"Believe"

A cowboy’s toil to slip a coil,

A-horseback work to do,

That fading skill he’ll do until,

His earthly days are through.

And when they end, what happens then,

The cowboy rides no more,

What of his fate at heaven’s gate,

Will he make heaven’s shore?

It will not be his work you see,

That opens up the way,

His cowboy cool or golden rule,

That in the end holds sway.

But if in fact with faith intact,

He trusts in Christ alone,

Saved by grace to see His face,

And take the cowboy home.

St. Paul once said, when we are dead,

It’s gain and not a loss,

From body gone, but there belong,

Because of that old cross.

It’s all about God’s grace no doubt,

That by faith we receive,

Makes us sure, God’s only cure,

When we confess it and believe.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 2:21)

Our earthly lives should be dominated by or relationship to Jesus Christ. When He is our priority, life becomes all God intended it to be. But ultimately this life is rehearsal for the next. Paul says that the moment of our death we will be present with the Lord. So to die is gain. We are assured of this by the promise of God’s word and the witness of the Holy Spirit. He removes all fear from the prospect of physical death because we are certain of what comes after.

Lord, make us sure that our death will be a doorway into Your presence, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Robert “Shoofly” Shufelt, used by permission. Thanks, Robert, and God bless you.