They Shall Live Again

Springtime has always brought the promise of new life and the end of another brown, barren Illinois winter. The first tulips begin to pop open; trees get their first, almost invisible green buds, and soon, green grass springs up to carpet over the brown stuff on the ground.

I remember as a little girl when Mom would take us shopping for a new Easter dress to go with our Patten leathers.  Women pulled their big, flowered hats out of boxes to wear proudly to church. Robins returned, looking for worms in the rain-softened ground. And then came the day we were allowed to go barefoot outside!

Springtime symbolizes life, new beginnings, second chances, something everyone needs from time to time. The Author of new beginnings is our God. The One who sent His Son to redeem us offers eternal life to each one of us:

Yet we have this assurance: Those who belong to God shall live again. Their bodies shall rise again! Those who dwell in the dust shall awake and sing for joy! For God’s light of life will fall like dew upon them!   Isaiah 26:19

Midwest winters are fickle things, we’ve seen snow on Easter morning, and January days with temperatures mild enough to leave our coats at home. I remember winters in my childhood when no snow fell at all. But no matter how long our winters stretch in the Midwest, we know that spring will come. Putting faith in God is like that, you can trust that He will do what He has promised. In Isaiah He promises life after death for those who put their faith in Christ. No matter how things may appear right now, new life is a promise from above. Receive it!