Finishing Well
Near the end of World War II as Allied forces swept across Germany, it is said that they found this statement of faith scratched into a wooden post by a victim of the Holocaust:
I believe in the sun even when it does not shine.
I believe in love even when it is not shown.
I believe in God even when he does not speak.
History provides us with numerous stories of God’s people who have faced death with an unshakable faith and a triumphant spirit. Jesus calls us not only to live faithfully, but to die faithfully as well. In fact, the Apostle Paul’s example teaches us that we can glorify God in our death even as we have in life. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes, “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all (2:17).”
In the Old Testament, when a sacrifice was made, a drink offering or libation of oil or wine might be poured over it. This act completed the offering. Even so, finishing well in this life is the completion of our spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).
