Bible Study Verses
I Corinthians 15:56-57
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)
Thoughts
This morning I made a trip to our vet to put our dog, Riley, down. Over the last three weeks, she has really gone downhill.
For fourteen years, she has been a part of our family's daily life . . . sometimes cute, sometimes irritating, but always present. She has been as loyal as any dog could be. She found a way to cuddle next to someone who was sick with the flu or a cold. She sneakily meandered her way under our dinner table at every meal to clean up any scraps that might have fallen. When the sun shone through our windows at various times of the day, Riley could be found lying down in the little sliver of sunshine that found its way to the floor. After baths, she would run around the house like a little puppy just bursting with energy . . . barking, jumping, and antagonizing. When we would go out to our hunting property to work on food plots, she would run and run and run . . . fully exhausted by day's end, but content.
(Dave M)
Action Point
Today our dog is a memory and her life no longer exists. Each of us knows that our days are numbered, and the only one who knows what that number is resides with our Heavenly Father.
The past few days and the weeks leading up to Easter have certainly been a focus on both death and life. Christ died a brutal savage death to redeem us from our sins. But through His blood and death, we have life - eternal life.
It is only through accepting His gift of sacrifice though that we are made right in His eyes. It is not enough to acknowledge what He did. We have to believe fully and completely in Him and turn away from our own ways of doing things.
Death has visited our house today with the loss of our family companion and we are sad, but scripture says that death for believers in Christ has been conquered through His blood. Accept Christ as your savior today. Don't simply acknowledge Him...make a decision, and live for Him. As Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain," (NIV).
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
Know the breed of your dog and how much exercise he or she requires. A dog that gets exercise daily will be a happier and more content dog.
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