Devotionals

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I went home in the Spring one year to say my final goodbyes to my brother. That was really hard. I had already lost my parents, my in-laws, a brother, and a son. Now I was saying goodbye to another brother.
A few weeks after saying goodbye I was given the pleasure of welcoming my seventh grandson into this world. That was a real joy. On this trip I was to experience both death and then life. For many people this is an every day event, but for me it took on a more meaningful experience. I have purposely asked God to show me the extra ordinary in the ordinary things. I don’t want to miss out on His teachings and His guiding me into fresher or newer truths. Once again He did not fail me.
When I arrived back home like always I spend some time reflecting on what God showed me and how He worked while away. I couldn’t get the words death and life out of my mind. You might want to stop me here and say, “Don’t you mean life then death?” Well, I thought so too, but God showed me something a little different.
I realized throughout the Bible God talks about death and then life. In our human world we experience life and then death comes along later, but in God’s world it is different. He talks to us throughout the Bible how we must die before we have life. We don’t live then die we die then live when we talk about our spirituality. Let me give you some examples.
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. Romans 6:4-8. What I have been taught as I have grown in the Church and the principles God has taught me is this: if I die to self, which means give up control of my life then I am given new life in Christ. I must die to self so I can be reborn into Christ. Death, then life; I must die so I can have life.
Lazarus is a familiar character in the Bible. We know he was Martha and Mary’s sister. He was special to Jesus. We know he had been in his tomb for four days before Jesus came to him. We also know Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb. He had died, yet just gave Him life. Do you recall the words Jesus spoke in John 11? “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26. Once again we see that to have life we must have death.
There is Jesus Himself setting us a perfect example of one who dies but gains life. He died an earthly death, but was resurrected into new life.
We could go on to mention Stephan who died and yet Heaven opened up and received Stephen. I think Saul died and became a new life in Paul. There were two criminals on the cross dying with Christ. One of the two asked God to remember Him when He entered the kingdom. Christ replied with these words found in Luke 23:43, “Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Once again we have death then life.
There are many examples I found in the Bible where death occurred and then life was given. It is common for us to think about birth and then death, but it should be just as common for us to think death and then new life. It is only when we die that we can experience new life; whether we die to self and become alive in Christ or whether we die a human death and given new life in Heaven.
I can be rest assured that my brother and all those who have died before him have experienced a new life. I am assured that if I die to myself and live in Christ I will live with Him in Heaven. John 14:3, tells me, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Although I am so not ready to die, I have a lot more living, spoiling grandchildren and sharing Christ with others to do, it will be okay. It is also okay for me to die to myself a little each day so I can have new life in Christ.
Lessons are not always easy, sometimes they are tough, but they are necessary for us in our growth. Next time death comes I will think of rebirth and though my heart will mourn my soul shall rejoice as I think about the new life that is taking place.

Prayer: Dear Father, I often think of birth and then death, but you have shown me I have it backwards; when there is death there is life. Although I may mourn and be saddened by the loss in my soul I know I must rejoice in the new life that is taking place. Thank you for allowing Your Son to come and die in our place. Thank you for the preparation that is taking place awaiting our arrival. May I look with fresh eyes and an open mind all that You want to teach me. Amen.

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