Living 4 Him

“I am the Resurrection and Life.” John 11:25

The middle of August is a good time to think back to the joy of Easter morning and resurrection!  Resurrection translates from the Greek word anastasis  which means “raising up” or “standing up again.” Resurrection brought Jesus back to us after a brutal death, fully restored and in a manner even better than before.   Resurrection contrasts the dark, lifeless bonds of death with the vibrancy of new life and possibility! 

Before his death, Jesus gave a clearer picture of resurrection in John 12:23-24 (NIV). Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 

The vision of a wheat seed buried in blackness, absent from light, then bursting forth with fresh promise shows clearly what God is capable of. Our God is a God of Resurrection.  He specializes in pouring new life into dead ends. 

Life comes with real heartbreak, unknown challenges, unspeakable tragedy.  But the God of Resurrection arrives to restore, turning what has been lost into something even better.  Through the privilege of prayer, we can access God’s resurrection power in our lives. 

Resurrection prayers are life-giving, life-changing, and restorative. Whenever we perceive disappointment, a lost cause, or a downward turn of events, our hearts can turn to God to resurrect the despair and revive the situation into a powerful work for good purposes.

We don’t have to look far to see the shattered pieces of this world.  But these shattered pieces have a place in our prayers.

“Lord, please resurrect . . . .”

“Holy Father, please restore . . . “

“In your great love, O God, please bring new life to . . . “

Joni Eareckson Tada is known for her deep faith in God which has sustained and guided her the past 50 years in coping with life as a paraplegic.  As a teenager, Joni broke her neck in a diving accident and has spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair.  Unable to use her hands or arms, Joni learned to draw and paint with pencils and brushes held in her mouth.  Her life is a testament to how God can resurrect adversity.  

In a devotion from 2023 she says: Christ’s resurrection turned the cross from a symbol of torture into a symbol of life. And Jesus exchanges the meaning of our suffering in the same way. Like, my wheelchair is no longer a symbol of pain and confinement; it’s a symbol of freedom and life because every day my chair keeps me leaning very hard on God. And that’s a life-giving thing. Today, view your pain and problems through the lens of the cross and ask Jesus to exchange their meaning. The good news?… you will find hope in your hardship.

What parts of your life feel buried, broken, lost or unreachable?  Pray for God’s resurrection and let him restore all things to the fullness of his glory.

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul):  Reread the scripture above, John 12:23-24, and note the contrast in moving from death to life.

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world):  Take whatever may be discouraging or disheartening in your world to God in prayer and believe that he has the power to make all things new.