Day 28: 31 Days of Prayer

July 28, 2010

Morning

Psalm 16:10 (NIV) You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Did you know the Bible mentions the materialistic, atheistic philosophy of Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, Friederich Nietzche, Karl Marx, Carl Sagan, etc? Isaiah penned their approach to life in Isaiah 22:13 (NIV) "Let us eat and drink," you say, "for tomorrow we die!" What else is there to do besides party if death is the end of our existence? In Ecclesiastes Solomon evaluated this philosophy. His oft repeated phrase about this is “everything is meaningless.” That’s the despair we face if death wins. No wonder Scripture identifies death as the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). Until death is destroyed, there will be escapist parties, but no victory parade (2 Corinthians 2:14).

David has some good news for us. Death loses and life wins. (God) will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. David prophesies his own victory over death and the resurrection of the Holy One, Jesus Christ. The two are connected. (1 Corinthians 15:13). How did David know these things? He knew God. He knew God as the living God. Therefore He must be the God of the living, not the dead (Luke 20:38). David is sure of this as he states in his most famous Psalm: Psalm 23:4, 6 (NIV) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. You can be sure too.

The resurrection changes everything. It means that forgiveness of sin is real (1 Corinthians 15:17) and hope lives (1 Peter 1:3-9). The resurrection enabled Bonhoeffer to say as he walked to the gallows on April 9, 1945, “This is the end, for me the beginning of life,” a poignant restatement of David’s words. Go through your day today in the hope of the resurrection. In Christ death is defeated. John 11:25-26 (NIV) "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶ and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" BELIEVE!

Evening

The resurrection changes everything about the way we live our lives. It means we become citizens of heaven instead of earth. Philippians 3:20 (NIV) Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we expect the fullness of life not now, but then. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Few of us would ever admit to being atheists. Too many of us live like we are, investing in the things of earth, choosing entertainment and earthly endeavors over worship, and seeking safety over following Christ. Jesus calls a person who lives this way “a fool” (Luke 12:16-21). If you believe, quit living like an atheist. Be rich towards God. Jesus tells you how to be rich toward God in the rest of Luke 12, summing up with this: Luke 12:34 (NIV) Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Ask God to give you a heart for Him and a resurrection approach towards your earthly life. Then sleep tonight and serve tomorrow.