{"id":5377,"date":"2020-04-12T09:00:43","date_gmt":"2020-04-12T14:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=5377"},"modified":"2020-04-11T15:13:28","modified_gmt":"2020-04-11T20:13:28","slug":"joy-in-the-resurrection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=5377","title":{"rendered":"Joy in the Resurrection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my\nheart smile\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Barbara Dahlgren<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of years ago Job asked a question about death that has continued to plague mankind. \u201cIf a man dies, will he live again?\u201d (Job 14:14). Science may be able to prolong life but not cheat death. Everyone knows death is inevitable and it\u2019s only natural that people want to know what happens after we die. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Death can be hard to face. The Bible refers to it as our final\nenemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). A loved one\u2019s death can fill us with helplessness\nor if it comes quickly, anger. Facing our own death may have us feeling\nfearful, uncertain, perhaps defeated. Even those who bail out of life with\nsuicide are hoping for something better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this time of year, we are reminded of one who lived and died for us. Jesus Christ loved us so much He came to earth, lived among us, and freely died for us. But death was not the end of the story for He rose from the dead and is victorious. \u201c\u2026Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is thy sting?\u201d (1 Corinthians 15:54, 55).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that Christ\u2019s victory over death is ours as well.\nHe fought the battle for us. All we have to do is to choose to partake of this\nvictory in Christ as John 5:24 tells us. \u201cHe who hears My word and\nbelieves in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into\njudgment, but has passed from death into life.\u201d This has nothing to do with\nliving a good life or earning salvation. It comes from believing and trusting\nGod. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Job\u2019s question can be answered because at death our \u201cperishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:54). Death doesn\u2019t have to be the end; it can be the beginning. Death is swallowed in victory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although I don\u2019t want to rush this victorious process by embracing premature death, it brings me joy and comfort to know Christ\u2019s resurrection gives me blessed assurance. When the women came to Christ\u2019s tomb they were told, \u201cHe is not here; he is risen\u2026” (Matthew 28:6). He is risen and lives today\u2014and because He lives, we shall live also.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, many who ignore You\nall year long celebrate Easter. It\u2019s not because of bunnies and chocolate eggs;\nit\u2019s because only You can give what this hurting world needs. Hope! People want\nto believe in You but are sometimes afraid to embrace Your truth. You are the\nWay, the Truth, the Life. You are my life and I thank You for the resurrection.\nI don\u2019t have to fear death because You have conquered the grave. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile\u2026 By Barbara Dahlgren Thousands of years ago Job asked a question about death that has continued to plague mankind. \u201cIf a man dies, will he live again?\u201d (Job 14:14). Science … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5377\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}