For Christians, death is precious because every saint who dies with faith in Jesus is now with him in heaven.

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15 English Standard Version). That reads like a misprint, doesn’t it? Precious and death don’t seem to belong in the same sentence.

They don’t seem to belong unless you remember that though death seems like a terrible trick, for a Christian it results in an unbelievable treat: life in heaven with Jesus! Jesus never forgets about his saints. In the Bible, a saint is any person who believes in Jesus as Savior. You’re a saint. I’m a saint. We’ve been forgiven and made holy by the blood of Jesus. Every saint who has died with faith in Jesus is now with him in heaven. What do you call that? Precious!

Some of you have lost loved ones over the past year. It hurts! The way it usually works is that other people support you in the first days and weeks after the death. They come to the visitation or the funeral, but then they move on to other things. The saints are forgotten—except in your constantly aching heart. Know that you are not alone. They are not alone. “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15).

Some of you feel closer to death now more than ever before. The years are adding up. The sickness or cancer has come back. The storms seem to be stronger. The violence seems to be greater. Death is on your mind—more than just at Halloween. Yet, through faith in Jesus, you can hold on to God’s promise of eternal life: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”

For centuries, Christians have celebrated All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1. Far from it being a day to pray to or worship believers from the past, it’s a day to remember and thank God for fellow Christians who are now home in heaven with Jesus. So in the midst of the hurt that death causes in your heart, say a prayer of thanks to God today for one of his saints who now rejoices with Jesus in heaven. Because it’s really true: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”

Author: Nathan Nass
Volume 111, Number 11
Issue: November 2024