Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: 2nd Chronicles 19:1-20:37 Romans 10:14-11:12 Proverbs 20:4-6

“We Shall Not Die, But Live”

“The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.”
[Psalm 118:18]

We should recognize this verse as a masterpiece. How mightily the psalmist banishes death out of sight. He will know nothing of dying and of sin. At the same time, he visualizes life most vividly and will hear of nothing but life. But whoever will not see death, lives forever, as Christ says: “if anyone keeps My Word, he will never see death” [John 8:51]. Thus, all the saints have sung this verse, and will continue to sing it to the end. We note this especially in the case of the martyrs. So far as the world is concerned, they die. Yet their hearts say with a firm faith: “I shall not die, but live.”