Faithful Last Words

It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.

Psalm 18:32

A person’s last words speak volumes. Whether they are the final words spoken on a deathbed, the words of an epitaph on a gravestone, the last thoughts we have before sleep, or what we say when parting from a loved one, last words reveal our first thoughts. Last words reveal priorities, hopes, and that which, left unsaid, would reveal a gap in who we are and what we believe.

While much of Samson’s life left room for improvement, in his last words we find what, or rather Who, was at the core of his belief system: God. Samson had been captured, blinded, and enslaved by the Philistines. In a dying effort to bring defeat upon this enemy nation, Samson called out to God: “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God” (Judges 16:28). And with his God-given strength, he pulled down the Philistine temple where he had been put on display. His dying words remind us of the thief crucified with Jesus who asked to be remembered by God (Luke 23:42-43). Both Samson’s and the thief’s final requests revealed what they hoped in most.

When it feels as if you’re taking your last breath, upon whom do you call? Whether you are living in or leaving this world, make sure your last words are faithful ones.

Whatever we trust most, that is our God.

MARK DEVER