Taken In 把我接去
Dexu Xia
People who . . . lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. Psalm 49:20
My old dog sits by my side and stares off into space. A penny for her thoughts. One thing I know she isn’t thinking about is dying because dogs don’t “understand.” They don’t think about future things. But we do. No matter our age or health or wealth, we at some point think about dying. That’s because we, unlike beasts, have “understanding,” according to Psalm 49:20. We know that we will die, and there’s nothing we can do about it. “No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them” (v. 7). No one has enough money to buy himself or herself out of the grave.
But there is a way out of the finality of death: “God will redeem me from the realm of the dead,” insists the psalmist. “He will surely take me to himself” (v. 15; literally, “He will take me in”). Robert Frost said, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” God has redeemed us from death through His Son, “who gave himself as a ransom for all people” (1 Timothy 2:6). Thus Jesus promised that when our time comes, He will greet us and take us in (John 14:3).
When my time comes, Jesus, who gave to God the price of my life, will welcome me into His Father’s house with open arms.
How do you deal with the thought of dying? On what do you base your confidence of heaven?
I’m grateful, God, that You have provided a place for Your children. I look forward to being at home with You.
Visit ChristianUniversity.org/CA204 to learn more about life after death.
人⋯⋯不醒悟，就如死亡的畜类一样。—诗篇49篇20节
我家的老狗坐在我身旁，双眼盯着前方发呆。它在想什么？可以确定的是，它不会想到死亡，因为它的理解非常有限，无法思考未来的事物。但人却不一样，不论年龄大小、健康与否或财富多寡，我们不时地都会思考死亡。诗篇49篇20节说，这是因为我们和动物不同，我们能做深入的思考而有所“醒悟”。我们知道自己终有一死，而且无法做任何事去改变这个事实。没有人能“救赎自己的生命，也无法向上帝付生命的赎价”（7节，当代译本修订版）。无人能凭着钱财买赎自己的生命，而免于死亡。
但有一个方法能使我们脱离死亡的终局。诗人强调说：“上帝必救赎我的灵魂脱离阴间的权柄，因祂必收纳我”（15节，或为“祂必把我接去”，新译本）。美国诗人罗伯 · 佛洛斯特（Robert Frost）说：“无论何时，家永远是向你敞开大门、接受你的地方。”上帝让祂的爱子“舍自己作万人的赎价”（提摩太前书2章6节），买赎我们脱离死亡。因此，耶稣应许，当我们离世时，祂必接我们到祂那里去（约翰福音14章3节）。
我相信，耶稣既早已将我生命的赎价交给上帝，在我离世的那一天，祂就会展开双臂迎接我，进入天父的家中。
你如何面对死亡这个人生的终点？
你对天国的信心是以什么为根基？
上帝，我感谢祢，因祢已为祢的儿女预备了居所，
我深切期待回天家与祢相聚