Day 5 | Rest for the Faithful: Death isn’t an end—it’s peace and reward | Good People Pass Away: Living with Hope, Leaving with Peace

Scripture Reading:“Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” – Isaiah 57:2 (NLT)

For many, death is a word that sparks fear. It feels final, like an ending. 

Even after 4 days, many of you might still be wondering: why are we talking about this? Quite frankly, death is a subject I never liked to talk about myself. In fact, today, funerals are not one of my favourite places to go.

But Isaiah 57:2 paints a very different picture, and we are all encouraged to change our thinking. 

For the faithful, death is not chaos, not destruction, not emptiness—it is peace. It is rest. It is the fulfillment of a life walked with God.

Isaiah tells us that “those who walk uprightly enter into peace.” 

Notice that peace doesn’t just happen in eternity; it’s something God gives His children even in the moment of passing. 

The world may see only a body laid to rest, but heaven sees a child of God entering into perfect peace.

Think about it. Life on earth is full of trials—stress, sickness, heartache, and battles. But when the righteous pass, those struggles are over. 

Revelation 14:13 (NIV) echoes this truth: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” 

It is comforting to know that death for the faithful is not defeat; it is a blessing. Their work on earth is done, and now they enjoy eternal rest.

This is why Paul could declare in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV): “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord… will award to me on that day.” 

Paul didn’t see death as failure—he saw it as a reward, as graduation into glory.

And so should we. 

The faithful who pass away are not lost—they are at peace. They are not forgotten—they are rewarded. Their lives, marked by obedience and faith, have led them to the presence of the Lord, where peace knows no end.

But there’s also a challenge, Family, for us who remain. 

Are we walking uprightly? Are we living in such a way that when our time comes, we too will enter into peace? Serious and personal questions.

Death is certain for all of us, but peace is promised only to those who belong to Christ.

This should not fill us with fear—it should inspire us. Inspire us to walk closer with God. Inspire us to pursue righteousness. Inspire us to remember that this life is temporary, but eternity is forever. 

For the faithful, death is not the end of the story. It is the chapter where peace, rest, and reward begins.

The application for today, therefore, is for us to see death through God’s lens: for the faithful, it’s not the end but rest and peace.

Let us today find comfort in knowing our loved ones who died in Christ are safe, at peace, and rewarded.

And for those of us who are alive and remain, let us again today commit to living uprightly, so that our legacy and eternity both reflect God’s goodness.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for the promise that those of us who walk uprightly will enter into peace and rest in You. Remove fear from our hearts and fill us with confidence in Your Word. Help us to live faithfully, so that when our time comes, we will enter into Your rest and receive the reward You have promised. In Jesus’ name, Amen.