Listen to this secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we shall all be changed. For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal; what will die must be changed into what cannot die. So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: "Death is destroyed; victory is complete!"

"Where, Death, is your victory? Where, Death, is your power to hurt?"

Death gets its power to hurt from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ!

So then, my dear brothers, stand firm and ready. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Sooner or later someone dear to us will die and we will want to be comforted. A hug, a kind deed, shared tears, and the presence of a friend may easy the pain of sorrow. However, those gestures will not answer our most urgent questions: such as what is beyond the grave and where is the person right now, will we be reunited in heaven, and how can we have the assurance of eternal life? When a believer in Christ dies, we who are left behind find comfort and confidence in Him. Keep talking about Jesus.

In life and in death, our only hope is Jesus.

Our Daily Bread – August 1, 2003