Years ago I captured a non-poisonous snake. I was showing it to the kids. It was very docile so instead of holding it right behind the head as one would do, I was more relaxed with the snake offering it a little freedom, and I was holding it about 4 inches from the head. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the snake bit me right on the stretch of skin between the thumb and first finger and just held on. I looked down with my kids looking on and said, “Well, I’ll be. That snake bit me!”, and I proceeded to slowly disengage it from my thumb. One day many years later, I was building something using a nail gun, shooting the large, 16 penny nails. When the gun double fired, I looked down and saw the second nail sticking through one finger and into the one next to it. I thought to myself, “Well, I’ll be. I shot myself in the finger with a nail gun!” I decided to quickly remove it before the feeling returned, so I grabbed some plyers and went inside the house, doused it with alcohol, and with a lot more effort than I anticipated, twisted and pulled the nail out. It had just missed the bone. I recently had a few symptoms of the world-famous Covid 19 virus. Barb and I self quarantined and I tested negative. With some symptoms continuing and increasing, and after learning we had been exposed, we both got tested. The fast-talking doc came in and said, “You both tested positive…”, and went on to start explaining what we needed to be doing. I sat there thinking, “Did I hear that doctor right? I think he said we were both positive!” As I listened, I realized he did indeed say we were both positive. Then I thought, “Well, I’ll be! That doctor said we were both positive!” We are now getting over the Covid. We are doing all the doctor said, and from the very outset we have been speaking the Word out loud over our lives repeatedly (Job 27:3; Psalms 27:2; Romans 8:1,2). We have had minimal effects that we can detect.
The Bible says Jesus has taken the sting out of death. No matter what life throws our way, we can draw strength from the Word. The blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ secures our life in God. That Word is to be embraced as our own by giving praise and thanksgiving to God. Then when the ultimate test comes and death itself looms up before us, we are in the secret place of the most high with God himself as our refuge through the provision of Jesus Christ. We have the realization that we are not alone, but the ever-faithful Saviour, the Way to God, is there to carry us through. At that point I conceive having the thought: “Well, I’ll be! That was death! Jesus the victorious Savior is carrying me to the other side! What a wonderful Savior!”