Daily Devotional for Friday, August 22

The Pattern of the Resurrection

“But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die,” 1 Corinthians 15:35, 36.

I go to the cemetery from time to time and sit at my father’s graveside. I find it to be a peaceful place to give thanks to God for my dad and the wonderful memories I have of him. I often look down at that mound of dirt and recall the broken body that was buried there. However, I do not feel sadness, but rather joy! Because one day the Lord will raise Dad up, along with all believers in Christ Jesus, and give him a brand new body. Amen!

Death should not be frightening to the child of God. Of course, we may feel uneasy about the process of dying, but we are assured of an eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul used the analogy of planting a seed to explain our bodily change at the resurrection. Just as a seed must die before new life springs forth, our old body must die to receive a new body. And as the life the seed produces is different in form to the seed itself, so our glorified body will be different and far superior to our old body. I am thankful for that!

The pattern of the resurrection is vital to your life even now. Colossians 3:3 says, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” To live victoriously, you must consider yourself dead to the old man and alive unto Christ. This was the testimony you made when you were baptized. You were buried with Christ and raised up with Him to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Allow the power of His resurrection to work mightily in your life.

REFLECTION

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11).

Darla Goodrum