Today’s Reading, Isaiah 23-27
Focal Scripture: Isaiah 22:8 “When he has swallowed up death once and for all, the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face and remove his people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
Over my years as a coach I have had some pretty amazing experiences. I have won championships and even had a prolonged winning streak. Been in games with thousands of people and witnessed young men do things that others said was not possible. Going undefeated in baseball for several years was amazing but it also created an environment of entitlement. The details stopped mattering to the players because they believed they didn’t have to work hard to continue the tradition. When that first loss came it was a wake up call to everyone that they must pay attention.
In today’s reading we see that one day God will swallow up death once and for all, no more mourning and no more pain. God is making it clear that death will be defeated and people will no longer experience the pain that death brings. Think of the implications behind this to the hearers and readers of these words. They have all experienced the pain of death. They have shed tears over loved ones. Now God declares that what you think is undefeated will one day be defeated. Not just once but for all eternity.
I want to ask you this question “Do you fear death?” Some people have fear over their own demise and don’t want the end to come. They worry what the last days or even minutes will be like before they die. It causes them stress and worry. Let me encourage you that if you are a believer death has been defeated. Even though you may die physically you won’t suffer the second death. We are promised that once we die we will go into the presence of the Lord. We also know that in the future, death will no longer exist. Death will be gone, it will not even be a memory.
To have this promise you must put your faith and trust in Jesus. He is the only one who can give us that guarantee. He is the only one who can defeat death, Jesus is the only one who is truly undefeated.
If you are an unbeliever know that you will face death and you will face spiritual death that will last for all eternity. Your judgement will be separation from the Lord for all eternity. It doesn’t have to be that way if you will bend your heart and your mind to Christ. He can deliver you from what wants to claim you.
Remember this: If you are born once you will die twice, if you are born twice you will die once.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Isaiah 28-30
