Snatched

"They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and never see the grave...But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave." Psalm 49:6-9, 15

"Death comes unexpectedly!" These are the words that immediately filled my thoughts after reading Psalm 49. If you've seen the movie "Pollyanna", no doubt you can picture the scene in your mind. Reverend Ford is "sermonizing something fierce" and his congregation squirms uncomfortably in their seats. Weekly hell, fire and brimstone messages have parishioners terrified of death, leaving the sanctuary with a bitter taste after hearing the bitter truth.

Yes, death is unavoidable and inescapable. The power of the grave is unquestionable. Every cemetery testifies to the prevailing power of death over mankind. The Psalmist makes it clear that absolutely no amount of wealth can buy everlasting life. Riches will never be enough to redeem a soul.

The good news is that there is a Redeemer! God gave these triumphant words to the prophet Hosea, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death..."(Hosea 13:14). God is greater than the power of the grave! We too can have confidence and say with the Psalmist, "But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave."

This glorious assurance only comes by salvation. At Calvary, Jesus paid the ransom price by giving His life in our place. His death and resurrection are our deliverance. There is one way to escape the power of the grave and that's the power of the cross. 

In Jesus we can know forgiveness of sins and be raised from death to life. First, we acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a Saviour. We understand and believe that Jesus died in our place, paying the debt we owed. We trust in His death as the sufficient sacrificial payment for our sins. "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation...for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:9-10, 13

Death, the devil's most powerful weapon has become powerless. Christ has paid the ransom, conquering death. Those who trust in Him have already been snatched from the grave, knowing victory now and the promise of eternal life.