But the souls of the upright are in the hand of God, and no torment can touch them.
To the unenlightened they appeared to die,
their departure was reegarded as disaster, their leaving us like annihilation;
but they are at peace.
If, as it seemed to us, they suffered punishment,
their hope was rich with immortality;
slight was their correction, great will their blessings be.
God was putting them to the test
and has proved them worthy to be with him;
he has tested them like gold in a furnace,
and accepted them as a perfect burnt offering.
At their time of visitation, they will shine out;
as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.
Wisdom 3: 1-7
I hope wen you read this your first question isn’t, “Does Paul read and believe the Apocrypha?”. If you did, you missed the point. Whether I do or not has nothing to do with the fact this portion of prose inspires me. It speaks of the dead in Christ who were tested and found faithful.
This should be our hearts cry. What I draw from this:
- I want my life to be fire not smoke.
- I want to be found faithful
- I want to shine out
- I want my life to move fast and slow
- I want to be tested
- I want to believe the best in people (unlike Job’s friends).
- I want to see purpose in death and disaster.
- I want to ignite something.
- I want my life to be a catalyst for great things.
Stop. Close your eyes and imagine your life and your faith igniting the dry hearts around you. What do you see your life igniting? Burn Bright. Shine out for the cause of Christ.