“And
God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes;
and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Rev. 21:4
Each of us has experienced the pain of death’s sting to one
degree or another, hearts wounded by the passing of a dear family member,
friend or beloved pet.
We Cleary’s said goodbye to our dearly loved rescue pup this weekend.
~After an abusive initiation into this life by her 2 prior owners, our
“chance meeting” caused hearts to melt and this dog’s life to change forever.
We adopted “Cookie” into our Cleary pack, promptly renamed her “Kassi”
(actually, “Kassia Agape” meaning Pure Love), and nuzzled one another a full
decade. Her passing causes our hearts to be heavy, but we trust our faithful
and loving Lord.
Isn’t it comforting to know that our Lord defeated death on
the cross (spiritually) and will swallow up death forever with His eternal
reign (literally)?
“Just as sin ruled
over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules
instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom.
5:21
“He
will swallow up death forever.”
Is. 25:8
One day soon we will experience no more tears, pain or death
forevermore.
Until this day, we reside in a world beset with hardship.
Plagued yes, defeated, no.
Defeat or victory? The victor’s crown is determined by which
one controls our mind. God promises, “The mind governed
by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
Rom. 8:6 ~Life and peace AMIDST hardship and heartache.
“For to us a child
is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And
He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end.”
Is. 9:6-7
So, here are a couple tough personal questions to ponder this week:
- · If I’m not experiencing this kind of life and peace, amidst the hardships of life, who is governing my mind?
- · If it’s not the Spirit of Peace…why not?
Praying alongside one another, Christ loves us so dearly.
Big hugs, ~Shaun and Betsy
