Resurrection Day

A short while ago, I bought a bunch of buttons for my family which show three crosses, and the words "Easter Means HE LIVES."

Even more than Christmas, Easter is the day when Christians should rejoice, for it is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ that our faith rests upon. If Jesus didn't first die for us, as our substitute, and then defy death by rising from the dead, we would have no faith to lean upon, no Saviour to trust, and worst of all, no hope after death.

It is the resurrection of Christ, even more than the birth of Christ, that gives us hope. It was the sacrifice of God the Son, fully God and fully man, that provides us with eternal joy.

I pray you can say with me,

Rejoice, for Christ is risen!

He is risen, indeed!
Let us take a few moments to meditate on and thank God for this priceless gift!

THE PATH OF LIFE

"You will make known to me the path of life;
In your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
Psalm 16:11

Here we see that God promises to make known to us
the "path of life." It is not, in a sense, the big mystery that
we often make it to be. Yes, there are mysteries of life,
and things we will never fathom; to do so would be having
the full knowledge of God. But in a sweeping, all-encompassing
sense, the "path of life," is truly quite simple:
It is a journey towards God.

"You will make known to me the path of life;
IN YOUR PRESENCE IS FULLNESS OF JOY:"

The path of life leads to God's presence, and in that
presence is fullness of joy.

"IN YOUR RIGHT HAND THERE ARE PLEASURES FOREVER."
The path of life leads to the pleasures He holds for us, which
last forever. In a word, Heaven.

In the next Psalm, the psalmist asks God to deliver him from men
"whose portion is in this life." But, "as for me," he says, "I shall
behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your
likeness when I awake." (Psalm 17: 14b, 15)
Awake from what? From the sleep of death.
Our portion is not in this life. This is not to say that we don't have
A portion--God is so abundantly good that He blesses us right here
and now. But our truest, biggest and best portion is reached by
following the path of life to it. To God Himself. To God and His
heaven.

How do we know if we are men or women whose portion is only
in this life? See what the psalmist says: "I shall behold Your face
in righteousness." We have the righteousness of Christ when we
believe in Him, and in His work for us on the Cross. The work of
redemption. We can then wear His righteousness like a robe,
and we are accepted in the Beloved.

How good God is! How much He has waiting for us!
I don't know about you, but I look forward to beholding His face,
having fullness of joy in His presence, and enjoying the pleasures
of His right hand forever!

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for showing us the path of life; thank you
for your goodness, for sending Your Son, that we might awake to see
Your likeness and dwell in your goodness forever. Thank you for
Jesus, who died for us precisely so that we could share in this joy.
Help us to lead others to your salvation, that they may know it, too.
We love you, Lord! We bless Your name! Amen.

Hugs,

Linore


©2009 Linore Rose Burkard

Image: "Pathway to Spring" Oil on Panel by Scott Baltz