we pray for healing, and we hope for recovery.

Sometimes, however, despite all the faith, medicine, and miracles we can hope for, the sickness still ends in death.

Praise be to our Creator – because for the Christian, that’s not defeat; it’s our invitation to join Him. In heaven. Forever.

It’s our graduation, our homecoming, to where we belong. Eternity with our King.

The apostle Paul wrote this astonishing line from prison:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” – Philippians 1:21 NIV

He wasn’t being poetic. He truly believed that death meant more of Christ – not less. In fact, he went on to say this:

“I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;” – Philippians 1:23b NIV

Better, he says. Better by far.

This is the ultimate way sickness draws us closer to God: if it leads to death, it draws us all the way home.

And nothing could be closer to God or more perfect than that.

As Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

“We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven… Therefore we are always confident and know that… [we] would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” – 2 Corinthians 5:1,6,8 NIV

For believers, death isn’t an exit into the unknown. It’s an entrance into presence.

This perspective completely changes how we face illness. We don’t pretend it’s easy. Jesus Himself, when facing death, wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35) and prayed in anguish in Gethsemane (Luke 22:44). But He also looked beyond it, with these words:

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” – Luke 23:46 NIV

Faith doesn't deny the pain of dying. It just sees beyond it.

My Mom and the Power of Prayer

Some years ago, my mom also faced a chronic condition, but one that left her on oxygen with a slow decline to the inevitable. As my wife and I flew up to visit her, we ended our time asking her how we might pray for her. Her response surprised us.

My mom asked if we might pray that she could die soon and suddenly. More specifically, she asked us to pray that she would have a heart attack leading to death in the coming days. As a condition to accepting her request, I looked over at my father, her husband of 50+ years – was this okay? Shall we really pray for this?

My father gave a quiet nod, and we prayed for my mother to be taken, to die quickly and with a heart attack as she wished. The next day, as we were home again and dining with friends, my father called in the late evening to report that my mom had passed away peacefully beside her bed as she was getting ready to sleep. God had granted her request, and she received the eternal peace she was waiting for.

In his time, Jesus healed many people but raised only 3 back to life. Death is the only way for us to enter into God’s presence, and we should rejoice that Jesus Himself has opened the door for us to enter God’s presence without condemnation. Let us never forget that there is no better ending, no better goal, in all of life than that day we come before Him.

Take Time to Reflect

We don’t choose how or when we die. But we can choose how we prepare. For the Christian, death is not the scariest possibility – it’s the final healing. The Bible gives us this promise for eternity:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” – Revelation 21:4a NIV

That’s not a fantasy. It’s a promise.

Ask yourself:

• Am I afraid of death, or am I trusting in what comes after?
• Have I shared the hope of heaven with those I love?
• If my sickness ends in death, will others see faith in me?

Let your life – and even your dying – be a testimony.

Because for the believer, death is not a tragedy. It is your greatest gain to God’s glory. Forever and ever, amen.

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I hope this reading plan helps reassure you of God’s presence and plan for you in your sickness. For more readings like this, please visit our website or search for other plans authored by "Roland Heersink" in the YouVersion app. Or, if you want to read more about developing a "Crazy Faith", then read this Bible plan next: ”4 Steps To a Crazy Faith Strong Enough For Any Situation.”

Blessings to you!