Daily Reading
Daily Thought
Home was heaven, but Jesus let go and entered a world of sin and hurt, suffering and injustice, and most of all, death. His friend Lazarus lay dead in a tomb and the sisters suffered and the crowds cried and Jesus wept. Nevertheless, when Martha asked of her brother’s death, Jesus had the answer, “Your brother will rise again. I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. Do you believe this?” (John 11:23, 25-26).
She did believe, but her brother was dead right now, and Jesus did something special. Jesus would show her and her sister and the weeping crowd around them the glory of God. Jesus commanded, “Take away the stone!” (John 11:39). Martha, always the practical one, warned, ““Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days” (John 11:39). That’s just how it is, death stinks. It is foul. Death is the last enemy, but not the last word. “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus called in a loud voice. “Take off the grave clothes and let him go” (John 11:44).
In a short time, Jesus would himself be lying in a tomb, but if you were there on this day at the tomb of Lazarus, you know death is not the last word.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” ~John 11:25
Do you believe this?
Daily Prayer
Father, I do not live in despair in this world of sin and death because I have the certainty of heaven, of home, of eternity in Your presence. I live holding the hope of heaven because Your Son beat death and I believe! And that changes everything.
God, I live in a land foreign to my citizenship in Your Kingdom where I will live forever. I serve the King of kings and my hope, when my life here ends, is to hear from You, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” May I live in a manner that delights You and may those words sum up my life.
Amen