"No Sting Here!"

"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me. Selah." (Psalms 49:15) Did you know that there was power in the grave? Seriously, that is not a trick question, but it is one that does cause one to 'pause' and think about the meaning of gravity. It might not make much sense at first thought, but we are actually being pulled towards the grave, and the rate of that pull increases with age; never mind that the actual act of death seals the deal, but the whole thought of dying does not do much to help take away from the pressure; that is unless you know that you are redeemed and death is no longer an option. When you look at the word "power", as in "the power of the grave", it speaks more about 'hand', as in the hand that is upon me, or the hand that moves this or that, or the hand that is heavy against me. Interesting enough, the word "receive", as in "for He shall receive me", also involves a hand, as in the hand that takes me! In a way, and without getting overly scientific about it, the laws of gravity have been broken; the force that once pulled me towards the grave no longer has that same power, because I will be lifted upward, not downward. In other words, instead of death having dominion over me, death will release me; death will release me into the hand of God! Therefore, what might have been a sting, as in something that has a prick or a pain, death becomes the hand that opens, much as a hand that contains something light the wind sweeps away as it is opened; at which time, the hand of God draws me unto Himself; at least that is how I see it happening. The main point is not really about how it will happen, but that we know it will happen; because when we know it will happen, then we live our lives in a different manner, and we set the priorities of our life in a different order. What is our treasure in heaven? Is it not God?
"Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was sorrowful, He said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and follow Thee. And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." (Luke 18:22-30)