TODAY’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
Job 14:14 – If a man dies, will he live again?
No one likes to think about death. I’ll freely admit I am no exception to the rule. But as I grow older, it becomes more and more apparent that my appointment with death cannot be canceled.
Nobody enjoys contemplating death. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the exception. However, as I get older, it becomes more and more clear that I cannot postpone my encounter with death.
Do I have to lose all hope and sink into a pit of sorrow and despondency when I think about my own death? Devil responds, “Yes!” “No,” says God. God reminds me in his Holy Word that because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, I have been set free from the grave. He lost his life for my benefit. And I’ll live. My soul will be with the Lord in the heavenly mansions when I say goodbye to everything that is earthly! I have my Savior’s word on it.
God may be using my current confinement to draw my attention to issues I might otherwise overlook. My God wants me to organise my home. He wants the Holy Spirit to strengthen and grow my faith in Jesus by working through the Word and Sacrament. Then my departure day will be a great victory. I’ll admit it, like Job in his earlier days, “I will wait for my renewal to come all the days of my hard service.”
Prayer:
Lord of Life, grant me the sure hope of experiencing eternal life as a result of my Savior Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Amen.