Do not be overawed when a man grows rich . . . for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. (Ps. 49:16–17)
IN 1977 OIL HEIRESS Sandra Ilene West was buried in accordance with her last will and testament. Mrs. West had instructed that she be dressed in a white lace nightgown and placed in her blue Ferrari sports car “with the seat slanted comfortably.” The car was placed in a crate and lowered by crane into a nineteen-foot-long, ten-foot-wide, nine-foot-deep hole, then filled with concrete to protect the grave against vandalism. After the interment, Time magazine reported: “Like Egypt’s King Tutankhamen, who had a couple of golden chariots buried near him when he died in 1352 b.c., Californian Sandra Ilene West is journeying to the hereafter in style.”
The Bible has much to say about the hereafter. We know from Luke 16 that there is heaven and hell, and from Hebrews 9 that everyone will die once and then face judgment. Our earthly possessions have no worth after we breathe our last breath. Their glory will die when we do. But the glory of Christ is forever, and if we put our trust in Him for eternal life we will share in His glory (2 Thess. 2:14).
Satan and our world want to convince people that sin and hell are not realities. We can thwart the lies by sharing the truth of God’s Word.
Pray that God will prepare you to share the truth of the gospel with others.
Nancy Reinke lives in the Colorado Rockies with her artist husband. She enjoys writing, hiking, grandmothering, and encouraging others.
