“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the Living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24:1-6 (NIV)

“Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”  Matthew 28:7 (NIV)

Dear Risen, Living One, 

Oh Lord, Our God, open our eyes to see clearly that we will not find our redeemed life in the dead things of our past. For we, who were dead, are now alive because of You. We can stop visiting the tomb of our old failings. We can cease the labor of paying for the past. We can stop hoping something worth memorializing will come out of the grave of self. We can stop rationalizing and defending the indefensible record of the past! We can live wholly unattached to all the old ways. We can be at peace knowing the judgment due was paid in full by You! We are released from servitude to the old self’s demands. We can live apart from this world of sin, death and darkness. We can believe, once and for all, that the news too good to be true, is true! Our deadly past was swallowed up in Your Life! That is Who You are— Life Giver, Life Redeemer, Life Creator! You are among those now living! 

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; [died] behold, the new has come into being.”  (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

Let me be so busy following after You that I don’t have time for cemetery visits with my old life. My real life is in front of me where You lead. You rolled my stone away and I escaped the grave. Thank you. 

In Jesus Name Forever

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