This was today’s daily verse in my Bible app today:
Isaiah 25:8 NIV:
“He will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces;
He will remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.”
This week, my family unexpectedly lost a cousin, and on the heels of other untimely deaths happening in the world, life feels very heavy as we struggle to understand why these horrible, tragic things happen.
Today’s verse was so timely.
I titled today’s blog as I did, because sometimes in the face of horrible things, even Christians in mourning can lose sight of this truth: death doesn’t win.
I usually don’t like to spoil the end of a book by peeking ahead to read the last pages, but Revelation 21:1-4 is a gift for all of us. In those verses, God makes the following promises to His people, His Bride:
- The old world will pass away and be replaced by a new and perfect world (verse 1)
- The new Jerusalem will be prepared for God and God alone (verse 2)
- God will dwell with His people–we will no longer be separated from Him (verse 3)
- God will wipe away every tear; we will no longer cry (verse 4)
- There will be no more death, crying, mourning, or pain (verse 4)
This day is coming. While we do not live in this day yet, we hold onto the promise of it because sometimes, it is the only thing that will carry us through the pain and grief we currently walk through. In the current moment, we rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). But we keep our eyes fixed on those promises, that one day we will mourn no more.
Death will not win. Jesus claimed victory over death once and for all on the cross, and He is faithful and true. As the end of Isaiah 25:8 says, “The LORD has spoken.” He will do what He said He will do.
Life is not guaranteed to make sense here and now. Here and now, we live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and we look forward to the coming day promised in Revelation. We lean into our family and community around us and grieve while holding onto the promises for a new chapter with God.
Death does not win. This is not the end.
Blessings,
~Lynne
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