I am greatly comforted by the assurance of Your presence, Father. You are here for me; all I have to do is call out. Praise Your Holy Name!
1 Corinthians 15:12-28 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the many struggles in life is living life itself. Many of us (and I’m sure I could say all of us) struggle in our attempts to just get through the day sometimes. Even those who are successful according to the world’s standards are often overridden by the demands and pressures of living. There are far too many suicides and attempted suicides amongst the powerful and famous.
So, I would ask, why are so many of us dead set against almost anything to do with God? Think about it. Our greatest struggles are against sin and death.
Yeah, we scream for control of our destiny and delve into sin at the slightest whim, but I think we all have to admit that though our fulfillment may last for a time, that over time, it all loses its shine. What brought us excitement just doesn’t do it anymore, and we need bigger and better and more of whatever it was that lured us in, to the point that it just doesn’t do anything for us anymore. And then we have to start all over, searching for something that will light us up – it’s a vicious, never-ending circle.
And death? That’s pretty much a no-brainer. For all of time, we have been chased and overcome by it. No one (except Jesus, of course) has succeeded. We all eventually succumb to its power over us, for we have no power, in and of ourselves, to oppose it.
So why do we fight against the one Person who overcame them both? Jesus Christ, with His sacrificial, voluntary death on the cross, defeated them both.
Peter, having firsthand experience with Jesus, had this to say,
He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 AMP
For indeed Christ died for sins once for all, the Just and Righteous for the unjust and unrighteous [the Innocent for the guilty] so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit… 1 Peter 3:18 AMP
The dead-end roads we go down in search of something that will fulfill us will never, ever accomplish that task. We will continue to fail, time and time again. Only the Conqueror of sin and death can bring us fulfillment…eternal fulfillment. All that we invest our lives in, in accordance with His will, will bring us true satisfaction.
Lord Jesus, we would cry out that You would help us to seek out that which would satisfy the thirst of our parched souls.
Feb 27th, 2024, Tues, 12:54 pm
