Our opening scripture is one of the misunderstood portions in the Holy Scriptures but it's very profound in our faith. It actually gives a special insight into what has been consummated in Christ for us. This scripture has been religiously quoted often during funeral ceremonies. They ignorantly assert that God confers special honor on the death of saints and that God rejoices in their death. Through this ignorance they glorify death. The problem arises because the context of the presentation has not been considered properly. Furthermore, the misrepresentation show the lack of accurate understanding of what Christ has dully accomplished in His redemptive work. For the right understanding, take note of Psalm 116:15 Living Bible rendering, which says, "His loved ones are very precious to him, and he does not lightly let them die". This is the perfect paraphrase and decode of our theme scripture. This perfectly augers with the context of the Psalmist's communication. Let's examine the context together. If you read Psalm 116:3-4 (NIV) the Psalmist says, "The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. When I called on the name of the Lord: "Lord, save me!" This shows he was facing death and he cried to the Lord to save him from it. In verse 8 he says, "For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling". This vividly shows that he was saved from the death he was facing. This helps you understand his communication in verse 15, our opening scripture, which says "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints". This definitely wouldn't makes sense to say that God is happy with the saints' death or honors it. This actually mean, His loved ones are very precious to him, and he does not lightly let them die. It was the Psalmist's praise celebration for the deliverance from death.

You have to understand that it's not easy for a saint to die. Don't be among those who say, "Death is so close to us". A child of God shouldn't talk such. The Psalmist had that special insight and this was fully actualized in Jesus Christ. As a child of God you are born after Christ. For Jesus to die at the cross He had to yield himself otherwise He wouldn't die. No one could kill Him. He declared in John 10:18 (NLT), "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded". Until He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46) He wouldn't die. For a child of God to die, you have to accept and yield. We are so protected and hedged in Christ. Colossians 3:3 declares that our life is hid with Christ in God. Death has been completely defeated and abolished. The Lord Jesus has brought us life and immortality. 2 Timothy 1:10 (NKJV) declares, "But has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel". Jesus Christ through His redemptive work defeated and abolished death and brought life and immortality to us. This means when you get born again you come into deathlessness. You are now in the realm of life.

You have the right to live because you have eternal life imparted to your spirit. This is the outworking of God's righteousness. For a believer to die they have to accept and yield. Hebrews 13:45 alludes about some heroes of faith, "…others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection". When deliverance was available these saints refused it choosing rather to die while looking forward to resurrection. In Christ Jesus we have all it takes not to die until the coming of the Lord. Don't glorify death in your life. Always be grateful to God for the priceless gift of eternal life we have in Christ and walk in the consciousness of it.