St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“The dead do not praise the LORD, nor any who go down into silence.” (Psalm 115 v 17)

Surely this talks about the silence of separation

When there has been no preparation in life?

We have to maintain our faith

In order to gain a happy death.

We must know the Lord Jesus in Person,

For who He actually is and all He stands for.

We must call on the Spirit of Life for this.

Faith consists of a genuine belief in God’s predictions and promises.

“You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 16 v 10)

A belief in the all loving mercy of God,

As gained by the friendship of the Lord Jesus,

And made firm by the anointing of the Spirit.

Together the Trinity are appointing us their family,

A chosen people richly blessed, fully blessed

Because we are possessed by a love eternal.

The sinfulness which separates us from this blessing,

Both in life and in death, has to be quelled.

“Those who seek Him will praise the LORD, let your heart live forever.” (Psalm 22 v 26)

“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the LORD’s and He rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22 v 28)

It is true to say “I have set You LORD always before me.” (based on Psalm 16 v 8) Thank You for helping me to pray, to converse with You and learn from You.

“Because You are at my right hand I shall not be moved,” (Cont) not moved away from my acceptance of the Lord Jesus as my Saviour and the Holy Spirit as my Sanctifier.

You are not a God who stands apart from us, maintaining a silence, for this is not the way of love and You love at all times.

Instead You instruct us by gifting us a Saviour who is a Brother we can recognise, respond to and honour for His exemplary life.

How richly blessed we are to have access to Your throne room of grace because the One who is nearest to Your Father heart of love, stands alongside us.

Our instructions are made clear, thank You. “Today, if you will hear His voice,” (Psalm 95 v 7) Your voice Father, which may come to us through prayer, studying the sacred Scriptures or faith filled friends and teachers, we must listen.

How can we learn from You if we do not listen to You? So You say to us: “ ‘Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion’,” (v 8) of Your people Israel.

Sadly, we too are rebellious, keen to do our own thing, in our way, in our time, because this suits us. Rebellion is so dangerous for us, for this is where our separation begins, then develops.

“Happy is the (wo)man who is always reverent, but (s)he who hardens his (her) heart will fall into calamity.” (Proverbs 28 v 14) and sadly, catastrophically even, we do this all too often and readily.

Lord God, merciful Father, please forgive us, as the Lord Jesus sacrificed His holy love for this purpose, hanging on the † for our forgiveness.

What a profound blessing that in love, being stronger than death in its holy power for good, death could not hold Him. The Lord Jesus rose to a new life, asking us to share this with Him.

This blessing of grace is our assurance against death being an ending to life, a full and final separation from You. It is not!

“ ‘O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law’,” (1 Corinthians 15 v 55, 56) which we could not, or would not uphold.

“But, thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15 v 57) by means of the correcting, purifying, sanctifying, teaching Spirit. May we be receptive.

For when we are, what benefits and blessings accrue in this life and beyond. So may we be “Steadfast, immovable, always abounding in Your work Lord, knowing that our efforts of labour are not in vain.” (based on 1 Corinthians 15 v 58)

These efforts made towards holiness will never be in vain when we pray and persevere for the Lord Jesus to live and work in and through us, by the Holy Spirit’s involvement. For here is true love stronger by far than

death. Praise ever be to the glory of the Trinity, as no silence will separate us. Amen.