In the Resurrection
Today’s Verse:
1 Peter 1:3 ESV
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
You know, one of the things we should be grateful for every day is the resurrection. We should be filled with joy at the thought of meeting Jesus after we die and standing before Him for eternity. In Holy Scripture, Job longed for that day that he could see His Savior face to face, where all pain and suffering would be banished. Joh understood that the bodies we will have in the resurrection are not the ones we have now—these are far from ideal. In fact, they suck. Instead, when we stand before Jesus we will have glorified bodies that will be free from disease and suffering. Our eyes will be perfect, and we will never have to worry about diabetes, cancer, or heart disease.
Until then, we’ll all have days like Friday. I felt like I just wanted to turn off my phone and hide. Texts, messages, phone calls, and voicemails—it was as if no one had any good news to share. I heard about three young men, two teenagers and one 23-year-old, who were all sick. All three had Type 2 diabetes, and one of them had the unfortunate addition of colon cancer. All three are so young, yet they all had diseases that were once believed to only happen to old people.
Thank God for the resurrection.
Until then, we all have to deal with these broken down bodies that are far from ideal. Focusing on the resurrection, we remember the promises of God to us that these sinful vessels will one day decay and turn to dust. God’s blessed promise through Jesus Christ is that the bodies we will have will be like His glorious body. No more pain, no more suffering, just God-intended perfection. Until then, we’re going to deal with our broken bodies and be a strong arm for those who are sick.
The words of Saint Peter give us this great reminder about who we are in God. Live in that hope. And please, pray for these three young men - Cole, Garrett, and Travis.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
O Great Physician, You alone know all the troubles we and our brothers and sisters face. Hear our cries for those in need of Your mercy this day - Cole, Garrett, and Travis. Give them hope in their struggles and guidance for their treatments. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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