I will never forget sitting at the bedside of my friend’s brother when he died; the scene was one of the ordinary visited by the extraordinary. Three of us were talking quietly when we realized that Richard’s breathing was becoming more labored. We gathered around him, watching, waiting, and praying. When he took his last breath, it felt like a holy moment; the presence of God enveloped us in the midst of our tears over a wonderful man dying in his forties.

我永远也无法忘记，朋友的弟弟临终前，我就坐在他的身旁。那一幕，使这寻常的探访变得极为不寻常。那时，我和朋友以及他弟弟查理轻声地交谈着，突然察觉到查理的呼吸变得很吃力。我们围在他的身边，仅能看着他、等待与祷告。当他咽下最后一口气的瞬间，仿佛是极其神圣的时刻。他四十多岁就英年早逝，我们虽为此而感到悲痛不舍，但却感受到上帝的安慰，祂确实与我们同在。

Many of the heroes of our faith experienced God’s faithfulness when they died. For instance, Jacob announced he would soon be “gathered to [his] people” (Gen. 49:29–33). Jacob’s son Joseph also announced his impending death: “I am about to die,” he said to his brothers while instructing them how to hold firm in their faith. He seems to be at peace, yet eager that his brothers trust the Lord (50:24).

许多信心伟人在临终前，也同样经历了上帝的信实。例如，雅各就曾宣告，他很快就要“归到[他]列祖那里”（创世记49章29-33节）。雅各的儿子约瑟也对他的弟兄们披露自己即将面对死亡，他说：“我要死了。”并指示他们该如何持守自己的信仰。约瑟看起来是那么地平静，却强烈地渴望他的弟兄们都能全心信靠上帝（50章24节）。

None of us knows when or how we will breathe our last breath, but we can ask God to help us trust that He will be with us. We can believe the promise that Jesus will prepare a place for us in His Father’s house (John 14:2–3).

虽然没有人知道生命会在何时走到终点，或是以怎样的方式结束，但我们可以祈求上帝帮助我们相信祂必与我们同在。我们也能相信耶稣的应许，祂将在祂父的家里，为我们准备住处（约翰福音14章2-3节） 。

Lord God, Your dwelling place will be with Your people, and You will be our God, wiping away our tears and banishing death. May it be so!