Precious in the sight of the LORDis the death of his saints.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the passing of His faithful people, who fall asleep in Jesus with the certainty of waking on the resurrection morning when all in their graves hear Christ's voice and come forth. He treasures not only their death but their life and character, for the spirit of a conscientious believer who would do duty if he knew it is dear to Him. Neither lingering illness nor the fury, falsehood, pain, and taking of temporal life by persecutors is a sign that He has abandoned them, for they are bought by Calvary, kept in His hands, comforted by angels, sustained by faith, and beyond the reach of those who cannot touch the life hid with Christ. One beloved of the Lord who dies in faith is kept in His care with no cause for doubt, looking forward to the crown of righteousness, still dear to Him and safe from the enemy while godly influence lives on until Jesus claims His own in fullness of joy. Their life is also precious to Him, so health and courage are to be carefully guarded rather than thrown away, while those whose bonds are loosed look to Christ, are changed into His image, and ask in humble love what to render for such mercy in diligent service that bears much fruit.
What Precious Means
God treasures the passing of His faithful people. One who is ready leaves this life by falling asleep in Jesus. That sleep carries the certainty of waking on the resurrection morning, when all who are in their graves will hear Christ's voice and come forth.
The Lord values the life and character of His saints. A believer's spirit is precious in God's sight, as seen in Brother Taylor. God loves conscientious and experienced believers who would do their duty if they knew what it was, and He holds their spirit dear, as with Brother Taylor.
Comfort in Suffering and Death
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the passing of His faithful people even after a lingering illness, and such a death is no sign that He has abandoned them. As seen in the closing ministry of Elisha, one worn by prolonged sickness may still be comforted by the presence of angels. Sustained by faith, he is ready to rest from his labors.
When men inspired by Satan, even men professing to serve God, persecute His people over doctrine with fury and falsehood, inflicting bodily pain and taking temporal life, God still cares for them and their death is precious in His sight. His permitting tyrants to act as the priests and rulers acted toward His Son is no sign of neglect, and His people are not to give up faith and go back to perdition. Because they are not their own but are bought by the price paid on Calvary and kept in the hands of Him who created them, they remain under His charge and are strengthened by His Spirit to endure, since persecutors cannot touch the life that is hid with Christ.
The death of one who is beloved of the Lord and dies in faith is precious in His sight, so there is no cause for doubt or unbelief concerning such a one. Kept in His care, that one can look forward to the crown of righteousness. His servants who sleep in death remain dear to Him, their godly influence continues to bear fruit, and they are safe from the enemy's power. Jesus claims them as His own and will give them fullness of joy at the resurrection.
God's tender regard is seen when an aged believer of clean speech, cheerful service, and childlike devotion, complete in Christ, dies at advanced age after a brief illness without pain or struggle and falls asleep in Jesus with a peaceful countenance as if lit by heaven. Family and church keenly feel such an absence at table, in prayer, and in church work. When a faithful servant is critically ill with typhoid fever and appears unable to recover, prayer can still be offered for healing because His arm is not shortened that it cannot save and His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear, yet the outcome of life or death must be left to His will, with prayer for wisdom to care for the sufferer rightly. God's people keep praying while saying Thy will be done, trusting that if He spares the life it is mercy and if He lets the saint go down into the grave that death is still precious to the Lord.
Prayer, Health, and Service
Precious in God's sight is not only the death of His saints but also the life of His servants, so the verse is no call to throw away health and life. The health and courage of ministers are to be carefully guarded, especially those in feeble health and men of experience. Such workers are not to be appointed to fields where the climate will draw heavily on strength or expose them to a malarious and harmful atmosphere, nor to remain in a climate that injures health when other workers can labor there without harm, but to move from one country to another where work still needs to be done.
