“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

— 1 Corinthians 15:55, kjv

Someone once asked: “Who has not at some time in his or her life trembled at the thought of death? Who has been able to resist it?” All our human might and wisdom have no power against its invincible might.

But as Christians, we needn’t fear. The great specter of death that has always clouded the horizon does not reign supreme. Against this heartless monster, God commissioned His Son, Jesus, who sat at His right hand. Jesus declared, “Lo, I have come to do Thy will,” and He took upon Himself the task of confronting and overcoming death. He laid down His life for us, passing through that greatest of all ordeals so we wouldn’t have to. He allowed Himself bound in the grave that He might forever “break the bands of death.” Jesus Christ, sinless human and almighty God, undermined the power of the grave and rose triumphant over it.

What a glorious truth. We who trust in the Prince of Life need no longer fear death. It holds no power over us now. In that Celestial City of Heaven, the shadow of death shall never fall upon the threshold. No longer will that bony finger beckon through the door to come and follow him. Instead, we will live in Christ’s light for eternity. Paul wrote, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Death has been swallowed up in victory—all thanks to Jesus Christ.

“When the stars have burnt out, we who trust
in Christ will have just begun to live.”

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.”

— Romans 8:28

Have you ever had a rock and wished you could change it into a diamond? Years ago, before the advent of chemistry, a science called alchemy existed, and alchemists had a similar passion: finding a way to transform worthless metals into gold. Of course, they never succeeded.

But God is the master alchemist. He has a passion for taking all things and working them for good. Charles Spurgeon tells about one man who had complete faith that God would work everything for his good. During the reign of Queen Mary I of England, this man was captured for preaching the Gospel. He received the sentence of being burned alive at the stake in London. When he heard the sentence, he said, “Well, never mind. God will work all things together for my good. I don’t know how, but He will.” On his way to London, the guards treated the man roughly. In fact, they even threw him down to the ground, and in doing so, they broke his leg. Then they mocked the man, saying, “Well, tell us how this will work together for your good.” He said, “I don’t know, but it will.” Before they could continue their trip, the guards had to take time to put the man’s leg into a splint. Because of this delay, the group arrived in London a day later than the guards had planned. But the night before they arrived, Queen Mary died, and Elizabeth had taken the throne. Instead of burning the man at the stake, Elizabeth pardoned him. So, although his broken leg was a bad thing, God used it for his good, saving his life through the delay it caused.

Do circumstances often seem to work in opposition to your expectations? Do you sometimes despair of any good coming from your situation? Remember that God is in charge. He sees the big picture; He knows the future. He controls all things, and He loves you more than you can imagine. Through your experiences, He’ll shape you, transforming you into the best person you can be. Trust Him and even thank Him for situations that seem bad, because He works all things together for your good.

“God, the mighty alchemist, transforms
the lead of our lives into gold.”

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee …”

— Isaiah 26:3, kjv

Many people run themselves into the ground because of stress, strain, worry, and anxiety. I suppose a proper epitaph for most people in America today would be “Hurried, worried, buried.”

Did I just write your biography?

Many times we wish we could wash our hands of all our responsibilities and worries. The executive of one small company decided he would. Even though his company was headed for bankruptcy, he decided to quit worrying about it. So this executive called in his first vice-president and said, “I have had it with worrying about this company. If you’ll take over and handle all my worrying for me, I will add $50,000 to your salary.” Startled and perplexed by this generous offer (knowing the financial condition of the company), the vice-president asked, “But where are you going to get an extra $50,000?” The boss replied, “That’s your first worry.”

William Gladstone, perhaps the greatest Prime Minister England ever had, was a fine Christian man who served the Lord. On the wall of his bedroom hung a large plaque embroidered with this text: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” It was the first thing Gladstone saw when he awoke in the morning and the last thing he saw before retiring at night.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” There is the secret of peace. We can have this peace because we know that the One upon whom we’ve stayed our minds is the One who works all things together for our good.

Is the frantic pace of modern life robbing you of your peace today? If so, slow down and refocus on the Lord. Realize that He’s with you, and He’s in control no matter what comes your way. Stay your mind on Him, and let Him grant you His peace.

“Give me, O God, this day a strong and
vivid sense that Thou art by my side.”
John Baillie

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit.”

— Psalm 51:12

The greatest lie that Satan has ever told the human race is this: We shall find joy through sin; we’ll achieve true happiness by disregarding the commandments of God and letting ourselves follow our passions. Have you ever believed and trusted this lie, only to find yourself miserable and defeated?

Sin is a great deceiver. Before it binds, it blinds. Think of Samson, who was blinded and made to grind grain like an ox. Sin is subtle, a slippery slope that pulls us into things we never expected we’d do. When the prophet predicted that Hazael would become king of Syria and massacre thousands—not only men, but women and children as well—Hazael replied in horror, “But what is your servant—a dog, that he should do this gross thing?” (2 Kings 8:13). Yet, Hazael did the very things he abhorred. Robespierre, who in his younger days resigned his position as judge because he didn’t want to give criminals the death penalty, sent thousands of people to the guillotine during the reign of terror in Paris.

