Because He Lives

By: Sarah MacKinney

The last several days the old hymn, Because He Lives, has been playing over and over in my mind. I find myself humming it throughout the day and reflecting on the words it so poignantly expresses. "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone, because I know who holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives!" With Easter Sunday being only days away, these words have never rang more true. If it weren't for the resurrection, we wouldn't have this hope; we would have MANY reasons to fear the future. So many times, we know this in our heads, but we forget it in our hearts. How often do we walk through our days fearful and uncertain?

Imagine with me what it would look like if we lived walking in this certainty, that no matter what comes tomorrow, we can face it head on knowing whose we are; knowing that He ultimately has the victory. Does knowing and believing this give us a guarantee of no more hard days, no more tragedy or no more pain? Certainly not. Does it mean that we will never experience death of loved ones, loss of jobs or bad news? No. But it does guarantee us that no matter what we face in this life, we can face it knowing that our God goes with us, that He is always beside us, giving us hope and strength, providing us with comfort and joy, even in the darkest of situations. And the really good news is, this truth isn't just applicable for our good days, days when we are happy and life seems to be going our way. This truth is truth especially on your hard days, those times when you feel down and out and hopeless.

Let me say this to you today; if you were next to me right now, I would shout it to you! Because He lives, you have hope; you have reason to breathe in deeply the love and grace and mercy that He alone offers. Because He lives; you can find solace and joy in your valley. Because He lives; the uncertainty that you may be facing about your future, your family, your job, your health; can be met with strength and peace. I, like many of you, have faced overwhelming situations in my life. Situations that brought me to my knees in sheer anguish, circumstances that threatened to pull me under. I, like many of you, have felt that some things in life were just too unbearable and I have been uncertain how I would ever recover from the pain, rejection and grief that life threw my way. BUT....because He lives, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He certainly does hold my future, He certainly does have a plan for my life and that plan involves hope, joy, victory and success! All because I am His and He is mine. I don't know what you are facing right now. I don't know the storms and valleys you may be enduring, but I do know that YOU have reason to hold on, YOU have reason to hope. Because He lives, oh yes....because He lives, you CAN face tomorrow. Because He lives, your future is secure. There really is no greater news than this!

Sarah