Where is Thy Sting?

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 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. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.   1 Corinthians 15:50-58

we live in a world ruled by fear;

it dominates our thoughts,

it determines our decisions,

it decides how we live our lives;

fear of suffering and pain,

fear of illness and disease,

fear of losing loved ones,

fear of losing money

and possessions,

fear of being different,

fear of growing old,

fear of being sad,

fear of not being loved,

fear of rejection,

fear of the unknown,

fear of the truth;

fears so dark and deep,

we don’t even like to admit

they exist;

we live in a world that thrives on fear,

with many preying on the fears of others,

surviving on their reactions,

commercializing their existence,

capitalizing on the opportunities,

exploiting the weakness;

there is One who has conquered death,

who has overcome the fear,

through Him we are free to live again,

through Him we are free to ask;

O death where is thy sting?

O grave where is thy victory?

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