Sin not only brings death; it brings sadness. David wept because he knew his own sin had caused his beloved son Absalom to rise against him in rebellion. What had originally seemed so good brought grief into David’s life.

Although sin brings death and sadness into our lives, we can have joy again. As we submit to Christ’s will, we find true joy and fulfillment. The King of Joy has washed away our sins forever and put new spirits within us. Today, thank God that, despite this sad, dying, sinful world, we can have fullness of joy in Him today and for eternity.

“There is happiness in holiness.”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

— 2 Corinthians 5:17

Have you ever felt discouraged because you’ve noticed a wrinkle where you once had smooth skin or a little extra “padding” where you once had muscle? Maybe recently you’ve spied just one gray hair too many.

In this world, the Second Law of Thermodynamics (which asserts that all things tend toward disorder) constantly works upon everything, including us. All things eventually run down, wear out, and grow old. You’ve seen it at work. As soon as you buy or make something new, immediately it starts to age, decay, wither, and disintegrate.

We can never overcome the Second Law of Thermodynamics—we can’t even break even. But in the kingdom of Christ, we do not wear down, disintegrate, or age as the things of this world do. God makes us new creations, and He’ll continue to do so until that day when He will make all things new. We can never mend or repair our old, broken-down, corrupt, evil nature. Instead, we allow Christ to remove them. The old must diminish while the new grows. The diminishing of the old nature is called mortification. The growing of the new nature is called vivification. Put the two together and the result is sanctification—one of the great doctrines of the Christian faith.

If we walk with Christ each day, He renews us. As we come to know Christ better, our spirits change more and more. He molds us day by day into His image, chipping away at our old nature and replacing it with the new. Only Christ can do this work, and He does it by the continual supply of His grace.

Do you feel the need for renewal today? Then invite God to do His work of grace in you. Submit to His rejuvenating power, and watch as He continues to make you a new creation for His glory.

“Since we are born into God’s family we
should bear a family resemblance!”
Paul Lee Tan

“And Ittai answered the king and said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.’”

— 2 Samuel 15:21

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Have you experienced the heartache of disloyalty? In our mobile society where divorce, the breakdown of families, corporate mergers, and hostile takeovers are commonplace, loyalty is sometimes a rare quality. Often it seems that everybody’s out for “number one.” Yet loyalty is one of the most fragrant and lovely of all the flowers that grow in the garden of the soul. Does it grow in your soul?

We can learn about loyalty from an obscure Bible character, Ittai the Gittite. When David’s rebellious son, Absalom, tried to steal the throne from his father, forcing David into temporary exile, many within the kingdom went over to Absalom’s side. Others remained loyal to David and fled with him. When David saw Ittai the Gittite among those who had followed him, David warned Ittai to turn back lest he be killed. But Ittai said that he would follow David to help him, even if it meant death.

Ittai was a tremendously loyal person. He was willing to sacrifice his life to be in the presence of the one who held his affections. Something about David captured Ittai’s heart. Despite David’s one great fall, he had a great, generous, and noble spirit that attracted so many. Ittai was drawn to him and attached his heart to him, pledging his loyalty even to the point of death.

We, too, have Someone to whom we must remain loyal, Someone of great, generous, and noble spirit—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is worthy of our attaching our hearts to Him. As we pledge our loyalty to Christ, we could change the world.

“It will cost me to be loyal to Christ—but it will also pay.”
Eleanor Doan

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away … Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

— Revelation 21:1–2

Do you ever wonder what Heaven will be like? I know none of us can possibly imagine its splendor. In the last two chapters of Revelation, we do get a glimpse of the glory to come as John pulls the curtain aside for a few moments. What marvelous pictures he paints as he dips his hand into all earthly beauty and heavenly light. He has taken the most magnificent things known to humankind and used them to paint the picture of the holy city, the new Jerusalem. What a marvelous place it must be—a city with foundations and walls made of precious stones, with streets and buildings and towers made of pure gold. The Tree of Life will stand by the crystal river, and all the treasures of the nations will be brought in. Should we take John’s picture literally, or is it merely a symbol? If John’s representation is just a pale picture of some greater reality, then Heaven’s glory is beyond the ability of the human tongue to declare.

When earth seems intolerable to you, think of Heaven, our true home. It seems our longing for Heaven diminishes with the increase of our material goods. But when we have great need, when our troubles increase, then we long for Heaven. Perhaps God even allows a certain amount of our needs to go unmet or certain troubles to come our way so that our longing for our true home will not grow too dim. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

We are pilgrims and strangers here, so let’s not get too attached to our earthly existence. Our true citizenship is in Heaven. Today, whether you endure great trial or experience tremendous joy, set your sights on Heaven. Remember and long for your true home.

