Light in the shadow of the valley of death… by Deon Crafford

1 Cor 15:50-58I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:“Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Death is so unfair isn’t it? From the day we are miraculously brought into this world, we’re focused on mastering our world and it being a place of comfort. That normally takes a lifetime, and even then there are folks that are still not completely happy – and then we die. Just like that the lights are put out and our souls are removed from this earth. Our faith provides us the comfort of a new heaven and a new earth – a Divinely upgrade version – where we will dwell in the uninterrupted glory of God forever. We have a clear vision of the future, which is what makes Paul state – “for me to die is gain”. But still the brutality of our lives just being shut down on earth, is not just spoken away. It hurts deeper than any hurt – whether us ourselves or those we love. Not one of us can avoid the valley of the shadow of death – it is on our route. When the darkness dawns, from whence the light? It comes from the Word of God, which defines for us the Person of God – who He actually is – that provides the Light. Him to whom death is just a transition enabler. Him who placed the moon and stars in their place and continues to do so. Him whose receiving love is so abundant that it will disinfect the most vile and replace it with eternal glory. The arms of God is the brilliant Light in the shadow of darkness. And this is why the time I have been gifted on this earth, is not to strive to store up longevity and comfort, but to keep expending myself joyfully in meeting God, unencumbered, when His hand reaches out to lead me away from here.

Love to all