The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.
Isaiah 57:1-2

Why does God allow good people to die young? One of my brothers was taken away suddenly a couple of years ago with no advance warning; it left us all stunned.

I think we have the wrong idea about death. We think of it as a punishment, as though everything we planned for is being cut short and taken away, so it seems right to us that terribly wicked people die young, and wrong when it happens to good people.

But if you know that you’re going to heaven and your heart is set on getting there, death isn’t a punishment or a bad thing; it’s more like a reward, a promotion. It’s our “Well done, good and faithful servant” moment. It’s entering into rest; the end of all suffering; peace at last.

If death is to a Christian what the Bible tells us it is, sooner seems like more of a reward, unless we are specifically being kept here longer for God’s own purpose, because He has a particular mission for us to fulfill before He takes us home.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.
Psalm 57:2

That’s how the Apostle Paul saw it. He wrote, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me… I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account...” (Philippians 1:21-24 )

Lord Jesus, fulfill Your purpose in me. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles