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to live is Christ, to die is gain

As I type this post, my colleague and Sis in Christ has a sis in KL who is unable to communicate with her now. Months ago, we met her and we prayed with her for her healing. We prayed earnestly and desired her healing. Back home where she is, there's a group of intercessors surrounding her, keeping her in vigilant prayers. She is suffering from a rare type of cancer and has a tumor growing, pressing on her other organs and threatens to protude out of her. She had been in pain and was on morphine weeks ago.

Why was she not healed despite the earnest prayers of many? I don't know... maybe our faith for her to be healed was selfish, maybe God wants her home, maybe God wants us to persist in prayer until the miracle happens. What must we do?

It's interesting that I came across Deut 29:29 today and it says
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."

I don't have the answers, neither will I attempt to try and answer. According to Deut 29:29, the secret things (things not revealed to us) belong to God but the things revealed to us, we must keep it and observe it.

Paul said this in Philippians 1:21, "to live is Christ and to die is gain"
To live a life on earth is to live in fruitfulness unto God but the better thing is to be with Christ. For many of us, including myself, to die is not a gain. It is a loss. A loss of what this life can still bring to us, a loss of relationships with our loved ones, a loss in opportunity, a loss in many things we have yet to 'experience' that life should.

Until we can say that to die is gain, we'll never understand what it means to live the abundant life God has designed us to do so. Paul lived a life as carved out by God for him, to teach, preach and disciple. To plant not just seeds but to nurture them till maturity. To labour in prayer for the congregations in suffering even while he himself was in chains. He lived his life without leaving any room for regrets.

To die is gain and the better thing. God when it's time, may I learn to say that it is true for me.

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