On Death, Fear and the Las

I was reading Isaiah chapter 24 last week and after discussing it with my seminary students I realized that the topic of death is still a frightening one for many.

In Isaiah ch. 24 the prophet talks about his visions of the last days and the calamity that will befall the earth and it's inhabitants. We know that we are now in what some call the End Times, or the Last Days. We know that earth needs to be completely cleansed in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ. And we know that the majority of ancient and modern prophesy has been fulfilled.

For instance it is evident that verses 5-6 in Isaiah ch. 24 has been and is being fulfilled. It reads, "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof... the curse devoured the earth." We know that we have not been good stewards of the earth, and it's resources are being depleted.

In verse 7 we learn that there will be food shortages as Isaiah prophesied, "the vine languisheth." And we will become lean from starvation as a result, as stated in Vs 16. "My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!"

But it is the yet unfulfilled prophesies that frighten us, such as the first verse in ch. 24 which says: "Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." And later in ch 20-21 he expounds saying, "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard... and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth."

The destruction will be so devastating that those who survive will be emotionally and perhaps physically traumatized as is expressed in vs 7, 11 and 12 "the merryhearted do sigh... all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation."

In previous chapters of Isaiah we learned that the LORD had given the people of the earth much wisdom including the Book of Mormon and still the hard-hearted turned a blind eye. But now, after loosing everything, the hard-hearted are finally calling upon the LORD - isn't that just typical? Vs 14 reads, "They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD. And the Lords answer is this, that those who give into their fears will be swallowed up but those who praise the Lord and live faithfully, ignoring their fears, will be gathered up and blessed by the Lord (vs 11-23).

So it is made clear that regardless of all the frightening things that will happen to us the righteous will be those who do not run from their fear. He tells us "Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires." In other words we need to have faith that even if we or our loved ones parish in the calamity we need to keep our eye on the prize (the Celestial Kingdom) and remember to glorify God, even while in the midst of consuming fire.

How can this be? Why are we required to praise God even when He is allowing so much pain and suffering? The answer is easy, because we need to remember that this estate, this mortal life is only a temporary, minuscule part of our eternal existence. Death is not something to fear - unless we are unrighteous. Death, whether our own or that of a child is only a mode of transformation from one dimension to the next. Those who are left behind will mourn, but they need not loose faith or become consumed by fear. Doing so will only decrease their faith.

Isaiah tell us that those who give their fear power, instead of exercising their faith, will become environmentally paranoid (afraid that bad things will happen if you engage in rational activities), fear based, and even agoraphobic (so paralyzed by fear that you will not leave your home). In vs. 10 the ancient prophet attempts to describe the mental breakdown of the unfaithful in this way, "The city (people of the world) of confusion (fear) is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in." For not understanding mental illness, that is a pretty accurate description of what can happen to someone who has given fear power over their faith in the Lord.

Having faith in the Lord makes you courageous. It helps you to live fully, accepting that He will take care of you and your loved ones. Living according to faith is righteousness and giving your fear power over your life is the behavior of the wicked.

Isaiah continues to drive the point by adding in vs. 17-18 "Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee... he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit. In other words, the destruction, earth changes, wars, and other calamities, etc. will be noisy and frightening, the Lord understands that. He is also telling us that in spite of our desire to run - we need to make faith based, prayerful, decisions lest we fall into a spiritual pit. Instead we must be ever open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and make decisions accordingly.

The unrighteous - those who live according to their fear will remain in prison for a long time as is stated in Isaiah 22 - "And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit ), ... and after many days shall they be visited."

In the end, it mater's not that we avoid death or pain. The only thing that matters is that we live righteously enough to be able to rejoice with the Lord at His second coming. Isaiah concludes in vs. 23 saying, "the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." The Millennium will be ushered in and all the righteous will be made whole.

Embrace your faith and allow it to relieve your fears.

Daily Arrogance and an Attitude of Gratitude

We often hear people use the phrase "An attitude of gratitude," but what does that mean exactly? Aside from the obvious, I have been thinking lately about being picky, unsatisfied or covetous and how those traits relate to gratitude - or lack of it.

I was teaching a lesson in seminary a few weeks ago that had to do with people neglecting to express their gratitude to the Lord for everything and I began to think about some of the ways I have been ungrateful.

I can be picky at times. For instance, Once when given a gift for my birthday I wondered why the giver had chosen a less expensive model instead of one that was more exciting. I let this thought bother me for weeks feeling resentful at times. That was decades ago and I'd like to think I have matured some since then. But looking back it was incredibly ungrateful of me to feel anything but gratitude. No one is obligated to give me anything, regardless of the occasion. And the Lord has given me so much that I have no right to expect more from Him or anyone else. Being picky, and then resentful, kept me from being grateful.

I have a friend who often compares himself to others and ends up feeling deprived. Regardless of what he has, he can always find someone who he perceives as having more, bigger, better. Instead of being grateful for what the Lord has blessed him with, he feels like he is "less than" in the eyes of God for not having been given the biggest and the best. This keeps him from feeling grateful and appreciative for what he does have.

I have a relative who wants to be seen as part of the "in crowd." He has spent his life trying to obtain what his neighbors and colleagues seem to have. When a friend buys a fancy car he begins to covet that car as well as the lifestyle his friend seems to enjoy. Coveting blinds him to the wonderfulness of his own life. Believing that he just isn't good enough unless he is like everyone else keeps him from recognizing the talents and gifts he has been given. He sells himself short and he isn't able to sincerely give thanks to God for his life, family or material blessings.

These are obvious examples, but every time we get upset because the maid forgot to clean a window seal, or when we tell a child that they could have done a better job selling those chocolate bars, we are forgetting to be grateful. We forget that we have so much more than most people in the world. We take for granted that our children are healthy and able to participate in school fund raisers. We become narcissistic and arrogant, believing that we deserve even more than we have been granted. And we forget that everything we have - even our next breath, has been given to us by God.