The verse belongs to the experience of one who looks to Christ and follows Him and is strengthened and uplifted. Such a one is changed into His image and cherishes His spirit, is freed from sullenness and gloom, is filled with joy and gladness in the consciousness of Jesus' love, and reflects the divine image. As God's servant whose bonds are loosed, in grateful confession and implicit trust, he follows in the light of life and asks what to render for infinite love and mercy. That humble, trusting, serving spirit, given in diligent and loving service, bears much fruit. Kept alive in business enterprises, it enables laborers together with God to bear much fruit in seeking to save souls ready to perish.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the passing of His faithful people, who fall asleep in Jesus with the certainty of waking on the resurrection morning when all in their graves hear Christ's voice and come forth. He treasures not only their death but their life and character, for the spirit of a conscientious believer who would do duty if he knew it is dear to Him. Neither lingering illness nor the fury, falsehood, pain, and taking of temporal life by persecutors is a sign that He has abandoned them, for they are bought by Calvary, kept in His hands, comforted by angels, sustained by faith, and beyond the reach of those who cannot touch the life hid with Christ. One beloved of the Lord who dies in faith is kept in His care with no cause for doubt, looking forward to the crown of righteousness, still dear to Him and safe from the enemy while godly influence lives on until Jesus claims His own in fullness of joy. Their life is also precious to Him, so health and courage are to be carefully guarded rather than thrown away, while those whose bonds are loosed look to Christ, are changed into His image, and ask in humble love what to render for such mercy in diligent service that bears much fruit.
What Precious Means
God treasures the passing of His faithful people. One who is ready leaves this life by falling asleep in Jesus. That sleep carries the certainty of waking on the resurrection morning, when all who are in their graves will hear Christ's voice and come forth.
The Lord values the life and character of His saints. A believer's spirit is precious in God's sight, as seen in Brother Taylor. God loves conscientious and experienced believers who would do their duty if they knew what it was, and He holds their spirit dear, as with Brother Taylor.
Comfort in Suffering and Death
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the passing of His faithful people even after a lingering illness, and such a death is no sign that He has abandoned them. As seen in the closing ministry of Elisha, one worn by prolonged sickness may still be comforted by the presence of angels. Sustained by faith, he is ready to rest from his labors.
When men inspired by Satan, even men professing to serve God, persecute His people over doctrine with fury and falsehood, inflicting bodily pain and taking temporal life, God still cares for them and their death is precious in His sight. His permitting tyrants to act as the priests and rulers acted toward His Son is no sign of neglect, and His people are not to give up faith and go back to perdition. Because they are not their own but are bought by the price paid on Calvary and kept in the hands of Him who created them, they remain under His charge and are strengthened by His Spirit to endure, since persecutors cannot touch the life that is hid with Christ.
The death of one who is beloved of the Lord and dies in faith is precious in His sight, so there is no cause for doubt or unbelief concerning such a one. Kept in His care, that one can look forward to the crown of righteousness. His servants who sleep in death remain dear to Him, their godly influence continues to bear fruit, and they are safe from the enemy's power. Jesus claims them as His own and will give them fullness of joy at the resurrection.
God's tender regard is seen when an aged believer of clean speech, cheerful service, and childlike devotion, complete in Christ, dies at advanced age after a brief illness without pain or struggle and falls asleep in Jesus with a peaceful countenance as if lit by heaven. Family and church keenly feel such an absence at table, in prayer, and in church work. When a faithful servant is critically ill with typhoid fever and appears unable to recover, prayer can still be offered for healing because His arm is not shortened that it cannot save and His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear, yet the outcome of life or death must be left to His will, with prayer for wisdom to care for the sufferer rightly. God's people keep praying while saying Thy will be done, trusting that if He spares the life it is mercy and if He lets the saint go down into the grave that death is still precious to the Lord.
Prayer, Health, and Service
Precious in God's sight is not only the death of His saints but also the life of His servants, so the verse is no call to throw away health and life. The health and courage of ministers are to be carefully guarded, especially those in feeble health and men of experience. Such workers are not to be appointed to fields where the climate will draw heavily on strength or expose them to a malarious and harmful atmosphere, nor to remain in a climate that injures health when other workers can labor there without harm, but to move from one country to another where work still needs to be done.
The verse belongs to the experience of one who looks to Christ and follows Him and is strengthened and uplifted. Such a one is changed into His image and cherishes His spirit, is freed from sullenness and gloom, is filled with joy and gladness in the consciousness of Jesus' love, and reflects the divine image. As God's servant whose bonds are loosed, in grateful confession and implicit trust, he follows in the light of life and asks what to render for infinite love and mercy. That humble, trusting, serving spirit, given in diligent and loving service, bears much fruit. Kept alive in business enterprises, it enables laborers together with God to bear much fruit in seeking to save souls ready to perish.