YOU WILL NOT DIE PREMATURELY

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

MAY 06, 2023

TOPIC: YOU WILL NOT DIE PREMATURELY

BY T. O. BANSO

“The Lord has made me weak while I am still young; he has shortened my life. O God, do not take me away now before I grow old” (Psalm 102:23-24 Good News Translation).

We don’t know the writer of Psalm 102, but from the words of the psalm, it is obvious that he was a man afflicted or sick and in distress. He said, “For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones. I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof” (verses 3-7 New International Version).  

In summary, he was overwhelmed with trouble. In that condition, after expressing his hope for God’s help for Jerusalem and her rebuilding (verses 13-22), he lamented, “The Lord has made me weak while I am still young; he has shortened my life. O God, do not take me away now before I grow old” (verses 23-24 Good News Translation). The New Living Translation puts it this way: “He broke my strength in midlife, cutting short my days. But I cried to him, ‘O my God, who lives forever, don’t take my life while I am so young!’” Also, the New King James Version renders it thus: “He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days. ‘O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations.’”

From this scripture, you could see that the psalmist accused God of shortening his life or cutting short or shortening his days. He believed that his affliction was from God. However, in Psalm 56:13a, David said God delivered his soul from death. He also said in Psalm 68:20, “Our God is the God of salvation; and to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death” (New King James Version).

Whatever the trouble you or anyone close to you may be now threatening your lives, my prayer is that your days or his/her days shall not be cut short. You’ll escape from death. No trouble will take your life while you’re young. Ecclesiastes 3:2 says there is a time to die. But it is not yet your time to die. You will not die prematurely. Like the writer of Psalm 102, you may be distressed and weak, your heart may be sick, and you may have lost your appetite, but you won’t die prematurely in Jesus’ name.

The LORD sent the Prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah, king of Judah, to tell him to set his house in order because he would not recover from his illness. He would die. However, Hezekiah prayed to the LORD, telling Him to remember how he had always tried to be faithful to Him and do what was pleasing in His sight. He broke down in tears; he wept bitterly. He didn’t want to die. In response, the LORD sent Isaiah back to tell him that He had heard his petition and seen his tears. He said He had added fifteen more years to his life (Isaiah 38:1-5).

I pray that the Lord shall intervene in your condition – health, finances, marriage, etc. That trouble will not consume you. It will not kill you. It won’t shorten your life. The Almighty God will cancel every sentence of premature death passed on you by the enemy.

After Hezekiah’s illness and recovery, he wrote a poem and recalled, “I said, ‘In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?’ I said, ‘I will not again see the Lord, the Lord, in the land of the living; no longer will I look on mankind, or be with those who now dwell in this world’” (New International Version). But God changed the death sentence He had passed on Hezekiah to life extension. He rescued him from death. “But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine” (Psalm 33:18-19 New Living Translation).

In the power that is in the name of Jesus, you’re rescued from premature death. You won’t enter the place of the dead before your time. No sickness or trouble will rob you of the rest of your years. You won’t precede your parents or older ones in death. You will serve your full tenure on the earth, except the rapture takes place. Just as Hezekiah lived to share the testimony of his recovery from his illness, you will also. Your sickness is not unto death. God will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds (Jeremiah 30:17a).

The Lord will ensure you live a long and full life (Exodus 23:26). He shall save you in that trouble. He shall rescue you from the jaw of death. He will snatch you from the door of death. “‘Lord, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death” (Psalm 107:19-20 New Living Translation). The Lord shall satisfy you with long life and show you His salvation (Psalm 91:16).

However, no matter how long you live on the earth, eternity is longer. Where will you spend your eternity? It is appointed for everyone to die once but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Surrender your life to Jesus and have your name written in the Book of Life. “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15 New King James Version). You will not die prematurely in Jesus’ name.

TAKE ACTION!  

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself.  I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: I shall not die before my time in Jesus’ name. I shall not precede in death my older family members. Long life is my heritage in Jesus’ name. I pray for the recovery of those who are sick; they will not die prematurely; they will recover and sing praises to God.

(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org