“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth that last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God. I will see Him for myself. Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought.” (Job 19:25)

Happy Friday everyone! I want to share with you an honest admission – as I go through life, one of the things that is definitely something that I struggle with lately is the concept of death. Knowing that death is inevitable, it’s something that, to process can be very difficult and challenging and hard to accept. And yet, today, I was at a funeral of a brother who had served the church for many, many years faithfully. And to be able to hear these words again as we closed his service. This reminded me of the power that we have through faith in facing such a difficult, ominous end as death.

It’s found in these words, words that we typically hear at Easter, we sing them, “I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives. He lives, He lives, who once was dead, He lives, my ever living head.” I love the second verse, “He lives to silence all my fears. He lives to wipe away my tears. He lives to calm my troubled heart. He lives all blessings to impart.” And then this verse, “He lives, all glory to His name. He lives, my Jesus still the same. Oh, the sweet joy this sweet sentence gives. I know that my Redeemer lives.”

You know, those words come from Job. Job, after he had experienced so many difficult things and really facing his mortality. He got an opportunity to write these words, in Job 19:25, he said, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth that last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God. I will see Him for myself. Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought.”

You know, that’s what our faith is all about. Things that we cannot understand. Things that we cannot, really just grasp, intellectually. And yet, they stand because God has promised them to you and to me. That there is eternal life for all those who believe and are baptized in Jesus.

What sweet comfort that gives. And I pray that that comfort is yours, this weekend, as you consider the life that God has given to you and blessed you with today. But also, the life that He has promised to you eternally.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You, for You have conquered death. You went to that grave and You rose again, and You have granted to all those who would believe in You, eternal life.

That’s a concept, Lord, that is so difficult for us to understand and comprehend, especially as we stand at the graveside of loved ones who we have lost. And yet, we know that your word is true. We know that your word is going to be the thing that continues to supply the faith that we need. And so, allow that word to go deep within our hearts as we rejoice with Job and with all the saints that we know.

One day we will see You face to face. We will see You with our own eyes, and with such joy we celebrate that eternal life and gift You have for us. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.