SCRIPTURE: 1Corinthians (NIV) 15:55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
OBSERVATION: Many people have suffered through extremely hard times and then come into a place of great success in which they became very thankful for the hard times. The path to victory was through the hard times. Their troubles were swallowed up in their blessings!
Women go through much pain in childbearing, but all is forgotten as their little bundle of joy is laid in their arms. The pain is swallowed up in the joy.
Until Jesus comes and calls the church to be with him, the only way to enter heaven is through the doorway called “death.” Some deaths happen in a clean environment, others in filth. Some deaths happen in a peaceful setting, others in violence. Some deaths happen quickly; others take days or weeks, even years. Whatever the dying process, those who are born again can all have the assurance that death will be “swallowed up in victory!” The struggle will be forgotten in the rejoicing.
APPLICATION: So “until then my heart will go on singing.” I know “it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.” “When we all get to heaven” “everybody will be happy over there!” “What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see!”
PRAYER: Lord, for you there must be two very special days in the lives of each of your children — the day they made you the Lord of their life (Luke 15:7) and the day they pass through death’s door (Psalm 116:15) into your presence! Amen
Note: If the above us true, two of the hardest days for our Creator would be the day He is rejected and the day His potential child passes through death into eternal judgment! In this moment, we each have opportunity in prayer to confess our sins, accept His forgiveness, and make Him Lord of our life. Amen
Pastor Leon
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