What does God think when a Christian dies?

The Ziesemer family is nearing the end of an era.

I am writing this from the bedside of our Dad as he nears the end of his life. We’ve been standing by him as a family for days now in our parents’ living room, watching as his heart continues to beat and his chest rises and falls with unsteady breaths. It’s wonderful that we are all able to be together as a family during this time, holding his hand when he wakes and comforting him as he comes to the end of a lengthy, fierce battle with cancer.

This house is filled with an immense amount of peace. Some who have come to visit have even made a note as they observe- “you guys seem too ok… are you ok?”

The reality is – we’re 100% ok. We have the kind of immense peace that comes when you have an eternal perspective.

Over the course of the last week, as we wait for the moment when he goes to see Jesus – we’ve spent a bit of time discussing this one particular verse:

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

As we think on this verse, we can’t help but find such great comfort in the thought of how God views with joy the moment we dread. The word “precious” points to a special kind of intimacy God has for that time. Our death as a believer is the point in which we get to enter into the eternal relationship He designed us for! It is a moment of victory. A moment of completion. A moment of joy.

God thinks it precious when a saint enters into his eternal kingdom.

We don’t fear death – because HE conquered the grave. So even in this time of mourning the soon ending life of our father, we can celebrate. If GOD thinks it a precious moment, we probably should too.