“When all my labors and trials are over, and I
am safe on the beautiful shore, just to be near
the Lord I adore, that will be glory for me.”
Charles H. Gabriel

“‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath …”

— Ephesians 4:26

How is your temper? Do you keep your anger in check, or have you let anger sink its roots into your life? Unfortunately, an untold number of people go through their entire lives angry. Virtually any psychiatrist or psychologist would say that as many as ninety percent of their patients have problems somehow related to anger. Sadly, our anger seeps its way into our happiness, homes, and friendships, eroding the foundations of these blessings. Clearly, God desires better for us.

So how do we temper our temper? The Bible has a few pointers for us. First of all, we need to realize that any unjustified anger is a serious sin. Jesus said, “But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” Knowing that unjustified anger is a sin, we need to repent of it, and by God’s grace, do all we can to rid ourselves of it. Second, we need to forgive those who have slighted us. Remember that when the Jews and Romans wounded Jesus, He did not wound in return. Rather He said, “Father, forgive them.” We need to forgive from our hearts those who have injured us. Third, we need to redirect our anger. If possible, we need to turn our anger away from those who hurt us and use it constructively to resolve the problem at hand. We need also to live by the important Biblical advice given to us: “A soft answer turneth away wrath.”

No emotion in and of itself is evil, including anger. It becomes evil when we allow it outside the limits and structure that God has established. When our anger gets to that point, we need to confess it and repent of it. If you feel angry today, don’t let the sun go down on your wrath. Bring it to God, and allow Him to begin a healing work in your heart. Do what you can to reconcile with the person you feel angry with. Determine, by the power of the Spirit, to forgive and to work constructively toward a solution.

“It is he who is in the wrong who first gets angry.”
William Penn

“… each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.

— 1 Corinthians 3:13–14

Let us get it clear once and for all: Heaven is a “free gift,” not an “earned reward.” I once saw a pamphlet with this question on the cover: “What must you do to go to heaven?” I opened it up, and the inside was blank. This pamphlet clearly communicated the message that we can do nothing to earn our salvation. Jesus has already paid the price in full for you and for me. Isn’t that an incredible truth?

We can’t save ourselves through good deeds, but we can do good works as a way of thanking God for our salvation. The Bible says that God will reward us in Heaven for these works of thanksgiving. Scripture doesn’t tell us what rewards we’ll receive, but it does tell us how to earn them. God sets aside rewards for those who experience persecution for Christ’s sake (Matthew 5:12). He also rewards those who are good stewards of the things God has given to them (Matthew 25:21). God has also planned special rewards for those who love their enemies (Luke 6:35) and especially for those who faithfully witness to others (John 4:35–36).

Keep in mind that at the Final Judgment the fire will try our works to see which will last as heavenly rewards. According to the Bible, some of us build with gold, silver, and precious stones, while others of us build with wood, hay, and stubble. Through the fire, the gold, silver, and precious stones will remain, but the wood, hay, and stubble will go up in smoke. The worst disaster that could befall a human being is to lose his or her soul, but those of us who believe in Jesus’ gift needn’t fear that fate. However, we may face the second-worst disaster—watching all the work of our lifetimes burned up in the fire at the Final Judgment (1 Corinthians 3:15).

Are you investing your time this day to make an eternal impact? Are you building with gold, silver, and precious stone or with wood, hay, and stubble? I encourage you to do good deeds with eternity in mind, so that at the Final Judgment you may receive the best reward of all—hearing God say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

“The only test that really matters in life is that ultimate one,
which will test the quality of our life’s work.”

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

— 2 Corinthians 3:17

Are you ever confused about what’s right and wrong in our world today? You’re not alone. Part of the problem is a confusion between liberty (which we could define as the freedom to do right) and license (which we could define as the freedom to do wrong).

Our salvation is not a license to sin. It is a deliverance from sin. When Jesus first began His public ministry, what did He say? Repent. Though we have saving faith in Christ, we must still turn from sin and to God. The apostle John writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15), for loving the world is antithetical to loving the Father.

Neither God nor the founders of this country intended for anyone to abuse liberty as license. However, today many openly confuse liberty with license to do whatever their desires lead them to do. Sin has become flagrant in our society. Many people today look upon Christianity as an impediment to their “freedom,” that is, their freedom to sin. But these people have transformed liberty into license, and in the worst form of licentiousness, they don’t want anybody speaking against their actions or in any way restraining them. Ironically, claiming freedom to do whatever they want, these people are actually in bondage to their sinful natures, for whoever sins is a slave to sin. But Christ came to free us from sin and from the penalty of sin. Let’s walk, then, in that liberty today by yielding ourselves to Him afresh.

“He is the best friend of American liberty who is most sincere
and active in promoting pure and undefiled religion.”
John Witherspoon