A Prayer for When You Fear Death
By Greg Laurie
“The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalm 27:1
Have you ever been stung by a bee? It’s not a fun experience. But though it’s painful for the person being stung, it’s fatal for the bee.
When a honeybee stings a person, it can’t pull its little barbed stinger back out. This is a one-time experience for them. They had better think carefully about who they are going to sting, because once they do it, they are not going to survive.
When a bee stings you, not only is the bee’s stinger left in you but also part of its abdomen and digestive tract, as well as nerves and muscles. This massive abdominal rupture kills the bee shortly after it stings.
That is what happened when Jesus died on the cross. In his enduring hatred for God’s Son, Satan thought it would be a great idea to have Jesus betrayed, arrested, beaten within an inch of His life, and then crucified and put to death on a Roman cross. The devil said, “This is my moment. I am going to sting Him. I will have a role in His death. When He dies, that is the end of Him.” Everything went according to Satan’s plan, and like a bee, he flew off thinking he had succeeded.
But everything went according to God’s plan as well, and the sting of death was its own defeat. As 1 Corinthians 15:54–55 says, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Where is the sting of death for the believer? It is ripped out, because at the cross, Jesus took the stinger out of death. This is a great truth. As Christians, we no longer need to fear death because our souls will live on forever with Christ.
Dear Lord, we will face many terrifying events throughout this life, but may we never forget that the ultimate victory belongs to you. Through your sacrifice, death has been defeated. As we continue to walk in your truth, help us to set our eyes on Heavenly things.
Amen.
The following is an abridged version of Removing the Sting by Greg Laurie. Top read the full devotional, follow this link.
Related Resource: When Life Unravels: Biblical Strategies for Hard Seasons
Few challenges stretch a parent’s faith and emotional reserves more than life’s unexpected curveball seasons—the plot twists that leave you wondering, “God, what are you doing?” How do you remain anchored in truth when the bottom drops out?
This week on Christian Parent/Crazy World, Catherine welcomes back her very first guest and trusted friend, Dr. Erin Barry, to help parents not only survive, but find hope and stability in life’s most turbulent moments. Dr. Barry is a clinical Christian counselor, author, homeschool expert, and co-founder of inseparableLives.com. Her biblically grounded wisdom comes from over 30 years of walking families through the storms of life.
In this transparent and practical episode, Catherine gets real about her own season of loss, uncertainty, and a series of shocking life upheavals—from parenting a prodigal, to family moves, to sudden job loss. Using these stories as a backdrop, Dr. Barry unpacks essential biblical strategies for clinging to faith and finding stability when life feels out of control. If this episode helps you be a more thoughtful parent, be sure to follow Christian Parent, Crazy World on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Monday, 27 July 2020.
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