Dying profitably - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

Dying profitably
When the Apostle Paul wrote this sentence to the Christians in Philippi, he was not tired of life or even suicidal. Rather, he was trying to demonstrate the value of his faith. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and know the forgiveness of all their life’s sins, want to live fully for this Saviour and Lord out of gratitude. The promises of the Lord Jesus apply here and now, but they also go far beyond that. Whoever believes in Jesus, the Son of God, “has eternal life” (John 3:36). In this respect, the Christian has a unique and firm hope that makes his dying a passage into God’s glory.

Many people who are still living without the Lord Jesus are understandably afraid of death. After all, they cannot know what will happen to them when they close their eyes forever. Some try to reassure themselves with the thought that after death everything will be over. However, it’s hard to imagine that a meaningful life can be lived on this basis, since then life would be essentially meaningless. At the same time, this kind of thinking must intensify the fear of death, because everything is concentrated on the few years spent on earth.

With Paul it was different. He knew Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. He had this assurance: When my short time on earth has expired, I will spend an endless eternity in the most wonderful place. Therefore, dying was gain for him, because the Bible promises believers that at death they will go from an earth full of sorrow, war, crime and strife to heaven, where “God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain” (Revelation 21:3–4).

Today’s reading: Malachi 3:1-12 · Mark 16:1-11